The Films of Bruce Lee: Enter The Dragon

Directed by: Robert Clouse
Written by: Michael Alin
Stars: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly
Plot: A martial artist agrees to spy on a reclusive crime lord using his invitation to a tournament there as cover. (IMDB)

"Don't think. FEEL!" - Lee in Enter the Dragon

In Bruce Lee's final film (that he was involved with), Enter The Dragon is the first film to enter mainstream success in the West. Bruce Lee plays a persona of himself as Lee, a Shaolin Temple member. Lee, a highly proficient Shaolin martial artist and instructor from Hong Kong, is approached by Braithwaite (Geoffrey Weeks), a British intelligence agent investigating the suspected crime lord Han (Shih Kien). Lee is persuaded to attend a high-profile martial arts competition on Han's private island to gather evidence that will prove Han's involvement in drug trafficking and prostitution. Shortly before his departure, Lee also learns that the man responsible for his sister's (Angela Mao) death, O'Hara (Robert Wall), is working as Han's bodyguard on the island. Also fighting in the competition are Roper (John Saxon), an indebted gambling addict, and fellow Vietnam war veteran Williams (Jim Kelly).

Enter The Dragon has some of the best philosophical statements of fighting."The art of fighting without fighting", "A good fight should be like a small play, but played seriously. A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come. When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when there is an opportunity, I do not hit. It hits all by itself." To me, that speaks a lot about Lee's impact on martial arts, and the future that it has become. After Lee's untimely death, MMA has become very powerful for the community at large.

Really enjoyable Bruce Lee flick. One of the highlights for me was, of course, the fight sequences. Lee was real talented when it came to stunts, as when he was fighting, the camera was wide to show that he performed his own stunts. There were scenes that involved him fighting goons with nun chucks, and scenes with him fighting with sticks, but the main scenes that I enjoyed the most were when he was fighting with his fists.

For the rest of the film, the acting was decent. It's what I've come to expect from a martial arts film from the 70s'; real campy and cheesy dialogue. The film was in dub, but it was bearable to listen to, in contrast to "The Way of the Dragon"'s dub. The music fit the film, and at some points of the movie, it switched to a James Bond-esque soundtrack. Half of the time I was thinking I was watching a spy thriller.

Overall, this was a very good entry in Lee's filmography. Unfortunately, he passed away 3 weeks before the film debuted, so he wasn't able to see his incredible work. But, the film lives on in cinematic history. Really enjoyed it.