Meng long guo jiang (1972)
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A young martial artist travels to Rome to protect a restaurant from a local crime boss.
The story
In Rome, Chen Ching-hua and her uncle Wang face harassment from a crime boss who intends to seize their restaurant property. When Chen refuses to comply, the boss sends thugs to intimidate customers. Seeking assistance, Chen contacts a relative in Hong Kong, who sends a young martial artist named Tang Lung to help. Tang arrives in Rome and must navigate his new surroundings while preparing to defend the establishment. As the conflict between the restaurant staff and the local gangsters escalates, Tang must prove his skills and protect the business from the escalating threats posed by the crime boss's organization.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Rome, Chen Ching-hua and her uncle Wang are pressured by a crime boss to surrender their restaurant. When they refuse, the boss sends thugs to harass customers. Chen calls a relative in Hong Kong, who sends a martial artist, Tang Lung. Initially appearing like a country bumpkin, Tang eventually trains the staff and defeats waves of thugs. The conflict intensifies as the boss's men use weapons and hire professional fighters. Tang eventually faces a high-level martial artist named Colt at the Colosseum in a climactic battle. During the chaos, Uncle Wang betrays the staff to sell the property, but is caught in a crossfire. After defeating the primary antagonists and the hired masters, Tang is called back to Hong Kong, leaving the staff to manage the restaurant.
- Original title
- Return of the Dragon
- First release year
- 1972
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- British Hong Kong
- Original languages
- Mandarin; Cantonese; English
- Directors
- Bruce Lee
- Writers
- Bruce Lee · writer
- Cast and characters
- Bruce Lee · Tang Lung; Nora Miao; Wei Ping-ou; Huang Tsung-hsing; Tony Liu; Unicorn Chan; Chuck Norris; Malisa Longo; Robert Wall; Hwang In-shik; Jon T. Benn; Riccardo Billi
- Genres
- martial arts; comedy
- Themes
- martial arts; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- action; comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- martial arts; comedy; action
- Reception
- The Way of the Dragon was well received. It was noted for its comedy elements and its climactic fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, which is considered one of the greatest fight scenes of all time.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- Best Feature Film · runner-up · 11th Golden Horse Awards · nomination; Best Film Editing · award · 11th Golden Horse Awards · win
- Production trivia
- This is Bruce Lee's only complete directorial film.; Chuck Norris made his first credited appearance in this film.; The film's final fight is considered one of the greatest fight scenes of all time.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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