The Panther Prints

February 18, 1997

By MARKOPERIC

This Week -- It’s amaz- ing the problems onecan solve with a good kick.

Enter the Dragon Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly.

Directed by Robert Clouse 1973, 99 minutes, colour, R

Okay, this may not be the first film that comes to mind when one thinks about classics. But this is the classic martial arts film. Enter the Dragon is Bruce Lee’s only English speaking role, and his last completed flim. Unlike most films in this genre, it ac- tually has a plot. It may not be Citizen Kane, but the action

unfolds logically for the most.

part. It is immensely enjoy- able, and worthy of re-watch- ing several times.

Bruce Lee plays a mar- tial artist (conveniently named Lee) sent to infiltrate the is- land fortress of Mr. Han, a wealthy recluse who makes his money from the drug trade and prostitution. Han is host- ing a martial arts tournament, to which Lee has received an invitation. We also learn that Han’s bodyguard was respon- sible for the death of Lee’s sister, giving the hero a darker motive for attending the tour- nament.

Lee meets up with two other martial artists (Saxon and Kelly) enroute. to the island. Upon arrival they attend a ban- quet and meet the enigmatic Mr. Han. Lee contacts an- other agent on the island, and starts poking around for evi- dence of Han’s activities. Eve- ryone else is more concerned with the tournament, but soon Han’s darker side is revealed.

Any more plot would spoil the story, but just let me say that just about everybody gets in their share of hand to hand combat. Like I said, this

Classic Cinema This Week: Enter the Dragon

isn’t Citizen Kane.

Acting: Not bad for this type of film. Lee is quite good, actually. His characteris well- rounded and the motivations are clear. Not Oscar material, but good. Saxon also does a good job as the American martial artist running away from his debts. Most of the other characters are minor, except Han, who is perhaps overdone. A real stand out is Kelly, in his first screen role. The part might be a touch dated (he sports a big Afro), but would have made perfect sense in 1973. He also gets the best lines in the movie.

Directing: Nothing spe- cial, but Clouse should be commended for bringing the martial arts genre into the mainstream. This is the film that made Bruce Lee a super- star, still revered today. Clouse melds a believable plot with incredible action, and neither is lost. He overdoes it a little with the early flashback scenes, but makes up for it with the final house-of-mir- rors sequence. I do question his decision to include a few seconds of nudity, which caught me by surprise, since I had seen a slightly-edited TV version before getting a rental copy.

Memorable Scenes: All the fight scenes are fabulous, especially Lee’s big scene with dozens of Han’s guards. The final house-of-mirrors scene is amazing, if a tad confusing. You might want to rewind that one and take a second look. Also, for a touch of humour, watch for Lee method of clear- ing the radioroom in under five seconds. Another scene to watch is Saxon’s first fight at the tournament. Pay close attention, and you’ Il see what he’s upto, and what Kelly is up to as well.

Best Lines: Kelly gets all these. He tells Han “Man, you just walked out of acomic

book.” In the same scene, Han is asking him about facing defeat. He replies, “When it comes, I won’t even notice it...71l be too busy looking good.” He has other good lines, but these are probably the most memorable.

Bottom Line: Ifyou only see one martial arts film in your entire life, this should be the one. The action is unbe- lievable, the pace frantic, and the plot engrossing. There are many touches of brilliant hu- mour. Ofcourse, it certainly is not foreveryone. The fighting is intense, and not intended for the squeamish. A lot of people die, but only one of them is killed with a weapon. Not everyone is going to enjoy it. Ofcourse, if violence does not bother you, this is highly rec- ommended.

Available: Shouldn’t be hard to find. Any video store with the slightest martial arts section should have a copy. Blockbuster has two copies.

As well, I saw it last year on CTV, so keep an eye on the television listings, and it may come up again.

Recent Comparison:

Rumble in. the YFONX

Jackie Chan, Anita Mui,

Francoise Yip.

Directed by Stanley Tong and

Jackie Chan.

1996, 97 minutes, colour, R

Okay, these films have little incommon other than the fact that both are action- packed martial arts flicks. And the fact that like Lee, Chan does his own fighting, and is a martial arts expert. He even does his own stunts, and has the broken bones to prove it. This film has a plot involving a grocery store and an evil syn- dicate, butreally it’s an excuse to tie in countless fight scenes. This can be forgiven, how- ever, because it’s just so much

fun. Chan jumps and kicks his way of out trouble a dozen times, and when that won’t do, he borrows a Lambourgini. | won’t bother to explain every- thing that happens, but just let me say this film includes good guys (primarily Chan), bad guys, andreally bad guys. And in the end, the good guys win, the bad guys aren’t so bad © after all, and the really bad guys lose.

Like most martial arts films, this isn’t for everyone. The action is intense, occa- sionally bloody, and the really bad guys are unbelievably evil and nasty, and tend to use profanity. As well, they com- mit one of the worst murders I’ve ever seen.. Fortunately, we really don’t see that much of them. But if the above

~ doesn’t bother you, this film is ‘ definitely worth watching. In

Canada the rating is 14A, but the American R rating makes more sense. Oh_ yeah, watchout for the 70's music.

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