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Product:	Enter The Dragon (DVD)
Date:	28/04/01 (18 review reads)
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COMMENTS
ENTER THE DRAGON was released in 1973. It was the last film completed by Bruce Lee. He died on July 20th, 1973. He was only 33 years old. It used to be uncool to discuss Lee's films with students of film and self-proclaimed movie critics. They were not considered worthy of contemplation - just as, for the longest time, folks would not seriously discuss the films of director Sergio Leone (THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY and ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA). I would never consider the films of Lee to be at all comparable to even the worst films directed by Leone. However, after 25 years, it is undeniable that Lee's martial-arts flicks have stood the test of time and still generate a thrill and rush of excitement in this film lover. Anyone who has scanned the DVD-related web sites and read posts expressing anticipation for this title's release, would have to agree - I'm not the only one who enjoys Lee's movies. If you're a fan of martial arts films, you're a fan of Bruce Lee, and if you like Bruce Lee, you gotta' love ENTER THE DRAGON. When Lee's film's ARE discussed by film fanatics, the question always arises - is he so popular because he was such a great performer, or is he popular because he died young while his star was burning brightest, elevating him to the status of cult hero? Perhaps both answers were valid for the first 15 or 20 years after his death. But now, after 25 years, much of the cult status has waned, and we can look at his films, like ENTER THE DRAGON, through different eyes.

Is it a great film? No, not at all. The story is straight out of most any Bond flick, the acting, if that's the right word for it, is atrocious, and the production values are poor. It's not really a ground breaking martial arts film either - Hong Kong had been churning out such flicks for decades before ENTER THE DRAGON was released. However, it WAS the first martial-arts film produced by a major Hollywood studio
- Warner Bros. There was big Hollywood money involved, but the chiefs were hesitant to toss a lot of dough into a genre that was still unproved in the west. Why is this film so incredibly popular after 25 years. A simple question, with only one answer - Bruce Lee. Yes, he had appeared in martial arts films before ENTER THE DRAGON. However, FISTS OF FURY, THE CHINESE CONNECTION, and THE RETURN OF THE DRAGON were all Hong Kong productions, and though somewhat successful in the US, they didn't have the major studio backing and marketing needed to make them huge hits. But with Warner Bros. flipping the bill for ETD, Lee's fourth major film was virtually guaranteed success.

Bruce Lee was indeed a martial 'artist.' No matter how many times I watch ENTER THE DRAGON, I am always absolutely riveted by his incredible screen presence. It's a real kick to view the theatrical trailers and TV spots included on this new DVD and see just how hard Warner Bros. pushed the 'trio' angle of the picture. That is, in order to sell the flick to moviegoers, they felt they had to highlight Lee's two co-stars, John Saxon and Jim Kelly. These guys are terrible in the film.
Neither can speak dialogue without sounding ridiculous, and though Kelly was a middle class champion, neither could command our attention the way Lee did as he 'danced' through fight scenes with grace, style, and incredible power. As the normally reserved film critic, Pauline Kael put it, "...Bruce Lee was the Fred Astaire of martial arts films." He is completely believable during each and every second of every fight sequence. This is how Lee is so different from those who have followed him - like Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal. When I watch Lee, I really believe he can do everything he's doing up on the screen. He's not simply a fighter - plowing through one bad guy after another - he's an artist - performing, displaying his craft, and communicatin
g it to his audience. When I watch Norris or Seagal, I see actors playing a part, and stuntman falling on cue.

PLOT SYNOPSIS
In ENTER THE DRAGON, Bruce Lee plays a Shoalin monk named Lee. He is approached by British Intelligence and asked to attend a martial-arts tournament being held on an island by a man named Han (Shih Kien). Interpol suspects that Han is operating a prostitution/drug running syndicate from the island. They know a great deal about his operation, but they can prove nothing. They want Lee to attend the tournament and, while on the island, snoop around and dig up some hard evidence. The British have already sent in a female operative, Mei Ling (Betty Chung), but they haven't heard from her in a while.
They fear the worse.

Lee seems apprehensive, but he accepts the mission - not because he wants to be a British agent. We learn through one of several flashbacks, that Han's bodyguard, Oharra (Bob Wall), was responsible for the death of Lee's sister. Though it's against Lee's Shoalin philosophy to seek revenge, he takes the mission with the hopes of finding the man. Also arriving on the island for the tournament are Americans Williams (Jim Kelly) and Roper (John Saxon). Apparently Williams left the country to avoid the police, and Roper left to evade loan sharks.

After a banquet and a night with concubines, courtesy of their host Mr. Han, the martial artists begin the tournament. Lee and the Americans fight their bouts by day, and learn about Han's operation by night - Lee acquires information by stealthily moving about, undetected by guards, and Roper learns at the invitation of Han, who hopes to convince him to join the operation as his operative in the States. Lee learns what he needs to know, settles his score with Oharra, and then turns Han's operation upside down. The film's finale is a huge fight sequence pitting Han's prisoners against his guards, while Lee and Han joust in a
subterranean hall of mirrors.

The fight sequences are fabulous. Bruce Lee often moves so quickly, his limbs are but a blur on the screen followed by a thud and a falling opponent. Thankfully, a few scenes are shot in slow motion to allow us to appreciate the actions as well as the speed. My favorite scene shows Lee working with a pair of nun-chukkas during a fight with Han's guards. I recall seeing this in a theater, and hearing 500 GIs hoot, holler and break into applause at the site of Lee and that pair of sticks, which turn into a blur of whistling wood slicing the air. Great stuff.





IMAGE TRANSFER
Warner Bros. presents ENTER THE DRAGON in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35 : 1. It has been enhanced for viewing on 16x9 TVs. There is no P&S version of the film on the disc. Just before the film begins, there is a brief intro by Bruce Lee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell. She states that some footage has been restored to the film - footage that Lee had originally intended for the theatrical release. It is not fight scene footage.

Rather, it is footage containing dialogue, where Lee explains some precepts of Shoalin philosophy - something he wanted to convey in this film. Microsoft's Cinemania lists the running time of ENTER THE DRAGON at 97 minutes. This new DVD version of the film runs about 5 minutes longer. The scene access menu indicates which scenes contain the restored footage.
The image transfer is good. However, I needed to keep reminding myself that the movie is now 25 years old (Geez!). Many scenes are the worse for the wear. For example, during the opening credits there are a number of shots of the streets of Hong Kong which appear very dark. They lack sharpness and detail. A number of sequences have overly saturated colors and poor fleshtones - which appear unnaturally red. For example, the flashback scene of Roper on the golf course. Though there are only a handful of exterior shots,
a few include the white/gray/blue sky over a harbor in Hong Kong, and here, a fair amount of graininess can bee seen.

Once the film moves to Han's island, the biggest problem with the transfer seems to be its inconsistent sharpness and detail. Sometimes images appear soft and out of focus. At other times, they are fairly sharp. This is primarily a problem during medium key lit interiors. The brighter exteriors exhibit more detail and sharpness, but they too are inconsistent. The lower key lit, and fairly dark underground scenes, for example the fighting sequences between Lee and Han's guards, look best. The blacks are usually solid, and only occasionally dark gray instead of black.

The best looking scene in the film is its first. The film opens with a short fight sequence at Lee's Shoalin temple. The fight takes place on a mat surrounded by scores of robed monks and is set among grass and trees. The monks are seated in groups and wearing brightly colored red, blue, and yellow robes. The image is quite sharp and the colors are fully saturated and vivid. This was the last scene completed on the film, and according to his widow, it was the last scene Lee ever filmed before his death. I thought he had already begun shooting THE GAME OF DEATH by the time he died. And this is true. However, this particular scene was shot later and added to the film because Lee thought it needed a stronger opening.
The print used for the digital transfer was in very good condition, however you will notice nicks, scars, and a few tears here and there. This review of the image transfer quality reads very negative, however it really is important to consider the age of the film. There is no question about it, the transfer is far from perfect, however its is the very best I have seen the film look for home viewing.

AUDIO TRANSFER
Warner Bros. has gone the extra mile for its DVD fans and produced a DD 5.1 mix for this special edition of ENTER THE D
RAGON. But, just how well did existing elements lend themselves to a true 5.1 mix? The surround speakers only receive low volume passages of Lalo Schifrin's score. The .1 FX channel does sound out a thud here and there, for example during the fight sequence between Lee and Oharra.

However, the occasions are rare.

The front soundstage carries 95 percent of the film's soundtrack. Together, the center and front right and left speakers produce a fairly wide front soundstage. This is particularly noticeable during the fight sequences. We hear various Han henchmen approaching from the left and the right, and we hear them just as well when they are kicked back again as Lee deals with them. Of course, most of the sound is grounded in the center channel. The fight sequences, as you might've guessed, have unnaturally loud slaps, punches, and kicks.

This has nothing to do with the digital mix. If you have seen any of Lee's films in the theater you already know that this is how the sound was recorded, or dubbed in, by the folley artists. The sounds of contact between opponents are made louder in order to make the fight seem more brutal and deadly. This is hokey stuff by today's film standards, but this is how martial arts films were made, and Warner Bros. has retained this quality.

Unfortunately, the digitizing and compressing of the soundtrack makes these loud blows sound harsh and quite shrill, and on occasion, its a bit annoying.

In general, the mix sounds dated, and as expected, it pales in comparison to those heard on more recent films presented in DD 5.1. However, the shrill sounding fight sequences aside, this mix does seem to have a sound approaching that of the original theatrical release - with the addition of a bit of music over the shoulders and an occasional beat from the .1 FX channel.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Warner Bros. has packed this 'Special Edition' DVD with many extras. In additi
on to a scene access menu which provides links to 29 chapters in the film, English, French, and Spanish subtitles, and a few 'reel recommendations' menus, there are cast and crew bios and filmos for stars Lee, Saxon, Kelly, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien, writer Michael Allin, producers Fred Weintraub, Paul Heller, and Raymond Chow, and director Robert Clouse. There is a running commentary by producer Paul Heller and writer Michael Allin, and a music-only soundtrack. There is a new, original documentary entitled "Bruce Lee:In His Own Words" which is in black and white, FF, two speaker mono, and features interview footage of Bruce Lee discussing his philosophy and career. There is also a 1973 featurette called "Location: Hong Kong With Enter The Dragon" which features on location footage of the cast and crew, choreographing and shooting scenes for the film.

The disc also includes an extended interview with Lee's widow Linda Lee Cadwell where she discusses her husband, his career, and his work on ENTER THE DRAGON. There is a brief B&W home movie of Bruce Lee working out in his back yard, four theatrical trailers, seven television spots, a production notes essay, an essay entitled "Jackie Chan - Heir To The Throne," and an essay entitled "Retrospective of Hong Kong Martial-Arts Films." This is one HEFTY helping of Bruce Lee goodies. Guaranteed to please any fan of the master.

SUMMARY and RECOMMENDATION
ENTER THE DRAGON is probably the most respected film of the martial arts genre. Its fighting scenes are as impressive today as they were 25 years ago. Bruce Lee is captivating, dynamic, and graceful, as he communicates his art to fans of martial arts films.

No, the film isn't terribly original, the production values are low, and the acting is B movie level at best. But, ENTER THE DRAGON is a very entertaining, guilty pleasure film.

Warner Bros. has released this special editi
on DVD with an enormous collection of fan pleasing special features. Indeed, it takes longer to peruse them than it takes to view the film itself. Of particular interest is a running commentary by producer Paul Heller and writer Michael Allin. The image transfer looks dated. A number of scenes appear soft.

Color levels and brightness is inconsistent and occasionally, fleshtones appear too red. The new DD 5.1 audio mix only makes use of the surrounds to carry a bit of Lalo Schifrin's hip score, and the .1 FX channel is rarely heard. However, even with this less than perfect digital transfer, I would very highly recommend this DVD to fans of the genre. This is the best the film has looked or sounded for home viewing, and the special features are interesting, enlightening, and abundant.

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