Pros: Fun flick with touch of philosophy, Some great karate licks, Outstanding extra features -- documentary, interviews, home movies of Lee working out.
We all have guilty pleasures, and one of mine goes back to Bruce Lee movies that some Chinese friends got me hooked on several years ago. I feel that the only way I can begin to review these movies properly is by adopting my friend MegaSoul's patented movie review format. I have his permission to do so.
Don't think that you can just use the same format without MegaSoul's consent either! He works out at the gym and can beat you up.
As part of the MegaSoul fan club, I too do not understand why he hasn't been named a movie advisor yet. No one writes about class B horror and gore flicks with the same passion and humor that this guy does, so check out his reviews if you haven't before. If nothing else, you'll get some laughs, which is probably more than you'll get from my inferior imitation of his style.
THE PLOT (as if that matters!)
After being killed in his first movie, but returning in the flesh to literally kick some butt in the next two, Bruce Lee has gone "beyond the physical level" and is now at the "spiritual insight" level of karate in Enter the Dragon. His teacher realizes this after an opening scene match pitting Lee against a big heavy guy while obedient black, red, blue, and yellow teams respectfully watch Lee kick his ass.
The video/DVD then has Lee spout out his karate philosophy to tell us that he wants to have no technique, that he has no opponent, and that he doesn't exist. Lee is into contracting when his opponent (who doesn't exist) is expanding and is expanding when this mythical opponent is contracting. He also slaps around a student who spends too much effort thinking about his moves instead of applying emotional content
Now that Lee is ready for the spiritual level of karate, so that he can practice the art of fighting without fighting, an old guy at the school reveals than some bad guys under the evil Han had tried to rape Lee's sister and had cornered her before she committed hari-kari. Of course that provides all the motivation Lee needs to use that newfound spiritual level to kick some major ass.
There's a silly James Bond type scenario, where Lee meets with an agent who can't supply him with any fancy devices, so Lee rolls his eyes. What does he need with that stuff anyway. He's going to kick and nun-chuck his way through 33 wimpy guards at one point without a scratch.
The only time we'll see Lee get scratched is when he goes one on one with the evil Han (played by some Chinese guy), who inserts steel hands or claws where his left (or is it right) hand used to be. But we all know who will win. People would protest the theaters with any other result and cause rioting in the streets, so Hollywood won't take the risk.
THE BODY COUNT
According to my statistics, there are 10 human kills in this (with 2 of them offscreen), one vanquished praying mantis, a bird that might have been murdered when Han smashes its cage, and there's a brutal smashing of two wooden boards by the scarfaced bad guy. A couple hundred others may have been killed during the final melee, but this happens offscreen.
THE NUDITY (A little something for the perverts in the house.)
For the guys: (And some of the gals, I suppose)
This is no Chinese Connection with full geisha girl nudity, but there are 5 booby shots (two full pairs and a single) and one bare bottom shot for a few seconds. None of them occur with Bruce Lee (remember he's now reached a new spiritual level). There's some reverse discrimination here, as the white guy (John Saxon) only gets to see the single while the African American (Jim Kelly) is treated to the rest.
For the gals (and some of the guys, I suppose)
This is a Bruce Lee movie. There will never be male buns or full frontals in any Bruce Lee movie. You will have to content yourself to 3 scenes where Bruce strips off his shirt to show off his hardened muscles. Each of these scenes are trademarked and cannot be reproduced and displayed on your walls or on any web pages without the express consent of Linda Lee (Bruce Lee's surviving spouse).
THE GOODS (How well did the movie deliver on its premise?)
What's really good:
* Comic dialogue by minor characters. My old chess team used to always quote that one guard who confronts Lee with the line, "Why are you not in uniform!"
* Lee's karate kicks. That guy is so fast that they have to put him in slow motion to follow his moves!
* It is so 70's! Check the Shaft sound alike music and the fro and threads on our African American character.
* The location shooting in Hong Kong. That is one crowded city. They have to house the overflow on boats.
* We get Lee's real philosophy of karate on the video and DVD.
* The DVD has great extra features like a long interview with both Lee and his wife, and some home movies of Lee working out in his back yard. The guy really knows karate!!!
What's really bad:
* Too much talk. OK, I realize that there are only 2 minutes worth of dialogue in the whole film, but we aren't watching this for the words. Give us some more karate chops.
* What happened to Mei Ling? She was suppose to be the secret contact, but when she doesn't know anything Bruce Lee drops her faster than bad chop suey.
* Not enough funny stuff. Gone is the goofy Chinese guy who always makes the deals with the bad Japanese guys and runs away whenever it looks like Lee will kick his ass. And the two new Americans they added to this story aren't funny, nor do they even try to be.
* The dubbing is done too well. The lip-synching isn't nearly as funny as the mismatched dubbing in earlier Lee flicks. You have to watch Han’s lips to get any pleasures from that.
* This is Bruce Lee's last film. I'm not even going to include that horrible Game of Death shambles that tries to bring Lee back from the dead with old footage and a cheap "double."
TIDBITS (A little inside info. for ya!)
* Bruce Lee was looking forward to the premiere of Enter the Dragon to be held at the Chinese Theater in L.A. in August of 1973. He didn't make it though. He died in July.
* The following message originally is in Chinese and comes from http://chinese.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Actors_and_Actresses/Actors/Lee__Bruce/ : 世界巨龍－李小龍 - 介紹生平事蹟。
* From http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/2766/bruce_lees_abs.htm Linda Lee Cadwell claims her former husband "was a fanatic about ab training. He was always doing sit-ups, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises and V-ups."
YOU CAN LEARN A LOT FROM A MOVIE (facts to help you deal with your life out of balance)
1. Forget about attacking Bruce Lee when he's making cat calls or going into slow motion.
2. Use the force. Trust your feelings! (Obi wan really learned this from Bruce)
3. African Americans have more fun, until somebody kills them.
4. Don't bet on the big guys in a Bruce Lee flick (and that includes insects)
5. Heroin addicts are either hyper or catatonic. They laugh a lot when first being introduced to the drug.
6. Bruce makes a cool "swooshing" sound whenever he flies through the air.
7. Las Vegas will not take odds when there are only 200 trained karate experts vs. Bruce Lee. It's too unfair! Everyone knows that Lee will win easily.
MATCH MAKER (Who does that remind you of?)
Character: Williams
The Match: Rodney King from before the LA riots: Williams is approached by the LA police, who hassle him and get ready to thrash him, not realizing that Williams can use karate to kick their asses. If only Rodney had known karate, history might have been changed, and African Americans all over LA might be receiving more respect.
Character: Han
The Match: M from the early Bond series except we get to see Han's face and see him throw some karate chops and jump around (though he looks like a Parkinson's patient in the final scene). Both evil characters have a physical limitation and favor white cats. I guess we could throw in Dr. Evil there as well, but his cat doesn't look so hot.
CELEBRITY QUOTES (If you think these quotes are real you are dumber than I think you are!)
The following is an excerpt from my recent telephone conversation with Shirley MacLaine:
JN: "Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me. I understand that you have been able to channel Bruce Lee."
SMc: "Not exactly. The actress in me died last year after the Oscar nominations came in, and I woke up to discover that I am really Bruce Lee. Wanna check out my abs?"
JN: "A little hard to do that, Shir ... , er Bruce, over the telephone. Tell me, what was it about Enter the Dragon that you were so enthusiastic about?"
SMc: "Hollywood finally granted me a chance to teach my philosophy, and I was ready for it. I could see whole schools developing across America since it is so spiritually bankrupt -- schools that would preach my 'no technique' and 'no opponent' ideas that require 'no gym.' All available for the small price of $499 a year, with an autographed picture of me for an extra $50. My book comes out next year."
JN: "Doesn't this go against the concepts that you teach?"
SMc: "Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss that Heavenly glory!"
* note: at this point I dropped the phone to end the interview before she beamed me aboard her latest incarnation.
WORTH WATCHING? (Should you stuff that soft little fist in your pocket for the cash to watch this flick, martial arts wannabe?)
I've seen it four or five times now. If it's not worth watching, I'll really hate myself in the morning. It'd really help if you'd go ahead and waste your time on this too, so I won't feel so bad. Besides, Bruce tells his philosophy of karate in the opening scenes to make it socially redeeming.
Fright Factor (1-10): 1
Funny Factor (1-10): 4
Gore Factor (1-10): 4
Philosophy Factor: 7
"Kick Ass" Factor: 9
What Karate Fans Should Pay: Up to $2.00 for a rental
What Casual Fans Should Pay: Catch it for free with a Bruce Lee fanatic. Just get yourself invited over when they are going to watch it for the 45th time.
OKAY, I WATCHED THE MOVIE...NOW WHAT, FANCYPANTS? (Plugs for other flicks)
Well, if you enjoyed Enter the Dragon I'd recommend:
* All the other Bruce Lee movies except that lame Game of Death thing with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and the fake Bruce Lee double who tries to hide his face (duh!)
* Any Jackie Chan flick
* Ghost Dog: the Way of the Samurai
Enter the Dragon is rated 'R' for the violence, but that's mostly done offscreen and the blood is bright red paint of some sort. It also contains brief nearly microscopic nudity. I don't remember hearing any cuss words.
There may be some of you who think that I'm stealing this idea from one Mordred, who stole it from ZentropaJK. Well the fact of the matter is I am stealing the idea from ZentropaJK cause he's a fellow movie advisor and is all-wise when it comes to movies. Just because Mordred writes the best heavy metal reviews that human eyes have seen doesn't mean that I believe his claim that he stole the idea before ZentropaJK did. MegaSoul likes Megadeth, so I'm sure that Mordred is just another in an increasingly long line seeking admission to the MegaSoul fan club. I suggest you visit Mordred's review and leave appropriate comments.
BTW, anyone in the MegaSoul Fan Club should already realize that MegaSoul's birthday is coming up real soon, and since he will no longer be a teenager, Epinions will have no further excuses to not name him an advisor.
Bruce Lee was immortalized in his films as a martial arts master and first-class entertainer. ENTER THE DRAGON was the first martial arts film that Am...More at Family Video
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