 |
 |
 |
 |
| Product Detail |
 |
|
Audio Format: DD 5.1 Surround Video Format: Widescreen 1.85:1 (Anamorphic) Languages: English Subtitles: English, Spanish, French Region Code: 1 Year Made: 1973 Running Time: 102
One of the most popular kung fu films ever, and perhaps the peak of the famed Bruce Lee's career, Enter the Dragon achieved success by presenting a series of superbly staged fighting sequences with a minimum of distractions. The story finds Lee as a martial-arts expert determined to help capture the narcotics dealer whose gang was responsible for his sister's death. This evil villain operates from a fortified island manned by a team of crack martial artists, who also host a kung fu competition. Lee uses his skills to enter the contest and then tries to chop, kick, and otherwise fight his way into the dealer's headquarter.
The story is, of course, merely an excuse for showdown after showdown, featuring masterly fighting by Lee in a wide variety of martial arts styles. Essential viewing for martial arts fans, the film was also embraced by a larger audience, thanks to a fast pace and higher-than-usual production values.
Martial arts phenomenon Bruce Lee never made a perfect movie, but his first (and last) English-speaking star vehicle comes closest to capturing his electricity and charisma. A US-Hong Kong co-production intended to introduce Lee to an international audience, Enter the Dragon has Lee sharing screen time with two co-stars, veteran John Saxon and American karate champion Jim Kelly, but Lee dominates the movie as assuredly as he does the multitudes of bad guys thrown his way.
The formulaic story, a crude James Bond riff with a hint of blaxploitation outrageousness, is wearying in the early going, but it hardly matters as the dynamite fighting sequences begin to dominate near the halfway point. Though it lacks the insane kineticism of the subsequent Hong Kong martial arts renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s, the movie is nicely photographed, and Robert Clouse's direction keeps the attention focused on Lee's remarkable presence. The hall-of-mirrors finale, in which Clouse and Lee gleefully update Orson Welles' classic sequence from The Lady From Shanghai, has to be seen to be believed. Lee even shows a bit of acting ability in some of the quieter moments, but his tragic death at age 33, about a month before Enter the Dragon's US premiere, would put an end to his film career.
Features:
Disc One
- Feature-Length Commentary by Producer Paul Heller
- 3 Dynamic Documentaries: The All New 30th-Anniversary Blood And Steel: Making of Enter the Dragon
- John Little's Penetrating Personal Profile Bruce Lee: In His Own Words and the Original 1973 Featurette
- Interview Gallery Featuring Linda Lee Cadwell
- Vintage Home Movie Footage: Backyard Workout with Bruce
Disc Two
- John Little's fascinating Feature-Length biography Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey, Featuring a Meticulous Reconstruction of Lee's Intended Cut of The Game of Death
- George Takei Narrates Weintraub's Examination of the Lee Legacy, Bruce Lee: the Curse of the Dragon
- Multiple Theatrical Trailers & TV Spots
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
