Enter the Dragon 4K review by Bobby Blakey
There is no bigger martial arts icon than the legendary Bruce Lee. In such a short lived life and filmography the man cemented himself as something bigger than himself. While not his best film in my opinion the most iconic to the masses is that of Enter the Dragon that hit theaters in 1973 co-starring John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Bolo Yeung, and Shih Ken from director Game of Death, China O’Brien and The Big Brawl director Robert Clouse. Now to celebrate the films 50th anniversary Warner Bros is bringing the classic film to 4K for the first time.
Enter the Dragon follows a martial arts expert determined to take down the ruthless gang leader, Han, who was responsible for the death of his sister. Recruited by an intelligence agency, he poses a student and attends a tournament at a remote island fortress. His goal is to gather evidence that will prove Han’s involvement with drug trafficking and prostitution. With one man focused on crime and the other bent on revenge, the two engage in the now-classic fight-to-the-death finish. They both enter a mirrored maze and deadly battle. Only one will exit.
Like any fan I have watched this film 100s of times. I love it and everything about it and martial arts in general. By today’s standards the fighting isn’t near as high octane, but the sheer skill on display allows it to hold up on its own alongside Lee’s insane charisma. As much as I love Bruce Lee, this movie is actually where I became a massive Bolo fan whose real name is Yeung Sze. After seeing him here I watched everything I could track him down in and to this day still have a poster of him from Ironheart hanging in my home dojo.
The film is much more than just another martial arts flick though as it offers up
kind of mystery spy thriller tone as well that helps to elevate it to the classic it is today. There are few movies of this genre that have taken a place as this one and is better than ever in this new release. The 4K transfer looks excellent, making the already perfect film stand out visually all the better. I will no doubt be revisiting this new version of the film 100s of times as well and hope that it no only pleases the hardcore fans, but once again puts Lee and the classic flick in the hands of a new generation to discover its greatness.
In addition to the film it offers up bonus content including commentary and an introduction from Lee’s widow Linda Lee Caldwell. Step in the arena and grab your copy of Enter The Dragon when it hits 4K on August 8th from Warner Bros Home Entertainment.