Operação Dragão

"Destroy the image, and you will break the enemy."

It's a real shame that I'm just now getting acquainted with Bruce Lee's work because I really love this stuff. Enter the Dragon is a joy to watch for any fan of martial arts flicks.

The story is about Lee's quest to bring justice to a renegade Shaolin monk (with a fake, removable hand) at a tournament he hosts to recruit people for his criminal organization, but the thin plot is really there only to give Lee lots of guys to fight. The man beats the crap out of people to the point where you wonder why the villains even bother to try to attack him. There are lots of great, old-school fights to check out, and the choreography is very impressive. 

If you have any kind of a fondness for martial arts in film, then Enter the Dragon should be at the top of your list of movies to see. It's absolute proof of what a talent and natural star he was, and a nice introduction to Lee's personal philosophy for life and the martial arts.

I've read about Bruce Lee, and I knew he was very versatile - actor, martial artist, philosopher, etc. But I'd never sat down and watched one of his films before, mainly because the opportunity to do so doesn't come up very often. So last night, when Turner Classic Movies had a Bruce Lee double feature on with a guest discussing Lee's films, I took that opportunity to watch "Enter The Dragon".

The plot involves Lee, a skilled martial arts instructor, being recruited by British intelligence to enter a martial arts contest held by crime lord Han on his own private island. While there, Lee is supposed to look for evidence of Han's criminal activity. Han talks a big game about honor during the matches, but if things don't go his way he does not fight fair. And that includes Han having various prosthetics for his missing left hand that include knives and spikes.

There's no doubt Lee is a charismatic presence that commands one's attention. The choreography is so tightly performed (and also blocked out by Bruce Lee himself) that it's hard not to be dazzled. And I say that as somebody who really knows nothing about the martial arts.

I'd say that one aspect I found humorous were the lines given to African American martial artist Jim Kelly. They were typical of the kinds of lines and roles given to African American actors during the 70s at the height of the popularity of blaxploitation films. If you've seen Hollywood Shuffle - and if you haven't you should - it is hard not to notice such stereotyping. Still I'd recommend this film if you are curious about the film work of Bruce Lee.

'Enter The Dragon' was a massive part of my childhood back in the 1970s. As a pre-teen Bruce Lee was just about the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Maybe only Bond (Sean Connery Bond!) and Charlton Heston as 'The Omega Man' came close. Like 'The Omega Man' this movie is one that I find difficult to be objective about. The plot is simplistic, the acting is variable, but the action and the LOOK of it make it an all time classic. Let's face it this is a kung fu movie, and what the audience wants is exciting fight scenes. 'Enter The Dragon' has them and then some! I'm not sure whether I'd describe it as "the greatest martial arts movie ever made" (as many people do), but it's certainly one of the most entertaining I've ever seen. The only other one I've seen that comes close is 'Iron Monkey', but as good as it was, it obviously didn't have the one thing that makes this movie legendary - Bruce Lee. Lee is without a doubt the greatest ku fu fighter to step in front of a movie camera. Handsome and charismatic, this movie was to be his introduction to mainstream Hollywood audiences. He died unexpectedly just weeks before it premiered in America. It seems certain that he would have become a superstar, bigger than Jackie Chan (who incidentally has a brief cameo here) is today. Whenever Lee is on the screen you can't take your eyes off him - he's that good. You don't need any other reason to watch this movie than Bruce Lee, but having John Saxon ('Planet Of Blood', 'Tenebrae') co-star is an added treat, and Jim Kelly is super cool. After the enormous success of 'Enter The Dragon' director Robert Clouse made 'Black Belt Jones' with him, another 70s kung fu classic, but Kelly never really fulfilled his potential, and instead made cheesy but fun b-grade vehicles like 'Black Samurai' and 'Black Belt Jones 2'. I also love Han, the tongue-in-cheek 'Dr No' inspired villain played by Kien Shih. 'Enter The Dragon' is essential viewing for all 1970s buffs. It had a major impact on pop culture and it's still great wonderful to watch thirty years after it was originally released. To say I highly recommend this movie is an understatement!

Enter the Dragon (1973) was Bruce Lee's first (and only) solo big Hollywood production. Too bad he never got to see the fruits of his labor. He passed away during the film's post production (don't fret, two more official Bruce Lee films were made after this one. Despite all of the years of hard work and finally making it to the big times, he wasn't around long enough to enjoy it. Even though Robert Clouse is credited as director and another person is credited for writing the screenplay. This film has Bruce Lee's fingerprints all over it.

The movie is about a shady underworld crime lord (aren't they always) who controls most of the world's opium drug ring and a lot of other illegal dealings. British Intelligence is stumped, so they seek out someone who's slick, sly, stealth and who can kick a lot of butt and take care of himself. They find their man (Bruce Lee). After a great deal of convincing they get him to go to the island and participate in the crime lord's fighting tournament. Along the way, Bruce meets two American fighters (John Saxon and Jim Kelly) who are in the tournament for various reasons. Whilst on the island, Bruce does his nightly snooping around so he can find out more about the crime lord and his illegal activities. Will Bruce topple the organization? Can he make it out alive? Does Bruce really kick a whole lot of butt and take names? To find out you'll have to watch Enter The Dragon!!!!

Bruce Lee worked a great deal on this picture. He wrote most of the screenplay (uncredited), filmed all of the action scenes (uncredited) and directed several scenes (uncredited). Lam Ching-Ying, Angela Mao, Jackie Chan and Bolo Yeung appear in this film. If you haven't seen this film already then you're either a kid, lame or something is wrong with you.

Highly recommended.

When it comes to kung fu, Bruce Lee is a legend. When it comes to kung fu cinema, Enter the Dragon is the most highly regarded. In other words, you owe it to yourself to see this flick! The story is relatively simple but quite sufficient and sprinkled with humor. The locations and setting are wonderful as well. The characters are one of the main attractions here though, with the gambling but honorable Roper (John Saxon), the feisty and unorthodox (but effective!) Williams (Jim Kelly), Chinese Hercules Bolo, and the great baddie Han, the hand man. Bruce Lee's presence, of course, steals the show. While some of the fight scenes from Lee's Chinese Connection (I think that's the one) may rival the ones here, ETD is a far more well-rounded film. The variety of exciting fights are skillfully choreographed and there's not too much downtime from the action either; even in the flash back we have some excellent female butt-kicking. And you gotta love that 70's soundtrack! This is a classic action film that will never be forgotten. The two-disc DVD was loaded with goodies; you really couldn't ask for more, except for maybe a better commentary. Producer Paul Heller was dull, dry, and had little to offer.