Enter the Dragon (1973)
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A martial artist from the Shaolin temple must infiltrate a criminal's island to stop a drug trafficking ring.
The story
Lee, a martial artist and instructor from the Shaolin temple, is approached by British intelligence agent Braithwaite to investigate Han, a suspected crime lord and former student of the temple. Because Han's island is only partially in British jurisdiction, they cannot conduct a formal investigation into his involvement in drug trafficking and prostitution. Han's only connection to the outside world is his martial arts school, which hosts a tournament for fighters from across the world. Lee agrees to help Braithwaite to redeem the honor of the Shaolin temple. He joins other fighters, including an American gambler, an African-American activist, and a New Zealander, all traveling to the island to compete in the tournament.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Lee, a Shaolin temple instructor, joins a tournament on Han's island to investigate the crime lord's involvement in drug trafficking. He is joined by other fighters: Roper, Williams, and Parsons. During the tournament, Lee discovers a secret underground base where drugs are manufactured. He eventually faces Han's bodyguard, O'Hara, and kills him, avenging his sister's death. Han later beats Williams to death and forces Roper into a partnership. Lee infiltrates the underground base again but is captured. After a failed attempt by Roper to cooperate, a massive fight breaks out as the authorities move in. In the final confrontation, Lee faces Han in a museum. Despite Han's use of a spear and a bladed prosthetic hand, Lee triumphs by destroying a room of mirrors. The film ends with Lee and Roper exchanging a thumbs-up as the military takes control of the island.
- Original title
- Enter the Dragon: The Deadly Three
- First release year
- 1973
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- Hong Kong; United States
- Original languages
- English; Cantonese
- Directors
- Robert Clouse
- Writers
- Michael Allin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Bruce Lee · Lee; John Saxon · none; Ahna Capri · none; Bob Wall · O'Hara; Shih Kien · none; Jim Kelly · Williams
- Genres
- martial arts; action; spy
- Themes
- honor; justice; good vs evil
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; tense
- Setting
- A martial arts island and a nearby city in the 1970s.
- Premise and plot tags
- martial arts; spy; undercover; tournament
- Reception
- The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest martial arts films of all time and is considered a highly influential action film that influenced various media including games and anime.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · scale: percentage · review count: 78
- Awards and nominations
- National Film Registry · preservation · 2004 · win
- Production trivia
- It was Bruce Lee's final completed film appearance before his death.; The film's title was originally intended to be 'Blood and Steel'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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