Enter the Dragon (1973) on Netflix
British intelligence recruits Lee, a Shaolin martial artist, to spy on Han, a crime lord who stages a martial arts tournament on his island. Lee's sister died at Han's bodyguard's hands.
- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb7.6/10121,531 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes88%
Trailer
Plot summary
Lee teaches martial arts at the Shaolin temple, and Braithwaite, a British law officer, asks for his help: go to the island of Han, a former Shaolin student who now lives as a reclusive billionaire, and gather evidence that his tri-annual martial arts tournament is cover for drug trafficking and prostitution. Lee agrees, hoping to restore the honor Han tarnished. Before he leaves, he learns that his sister Su Lin died at the hands of O'Hara, Han's bodyguard. Two Americans also hold invitations: Roper, a gambler pursued by mob debt collectors, and Williams, who fled Los Angeles after fighting racist police officers. Braithwaite tells Lee that an agent, Mei Ling, is already on the island but out of contact.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Enter the Dragon (1973)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The production hired prostitutes to play Han's harem, and when the visibility of their roles led the actresses to demand higher wages, the stuntmen, who were paid less, considered striking.
SPOILER
John Saxon's agent told the producers that if they wanted him for Roper they would have to change the plot so that Williams, not Roper, is killed; they agreed and the script was changed.- Rockne Tarkington, originally cast as Williams, dropped out days before filming began in Hong Kong, so producer Fred Weintraub, knowing karate world champion Jim Kelly had a dojo in Crenshaw, Los Angeles, met him and cast him.
- Bruce Lee, after being goaded or challenged during the shoot, fought several real fights with the film's extras and with some set intruders.
- For almost three decades many theatrical and home video versions were censored for violence, especially in the West; the UK alone had at least four different versions, and since 2001 the film has been released uncut there.
- In the opening fight against Sammo Hung, Lee wore kempo gloves and small shorts and used an armbar to submit him, elements that later became common in MMA; UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber said that was the moment MMA was born.
- Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama was a fan of the film: his manga and anime franchise was inspired by it, its title came from it, and Goku's Super Saiyan glare was based on Bruce Lee's paralysing glare.
- In India the film opened in 1975 to full houses and ran a packed 32 weeks at one Bombay theater, New Excelsior; in Iran a theater played it daily until the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
