Blah, blah, blah - I'm bored and etc. Anybody got a car they want washing?
Blah, blah, blah - I'm bored and etc. Anybody got a car they want washing?
Member since:03.10.2000
Reviews:231
Members who trust:70
A combination of the martial arts legend that is Bruce Lee and the filmmaking skills of Hollywood (and I use the term blinkeredly(?)) should surely make for a dynamite combination. Without the cheapness of Raymond Chow productions, surely this should be a first rate film...
Every four years the reclusive Han hosts an international martial arts contest, inviting the best in the world to compete against one another. But is everything as clear cut as that? British Intelligence thinks not and they contact Lee to investigate for them (using the tournament as a cover). Lee agrees but has his own agenda - the last time the contest was held, his sister was killed by Han's henchman O'Hara. Arriving at the island Lee encounters Roper and Williams, western fighters each with their own reasons for competing. Despite heavy security and suspicion, Lee discovers that Han's tournament is in fact a recruitment drive, with Han attempting to hire the best from the tournament to work as part of his drugs empire. The stage is therefore set for the ultimate showdown...
With the rising interest in martial arts movies it was only natural that Hollywood would attempt to jump on the bandwagon, and with their money and influence, only the biggest and best martial arts star would do - Bruce Lee. Whole volumes could be filled with Bruce Lee's life and works (so I won't bother) and in 1973 Lee was at the height of his fame. His speed and skills were legendary, his abilities next to superhuman. But does he work? Yes is the answer. Although underused (his fights seem very short compared to some of his Raymond Chow pictures) he still explodes onto the screen and dominates everything and everyone. Whether discussing Chinese philosophy or breaking someone's neck, Lee's performance is captivating and without a doubt the highlight of the film. But this is what Hollywood was banking on
Although the story could have been a very flimsy excuse for some martial arts sequences (and a Bruce Lee promo), Enter The Dragon is actually a pretty good film in it's own right. The story has merit, the pacing is good, and the visual aspects are well realised. Obviously the martial arts play a big role in the proceedings but the action is well integrated and avoids falling into the 'hey, look at this' trap.
Lee is the big draw here and he doesn't disappoint, appearing to be at his physical best and performing some still breathtaking sequences. His abilities as an actor may be more questionable than his ability to break legs but he actually turns in a very good performance and his English is excellent (only the use of the name 'Braithwaite' causes him any problems and this was due to director Clause deliberately trying to trip him up). The rest of the cast are excellent and Kelly and Saxon acquit themselves well in their fight scenes as well as turning in credible performances outside of them. The rest of the cast do a good job despite the fact that most of them are used to the Hong Kong approach to cinema.
Ok it might not have the action and style of Way of The Dragon or Fist of Fury but it gains a lot in terms of story and (I hate to use the term as it makes Lee's early work sound bad but...) professionalism.
When it comes down to it this is primarily a martial arts film but hardcore fans of the genre might be a little disappointed by it's lack of action. As an introduction to Lee's work though it's not bad and there's enough here to keep non-genre fans entertained
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Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Action/Adventure - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Jack Ging, Marla Heasley, Lance Legault, Melinda Culea, Mr T, Dwight Schultz, Dirk Benedict, George Peppard, Carl Franklin
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Advantages: The final Bruce Lee film, an opportunity to see the man at his peak Disadvantages: The final Bruce Lee film, and a sense of what might have been had he lived, some pretty brutal violence
Advantages: The majectic Bruce in action, generally entertaining Disadvantages: poor story, bad acting, grainy colour, average sound, last proper Bruce Lee film
Feb 27th, 2001
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