|
ENTER
THE DRAGON
AKA:
Operation Dragon ||
The Deadly Three
Year:
1973 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
Every
ten years Mr. Han (Shek Kin) stages a no-holds barred
tournament for the cream of the fighting world. Lee
(Bruce Lee) is enlisted by an elite syndicate to enter and
uncover Han's drug running operation on the island.
However, Lee also has ulterior motives; his sister was
murdered at the hands of O'Hara, Han's right hand man.
With the help of two fellow competitors (Saxon and Kelly) Lee
wages war on Han and his army.
The
original and best tournament fight movie, 'Enter the Dragon'
borrows elements from every cheesy James Bond movie to bring us an
adventure with a twist - this one features Bruce Lee and
Martial Arts! Up to this point in time, this kind of
fighting had rarely been seen in Hollywood but this film
sparked an international trend that led to the 70's kung fu
genre as a whole. The added draw was that Lee was at the
peak of his physical condition and gave the performance of his
life, (although some fans may feel that 'Fist
Of Fury' remains his finest hour) so much so that all the
other actors were dwarfed by his shining star. The world
finally sat up and took notice of this Oriental James Dean who
just oozed charisma on the screen and could pack a mean punch
as well.
When
it was learnt that Lee had passed away countless imitation
films were churned out by the dozen with names like Bruce Li,
Bruce Le and Dragon Lee credited as their stars, all of them
hoping that they could somehow capitalise on this film's
success. However, none of them even came close and most
of them were down right insulting but sadly Lee was never
around to experience the effect he had on modern cinema or to
continue what was obviously going to be a prosperous career.
Those
of you familiar with Lee's previous work will know exactly
what to expect when it comes to action in this movie.
The real difference between this film and his Hong Kong
outings is the budget; with money comes time and man power
that allow for experimentation. With 'Enter The Dragon' we
are treated to a multitude of fight scenes, all containing
superbly put together combinations allowing for maximum
dramatic effect. Lee's choreography was never intricate or
complex and was limited to simple punches and kicks but within
those he housed such a smoothness that it gives each scene a
real flow.
Even
though Lee's HK films contain some exceptional moments, this
is probably the most complete movie he made as it successfully
combines all his outstanding attributes in one big production.
This is why, without a doubt, this gets a five star rating.
|
