On E List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)


Enter the Dragon (1973)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 8/04, 4/06, 9/10, 10/20

EntD
4/06: Although I'm in awe of Bruce Lee, Enter the Dragon has no story whatsoever in any shape or form.

It goes without saying the movie is about the kung fu action. What I'll love to see differently is the elimination of John Saxon and Jim Kelly, Bruce Lee getting most of the attention, and a real plot.

I rather see a tournament with Bruce Lee being granted more matches than just one with O'Hara. Furthermore, I want him to go against Bolo Yeung and the other never-seen-before real karate champions to make the film more enjoyable. Even Jackie Chan is in it, so use him.

All in all, it's too bad how Enter the Dragon turned out to be in spite of making Bruce Lee an iconic movie star posthumously.

9/10: Flipping through the channels on the idiot box, I happened to catch the middle of Enter the Dragon.

Feeling motivated to watch the entire thing, I wanted to see if my opinion might be improved. Unfortunately, not only the film isn't better but it also looks worse than before. It's a fact that Bruce Lee is an worldwide icon because of his performance in Enter the Dragon, but it's also a fact that he's only good for one thing: martial arts. In other words, he's not much of an actor.

What's with John Saxon and Jim Kelly having equal screen time as Bruce Lee? This is what makes the film a serious disappointment. Nobody is interested in either; simply put, everybody wants to see Bruce Lee all the time. His scenes, especially the match with O'Hara, are breathtaking to watch; they're the best parts.

Of course, Bruce is funny...and of course, I rolled my eyes when he said a couple of lines like "Boards...don't hit back" and "You have offended my family." The most memorable, which was inspired by the famous scene in Orson Welles' The Lady from Shanghai, is the final showdown between Bruce Lee and Han in the hall of mirrors (8,000 of them!). So, it's too bad the rest of the film doesn't hold up to par.

All in all, Enter the Dragon remains the most well-known picture of the kung fu genre.

10/20: Shot on location entirely in Hong Kong, Enter the Dragon is the most iconic picture of the kung fu genre and the most famous of Bruce Lee's short-lived career.

Believe it or not, Bruce Lee was the first Asian thespian to gain widespread acceptance by white America, but unfortunately, the chances for many Asian actors to achieve the same feat haven't improved much since then. Today, when people think of Asians, kung fu immediately comes to their mind. Hey, quick! Name five Asian actors outside of the genre. See what I mean? And no, Bollywood doesn't count because most people have no idea that it exists and don't care about it.

However, let's not take anything away from Bruce Lee. He's the main star of Enter the Dragon. Forget John Saxon and Jim Kelly. Yes, the story sucks, the dialogue is laughable, and the acting is terrible. Amidst these negatives, there's one undeniable fact: Bruce Lee is absolutely captivating, especially during the fight scenes which are one of a kind.

People wonder what happened to Bruce Lee. Well, he died at the age of 32 and never saw the theatrically released film. Prior to it, Bruce had his underarm sweat glands removed for vanity reasons (I know what you're thinking, and I'm in agreement with you). Hence, his body couldn't regulate heat anymore due to the inability to sweat; he would tire easily and have heat stroke-like symptoms. The night Bruce Lee died from massive brain damage, he was in a hot room doing dialogue work and suffered from seizures and headaches throughout the day.

All in all, although not a well-made film, Enter the Dragon is totally watchable, thanks to Bruce Lee.