Enter the Dragon (1973)

Enter the Dragon (link to Amazon)
Directed by: Robert Clouse
Viewed on 07-24-08

Classic night at the Flannel Cape Movie Club introduces us to one of the greatest cinematic experiences of all time, Enter The Dragon, starring Bruce Lee. Now I know that's a pretty bold statement and there are some really incredible classics out there, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Arc, Porky's, but The Dragon was not only technically created generations ahead of its time, the writing, music and acting left us comparing it to every great movie we had ever seen. Enter The Dragon tells the story of Lee, a master martial artist who agrees to spy on a reclusive crime lord using his invitation to a high prized and to the death tournament as cover. Revenging his sisters hara-kiri, saving face for the Shaolin monks (or Monk Club, as we called them), and helping his two allies try to defeat their enemies who are also in the tournament, are all sub plots to this martial arts film. The music accented the ethnicity and emotion to every scene perfectly. And although the entire movie was made using ADR (Automatic Dialog Replacement or Looping), it was so well done it was barely noticeable, and that's nitpicking. But the greatest impression this movie made on us was the cinematography. Created in a time before CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery ), the action sequences still seemed almost unreal. Each confrontation was pure hand to hand combat, no guns were used or needed. No trapeze wires or stuntmen gave a refreshing realism to every action sequence. Location was obviously a high priority as well, the large panoramic scenic views were breathtaking, and attention to detail was subtle yet amazing. Enter The Dragon is truly a masterpiece.

We gave this movie our highest rating available an A+ and recommend the best viewing experience possible, either at a movie theater if it ever gets re-released on one, or at least buy the ultra wide screen directors version on a large high-definition television using HDMI cables and nice speakers.