Review of Enter the Dragon (1973) by Danny R — 04 May 2016

This is the film that made the legendary martial arts icon Bruce Lee into a global, if sadly posthumous, international superstar; shockingly he died of cerebral edema at the age of 32; just six days before the film's release.

The story takes place in Hong Kong circa 1973, where Han who is played wonderfully by the late Shih Kien who delivers a deliciously wicked performance as a renegade Shaolin Monk that is now a major crime lord in the opium trade and owns a fortress-like palace on his own private island, where he traffics in drug-addicted sex slaves and holds a tri-annual martial arts tournament.

Mr. Lee is a member of the Shaolin Temple a master of the physical and spiritual disciplines of the martial arts, he is played brilliantly by the late great Bruce Lee who delivers charismatic performance.

He has learned that Han's right-hand man and personal bodyguard the fearsome Oharra, played terrifically by real-life karate champion Bob Wall in a nearly wordless performance, is responsible for the death of his sister Su-Li, played with grit by real-life Hapkido expert Angelina Mao Ying.

To avenge his sister and restore honor to the Shaolin Temple that Han has disgraced, Mr. Lee agrees to work with the authorities and enter the tournament undercover as their agent, in order to gain access to the island and collect evidence against Han.

Among the other contestants are two Americans who cannot return to the Untied States, Roper, played superbly by veteran character actor John Saxon who is a gambler and in big debt with the mob, who are looking to kill him for the big money he owes them, and Williams, an Afro wearing, black power rebel who is played with some gutsy funk by the real-life middleweight karate champion, the late Jim Kelly who is a wanted man for assaulting a couple of racist cops who were out to beat him down for kicks.

The tournament competition and fight scenes on Han's remote island are exciting and well-staged by Lee. The two high point in the film is Lee's magnificent fight with Han's guards in his hidden underground narcotics factory and slave prison.

Lee takes on dozens of armed men by himself; and the memorable climatic hall of mirrors fight to the death with the evil Han himself. Bruce Lee's amazing lighting fast fighting skill and his incredible fight choreography are why we are watching, as a matter of fact Lee was so fast that film's cameramen were eventually forced to film in slow motion simply to catch his lighting fast moves during the fight sequences.

Lee was a pure movie star with a one-of-a-kind screen presence, his charisma is carried so effortlessly, that we forget the action scenes, just watch him move, watch him cross a room, there's never been and never will be anyone quite like him, as Martial Artist and a fight choreographer he is unequaled.

"Enter the Dragon" is the crown-jewel of Bruce Lee's cinematic legacy and a much beloved Martial Arts film classic. Highly Recommended.