The Way Of The Dragon (Special Collector's Edition) (Wide Screen) > Reviews > Way of the Dragon - Way to Go!

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Lee at this uncompromised best, superb fight sequences, best fight ever choreographed, wonderful extras
Disadvantages:	absolutely catagorically emphatically NONE

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is my second review of a Bruce Lee film and I must admit that this is my favorite of Bruce's films. I actually believe that this is the film was pure Bruce. It was the first that Bruce directed and choreographed and that becomes abundantly clear on seeing the fight scenes and some of the small comedy clips within the film.

It was the third of the Hong Kong trilogy and made after his break with Chinese director Lo Wei and is set in Rome although Lee only spent a couple of days in the city with most of the filming being done in Hong Kong.

The film story centers around a country boy from Hong Kong who is sent to help his uncle out. His Uncles restaurant is supposedly being threatened by some Italian mobster and his cronies who want a share of it. Lee's character arrives in Rome unaware how to use western toilets or speak any of the language which sets up a couple of comedy sequences early on. His relatives are somewhat disappointed to see that all he brings with him are his skills as a kung fu fighter. This soon turns to adoration as he uses his skills to dispose of the thugs who turn up at the restaurant and scare off customers. Lee gives a dazzling display of the nunchaku's and a shorter display of the long staff. There is one sequence when Lee flexes his muscles in a window which is amazing and shows the extent to which he developed his body at this, probably his peak of fitness.

The films culminates with a spectacular duel in the coliseum (well, a studio set in Hong Kong actually - shhh!) which is generally recognised as the best fight scene ever. Lee is set-up to fight an World champion who was actually an American champion in real life - Chuck Norris. This was Norris' first film and his acting displays the fact. Norris was a student of Lee but tends to downplay this fact in interviews.

The fight is magnificent in the choreography used. Lee experimented with using different types of camera angles, slow motion and switches the camera to a kitten now and again in a kind of metaphor for Lee's change in style of fighting. The fight begins with both characters fighting in a traditional way. Norris using his strong and rigid Korean (although supposed to be Japanese) style of fighting while Lee tries to counter with his more fluid but still traditional Chinese kung fu style. Lee is getting hammered. He is bruised and battered. Suddenly Lee makes the decision that he needs to change in order to survive this fight. He moves on to his toes like a boxer, his punches are whiplashed out, he starts fighting dirty using bites or ripping hair, all of which disconcerts Norris and starts to give Lee the edge. There are some stunning close range scenes in which we see Lee's bistering speed. A series or punches and traps (where the opponents arms are tied up and pinned down by Lee's hand) and his amazing triple kick. Lee's decision to show the fight in this way was a way of showing the world what he thought were the shortcomings of traditional martial arts. Too stiff and regimented.

The setting of the Coliseum is apt as the film portrays both characters as gladiators who must fight to the death. I have to admit, I always get choked up at the death scene where Lee finally kills his opponent after giving him the opportunity to leave. Lee displays this dignity by covering his defeated opponent with his karate suit jacket and laying his black belt on top, he then races off in anger at the person who set the fight up.

Suffice to say, things end up turning out okay thanks to Tang Loong who walks off into the distance to find another situation to resolve. Lee had intended to bring back this character at a later point but his early death lost any chance of this.

There are certain aspects that you see in a lot of Lee's films which I don't think have ever really been explained. Usually there is a very effeminate character or one equally 'odd' (except for Big Boss where Lee had very little input to the film or its direction). There is also usually the dig at the Japanese (as in Fist and Way and more subtly in Enter). Also he chose to include some of the same people as friends and family in the first three films.

What we are left with in Way of the Dragon was a film which Lee controlled and was happy with. He doesn't compete with box office stars (as he did in Enter) for prime position and the film seems more pure and less commercialized as a result. I love all of the Lee's films but have to say that Way is by far the favourite. For those who think Bruce Lee is just another kung fu film star like Jet Lee, Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung (the latter two had some of their first breaks in Lee's Enter the Dragon a year later). then this film shows otherwise. Lee's fighting is concrete compared to their tissue paper. Don't get me wrong, its lovely tissue paper, very pretty and suitable for film, but Lee used his system in real and this shows. He believes the techniques and style should speak for themselves and believe me they do.

The film runs for 95 minutes and is the complete uncut version (the film was cut to pieces by censors around the world - most usually the nunchaku scene). There are some superb extra features in this double disk set which are well worth seeing. On disk one the commentary by Bey Logan is worth listening to as his knowledge as a Hong Kong film specialist is at the top of the tree. Here he shows a ton of information about the film and Lee.

On the second disk there is a sequence of interviews with people like Bob Wall who appeared in Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon and was a good friend of Lee's. This interview itself takes over 30 minutes and covers the amount of work Lee put into the fight sequences. Also interviewed are Wong In Sik who plays a karate fighter in Way who discusses the impact Bruce had on martial arts, Lee's brother Robert who discusses Bruce's youth and his street fights and some of the crew and cast from Way.

The disk also includes publicity material and a photolibrary/biography of some of the cast.

To conclude, this is an amazing collection. You couldn't wish for a more comprehensive presentation of Lee's best film. The extras add incredible value to this fabulous film. What do I think of it? I think you can guess!