Way Of The Dragon

Sifu Lee at his best
Bruce Lee never reached his prime in film making; dying before his time. The Way of the Dragon, is a loosely put together story, with fight scenes used as glue along the way. This film was out of stock for years, but this re-mastered version is worth the wait; being much clearer in both audio and video. The tour of the City of Rome Italy is beautiful. But I must admit, the face-off fight between Chuck Norris and Bruce is classic. This is the main reason to get this film. It shows how adaptable Lee's Jeet Kune Do fighting style was. Bruce used Mohammad Ali like foot work and feinting to wear down his opponent, then attacked with his lightening speed and power. This is a must have for all Martial Arts fans.

Bruce Calls the Shots
After the success of "Fist of Fury," Bruce Lee believed he could make better films than the Hong Kong directors. As a result, he called the shots on "Way of the Dragon" (1972). In his third starring feature, director-writer Lee emphasizes humor and characterization. Bruce plays a resourceful martial artist named Tang Lung who arrives in Rome to protect his relatives from mobsters. The highpoint is a climactic battle between Bruce and Chuck Norris in the Roman Colosseum - perhaps Lee's most brutal fight sequence. Though enjoyable, the remaining action scenes lack the bravura of "Enter the Dragon" and "Fist of Fury." Nevertheless, "Way of the Dragon" showcases Lee as an accomplished filmmaker whose skills might have flourished in more imaginative directions.

EXIT THE DRAGON, ENTER THE COWBOY
ENTER THE DRAGON was Chuck Norris' first movie part, and he did it as a favor for his friend, Bruce Lee. This movie contains the only fight scene to my knowledge in which Lee is decked by an opponent. While the fight scene between Norris and Lee is somewhat stiff on NORRIS' PART(he hadn't yet learned the art of movie fighting), the exchange between the two reflect the two classic styles of solid rock-hard karate versus fluid, graceful kung fu as it was practiced at that time. The plot and acting may have been less than first rate, but the fight scenes are some of the best filmed up to that time and well worth seeing.

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