It’s been 50 years since Enter the Dragon was released (and also since Bruce Lee’s tragic passing, which happened a month prior to the film’s debut), yet the film remains one of the most influential films ever made. Not only is it viewed as the film that opened up western audiences to eastern filmmaking and martial arts, but an abundance of the film’s action sequences, camera shots and stylistic approaches are still hugely prominent in the action genre to this day.
Warner Bros. took the original camera negative to use as the source of this 4K remastering, and it shows, as Enter the Dragon hasn’t looked better since it was on the big screen all those decades ago. There are a couple of fairly grainy shots early on, but it’s a clean, filmic grain over a dirty look, and the great majority of the film keeps that filmic look but comes out looking sharper and incredibly pleasant to the eye. The depth and textures pop beautifully with this restoration, and some will enjoy just how vibrantly red the blood is, especially during the climactic battle where Lee’s chest and stomach are sliced by the evil Han’s bladed claw. This is one of the most – if not the most – iconic visuals of Bruce Lee, and here we see just how vivid Lee’s blood truly is.
This is a film that’s reputation often proceeds it, and after five decades it’s easier for new generations to see some of the less impactful fight scenes in Enter the Dragon compared to some of the harder hitting movies of today. But while movies like John Wick are genre masterclasses in their own right, it’s impossible to watch them without seeing the major influence that movies like Enter the Dragon had on the industry. This isn’t a perfect film, but it’s an incredibly fun movie that does a fantastic job showcasing the martial arts style of movie-making that simply wasn’t as prevalent in western culture as it is today – and it is today greatly in part because of Lee.
The story is simple, where Lee is entered into a tournament being held by a former monk from his temple who is now believed to be dealing in drugs and murder. Lee is charged with finding proof of this before calling in the calvary so that Han (Kien Shih) can be taken down by authorities. There are a trio of lead characters set to participate in the tournament, each of whom gets a flashback sequence showing how they ended up with the invitation. First, we’ve got Roper (John Saxon), who is a gambling addict that owes a lot of money and winning this tournament is his way to come out ahead once again. Then there’s Williams (Jim Kelly), who is being harassed by police officers for walking down the street while being black. He takes them both out before escaping in their police car and heading to the tournament.
As important as the tournament is in getting these top tier martial artists to Han’s private island, it’s actually not that important to the film itself. This isn’t Mortal Kombat, where we’re watching these characters battle it out with various opponents, leading to a final match with a proclaimed winner, but instead it’s more of a showcase for some fighting scenes while the more story-driven aspects of the film happen outside of it. What helps is that each character we’re introduced to is incredibly cool, have a unique look and style to them, and are easy to get behind as a viewer.
Lee is…well, he’s Bruce Lee…there’s not much to say in terms of a summary of his presence on the screen. His swift and effortless movements, his signature sounds, his philosophical views, they all shine through every moment of this film. The character of Lee is much like Bruce, though Lee does do what needs to be done when defending himself, and the honour and memory of those he loves and loved. Roper is that cool as a cucumber, suave guy who isn’t annoying in his confidence, but instead exudes it in ways that make you wish you could bottle up even an ounce of it. Then there’s Williams, who is just an awesome and fun guy who knows what he wants and goes after it.
With Williams character there’s a mix of the blaxploitation genre that really fits in seamlessly with the style Lee created for this film. There’s a level of acceptable campiness in Enter the Dragon that only adds to the fun and never makes the movie feel like a mockery to any genre, or that it’s not taking itself seriously. It’s quite the opposite, in fact, as Lee wanted to make sure that this film portrayed some of his beliefs properly, and in a wholly entertaining fashion. Five decades later there’s no arguing that he succeeded in doing so, impacting Hollywood and causing a ripple effect so large that it remains to this day.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
I’ve spoken about the 4K remastering above, and the HRD10 picture looks incredible. If you’re looking to purchase the best version of Enter the Dragon on the market then this is the one to get, just know that if you want the complete package that includes special features you’ll either need to double-dip, or hold out for another potential packaged release down the road. More on that later, but for now, this 4K restoration is beautiful, and a must-own for fans of the film, and action movie aficionados alike.
Just as important as the picture upgrade is the Dolby Atmos audio mix, which sounds fantastic. The music blasts through the speakers, and the fight scenes that include multiple fighters can be heard from all angles. The score is often incredibly rich and will shake your room if you allow it to do so. The dialogue dub/mix can take a bit of getting used to during the opening scenes, but it quickly becomes a non-issue once our fighters are on the way to the tournament. There is a mono DTS-HD 2.0 mix available as well for those who prefer that for their Enter the Dragon viewing experience, so there’s plenty here for fans to enjoy.
Special Features:
The same can’t be said for the special features, as there’s no Blu-ray included in this 4K release, and that Blu-ray disc from 10 years ago is where you’ll find hours of special features that truly would’ve made this the definitive Enter the Dragon release to own. Sadly, we only have the Audio Commentary here, as well as an introduction to the film by Linda Lee Cadwell, which is only two-minutes in length.
As a 50th anniversary release, this should’ve been the time to just bundle it all together, but as it stands you’ll need to own both the Blu-ray and this 4K disc in order to get the best of both worlds. If you’re only worried about the film itself and special features are something you can take or leave, then purchasing this 4K release is an instant buy recommendation.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Enter the Dragon. Directed by: Robert Clouse. Written by: Michael Allin, Bruce Lee. Starring: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Kien Shih, Robert Wall, Ahna Capri, Bolo Yeung, Geoffrey Weeks. Running time: 102 Minutes. Rating: 14A. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Aug. 8, 2023.
