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Enter the Dragon

Enter the Dragon

List Price: $14.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GREAT DVD BUT THE FILM IS FLAWED. IT HURTS ME TO SAY!
Review: You know , I am a big Bruce Lee fan and I understand the significance of this film in the martial arts movie genre but there are a few things about this film that irks me.

Number 1 : Who can believe that John Saxon is worthy enough to stand next to Bruce Lee and Jim Kelly in a kung fu film as a martial artist. Lee and Kelly would have been fine without the addition of a guy like John Saxon. Nobody gave a farfignoogen about John Saxon in this film.

Number 2 : Bolo vs John Saxon? And John Saxon wins? Give me a break! Bruce Lee should have been the one fighting Bolo. Bolo kept looking at Lee like he wanted to fight him and you felt that the story was leading to a showdown between Bruce Lee and the massive Bolo. But no. They mess up a potentially memorable fight scene by letting Saxon fight Bolo. Lee vs Bolo would have been astronomically better than Saxon vs Bolo. Who ever made the decision to let Saxon fight Bolo , when it seemed that Bolo was going to fight Lee , should be tossed in one of the acid pools like "Williams" was.

Number 3 : .... This seems to be a pattern in Hollywood especially in the 70's and 80's ; the lead white guy has a black buddy so that the audience can see what a cool guy this white guy is. Then the black buddy gets tragically killed somehow at some point in the film. If you were honestly asked , before seeing E.T.D. , who would be dead by the end of the movie between Bruce Lee , Jim Kelly , and John Saxon's characters based on kung fu skills would you have ever guessed Jim Kelly? No. I don't think so.

Number 4 : This is a big one. As much as I hated to say it , this film is NOT the greatest kung fu film ever made. The opening scene , the scene with Bob Wall fighting Bruce , Bruce's cavern fight scene , and Lee vs Han are the classic highlights of this film and these scenes are diamonds in the ruff. But the film , outside of these scenes , is rather mediocre , cheesy , and exploitive(BLAXplotive is more like it). E.T.D. is missing that overall energetic edge that was in Lee's previous kung fu films despite , or because of , the fact it is a Hollywood film. Overall , it feels like a watered down kung fu film. I'm sorry kung fu fans but I had to say it and it hurts me to say.

The DVD extras are terrific. It features the 1973 documentary of Enter The Dragon , feature length commentary by producer Paul Heller , an interview and introduction by Linda Lee Caldwell , home video of Bruce doing backyard training(priceless footage) and my very favorite extra , a short film called "Bruce Lee : In His Own Words".

ENTER THE DRAGON isn't the best Bruce Lee film but the film and DVD are a must to have for all Bruce Lee fans when you consider that ENTER THE DRAGON is actually the last movie he filmed. And because of the DVD extras and the films significance I give it 5 stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Martial Arts Masterpiece
Review: Linda Lee Cadwell describes Bruce during his final days and up until 'ETD' was finally edited into it's final big screen debut. Lee, who up until 'ETD' had a small following in the US,which consisted of martial arts buffs and mainly Asian film-goers...Bruce initially graced us with his superior skills, matinee looks and 'behind the black mask' mistique in the Batman & Robin television show series during the 60's. Cato was similar to Batman's Robin, other than displaying deft karate moves with precision and pizzaz!! This 'ETD' version shows scenes never seen before, especially the opening scene, which displays Lee's remarkable ability to create climatic moves with human emotion and controlled hostility. Great supporting cast that includes, John Saxon and Jim Kelly who accompany Bruce to an offshore island that's controlled by a murderous tyrant who hosts an international Karate Tournament. Bruce of course, is on a covert mission to nullify 'Han' who kills prostitutes after drugging them to death. Bruce soon learns that there is other personal business to attend to on the island. This is the best martial arts movie ever made!! Bar-NONE

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Martial art masterpiece of all times
Review: What makes this movie so great? Bruce Lee is not just an actor or a sportsman; he is a great master. You can see it. You can feel it. The plot is magnificent. The actions are incredible. The story is amazing. DVD quality is great. The fight in the room of mirrors is one of the best episodes ever. I have enjoyed every moment of it. If you have never watched it, I can't even explain how much you have missed. This is a "must to see" movie for everyone who enjoys martial arts and actions.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Learn, everyone!!!
Review: Can't really add much - the film is fantastic. Forget the plot, you want the fight scenes, where Bruce avenges his sister, where he beats Han, the Numchuck scene (banned in the UK since 1973), the subtle humour (the snake, the "fighting without fighting bit....), I just love the film.

I have to say that although I understand the "racism" comments regarding Jim Kelly, I thought the only reason Han beat him was because he got distracted by a faceful of Dove and took a stone hand in the face. Pure bad luck. And the only reason he stole the police car was for a quick getaway, otherwise he'd probably have caught a cab.

But I agree, he's a far better fighter than John Saxon, and it would have been nice if he'd stuck around in the movie for longer.

Peace.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not Just A Great Martial Arts Film!
Review: This movie is a classic of any genre. It has such a great dated fill to it like other classic sixties and seventies films such as Goldfinger, Deliverance or Dirty Harry. I love the cast and their interaction. A Chinese, African American and white guy all fighting together like there's nothing out of the ordinary about it, which is how it should be. These days you would have to have some joke where the Chinese guy makes some "innocent" crack about the 'hood or the black man calling the white guy cracker. In this film everyone is treated with equal respect. It seems to me this is something that was more common place in films in the early seventies or maybe it was the influence of Bruce Lee's own philosophies. Whatever the cause, it's nice to see three different races represented as equals.

The plot is a cross between a James Bond movie and the standard Kung Fu pictures. Bruce Lee is recruited by a shadowy government organization to infiltrate a mysterious island as a participant in a Karate tournament. This is basically a character and action driven movie because there isn't much suspense. It's pretty much a given that Han is up to something.

Where this movie shines is the martial arts action. I originally saw Enter The Dragon as a double feature at the drive in in the early eighties. I remember thinking as I watched the first feature (Kill Or Be Killed) that the fighters were fast. That is until Bruce Lee came on. I had never seen anyone move that fast before or since. The final fight in the house of mirrors holds up well and is every bit as thrilling as any fight scene of today.

As for the bonus features, the trailers are interesting if for no other reason then it's amusing to see how far commercials have come. The interview with Bruce Lee is particularly poignant. It makes you wonder what would be next. He had a powerful personality and very definate views on fame and movie making. I think his films would have only gotten better and may have even brought equality and better roles for minorities to the movies decades sooner.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Greatest Kung Fu Film of All Time
Review: This is without a doubt the greatest martial arts film ever made (sorry "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" fans....as great as that film was, this film is still better). Enter the Dragon is the perfectly paced martial arts film that keeps the story simple and the action fast. This film showcases both Jeet Kune Do from a cinematic (the flamboyant such as the flying and jumping kicks) and a practical point of view (the Bob Wall fight scene is classic Jun Fan Gung Fu) as well as the philosophy behind the art (check out John Little's books and you'll notice a lot of similar themes and passages). The differences (as far as I can see) between the Special Edition and the original cut (which was available on VHS but I think is now out of print, but also an ESSENTIAL buy) are (1) the scene that takes place after the opening fight scene with the old master from Shaolin and (2) a quick voiceover of the old master's voice during Bruce's jaunt through the hall of mirrors. All other martial artists/filmmakers should take notes, this is how it is done!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hands down, bar none, the best ever martial arts movie ever
Review: Like I said, hands down, bar none, the best ever martial arts movie ever. This movie has been adapted so many times. (Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Bloodsport I-IV, just to name a few) Bruce Lee stars as a British Agent, who enters a drug lords anual martial arts festival held on his private island, and runs into trouble on the way. This is his last completed film, due to his untimely death. Anyone who has DVD should have this in their collection, I know I do.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bruce Lee: The Greatest of ALl Times!
Review: As an african-american and a Muhammad Ali fan, I have to take my hat off to greatness when I see it in action. NO stranger to Bruce Lee fare, I still marvel at the movie each time I see it, including the first time I saw it in 1973, the year I graduated from high school. After watching more movies and studying Lee, I can see that what was on the screen was real. "Enter the Dragon" was so great my children memorized it scene for scene, and I still watch it when I can. But other than Bruce's incredible performances, the movie still as yet is a racist one. And I'll tell you why. First of all, take note of Jim Kelly's role. Jim Kelly was a hero of a number of Blaxpoitation movies and it was clear from the beginning of this movie that he would be treated differently from John Saxon and Lee, who were sent in undercover to check out the Asian crime lord. Kelly had to fight off poliec and steal their car in order to make it to the ship leaving for Asia. Secondly, he had few scenes with Bruce - most of his time was spent skinning and grinning in the face of novice John Saxon, who got way too much play considering his mediocrity. At any rate let's get to point three. Jim Kelly is stereotyped. Of the three heroes, he is the one who is killed -- but only after being stereotyped. When the first evening of fighting is over and the three men are asked to relax, Lee passes it up, Saxon makes moves on the main moll, and Kelly wants three women to satisfy him -- and will send for more if he needs it. That wasn't very funny, but it fed into the stereotype of the sexual black stud. In the fight scene with the Asian crime lord, Kelly is killed. But only after being degraded, out-classed and finally, beaten to a pulp. During one point in the fight scene, he lands atop two giggling Asian women. Humiliated. Other than the degradation of Jim Kelly and the undeserved emphasis on Saxon, Bruce's role alone is worth the price of admission. He is cat-quick, intelligent and uses that one of a kind face inflection to make it clear that he is not to be messed with. He has avenged his sister's rape by the rather large white bad guy, and he has represented the British Government with dignity.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Legend lives on!
Review: This is such a great DVD, i was very pleased with it. Firstly, it has good picture and sound quality, as well as widescreen mode. The DVD has extras like an interview with Bruce, an introduction by his wife, and a behind-the-scenes feature. In the interview Bruce discusses alot of his personal philosophies and his life, which is a real treat. The other extras are quite nice too. For such a low price you really get a well-made, good quality DVD.

Oh by the way, this is one of Bruce Lee's finest movies. If you haven't seen it go do it now, whether you're a kung-fu fan or not. The Legend lives on!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: No copying allowed.
Review: The definitive Kung-Fu spectacle,the definitive Bruce Lee.Many memorable scenes,including some great fights,and those over-the- top Bruce Lee squeeking and screeching sounds! This DVD presents the film in it's correct ratio-(2.35:1),the picture is superb,considering the films age.Only very slight grain is evident,on rare instances.The sound also is superb,i heard no background noise,hissing,or distortion problems.Some great extras on this DVD also,make this an absolute must for any fan of Bruce Lee/Martial Arts.overall,4.5/5.


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