.co.uk

"You can call it the art of fighting without fighting."

-- Lee (Bruce Lee)

When you watch Enter The Dragon these days, it becomes pretty obvious, almost immediately, where films like Mortal Kombat and Conan got their inspiration from.

This, the first kung-fu film to be produced by a major Hollywood studio, and the last completed Bruce Lee film before his death "by misadventure", is credited with popularizing the martial art in America and establishing Lee as a cultural icon.

The reason that the Dragon is considered such a quintessential film of the 1970s is not because of the plot or acting (both are appalling, to say the least), but because of the action. The fight choreography is so good that we needn't bother dwelling on what's bad here.

So ignore the paper-thin, James Bond-type plot, of the butt-kicking spy that is recruited to infiltrate a fortress during a martial arts tournament. Ignore, also, the piss-poor attempts at emotional expressiveness; just enjoy Enter The Dragon for what its high points: Jaw-breaking kicks, high- pitched squeals, and incredibly-ripped male bodies.

Indeed, Lee's phenomenal fitness has to be witnessed in this film to be believed.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.