I pity the fool director who would cast Bruce Lee as, say, dojo owner Frank Jones and then try to sell that farce to a seasoned audience. It was almost an admission that even in your own imagination no one was bigger than Bruce Lee. I suspect naming the protagonist after its own star was a testament to Lee’s popularity, how his aura transcended even the make believe. Bruce Leeīruce Lee plays Lee, a martial artist who’s been asked to infiltrate the martial arts tournament run by Han on his private island. Rounding out the main cast were Lee’s good friend Shih Kien as the villainous Han, Yang Sze as Han’s intimidating sidekick and enforcer, and martial artist Bob Wall as Han’s bodyguard. The martial arts training of this supporting duo lent credence, not to mention acting chops, to Enter the Dragon. His role in Enter the Dragon was something of a coming out party for him. Jim Kelly was an experienced black belt martial artist who in his spare time taught his unorthodox brand of karate. John Saxon was not only a bona fide actor but also sported serious martial arts training. Although Enter the Dragon was released way back in 1973, no martial arts film has yet surpassed it in terms of reverence, influence, and just plain old martial arts badassness.Įmploying Western moviemaking techniques and values under the auspices of Warner Brothers, Enter the Dragon not only featured megastar Bruce Lee but also Americans John Saxon and Jim Kelly. It introduced to new audiences, and improved upon in a big way, the formerly fringe kung-fu movies from the Far East to help bring this genre into the mainstream. It is, simply, the ultimate martial arts film of all time. Well, that movie’s been made already: Enter the Dragon. If you were going to create the martial arts flick for all of eternity, you would enlist the world’s number one martial artist star and stage unforgettable fight scenes showcasing the unparalleled prowess of said box office draw.

Enter the dragon free