Protraph
Lack of good storyline.
BroadcastChic
Excellent, a Must See
Intcatinfo
A Masterpiece!
Leofwine_draca
Made in Lee's native Hong Kong in the year before the peak of his popularity with the release of ENTER THE DRAGON, WAY OF THE DRAGON is a film which demands to be seen in its original subtitled version, because the Cantonese/English language barrier is a basis for much of the film's comedy. The English dubbed version therefore makes a number of comic interludes appear bizarre and confusing! This isn't Lee's best movie but it's a lot better than many other kung fu flicks thanks to his legendary fighting skills. A lot of people are put off by this film's first half hour, which contains no action and instead is more of an introduction to the characters, with a heavy emphasis on the silly/knockabout comedy that fills a lot of Jackie Chan's early movies (such comedy was highly popular at the time in Hong Kong, thus its inclusion here). All I can say in response is "please wait!". Half an hour isn't a long time to wait and the action is well worth the minor delay beforehand.The film showcases a Lee once again in his prime, this time taking a lighthearted and funny role. A lot of the humour comes from "fish out of water" jokes as Lee explores an alien city (Rome) and fails to understand what everyone sees in the Roman ruins, which he compares to Chinese slums! The humour makes this an easy and painless watch. When the story kicks in, its very simple stuff, i.e. good restaurant guys vs. bad corporation, but then it doesn't need to be complex as its only purpose is to give reason for the action scenes.From the first fight with a gang of thugs in a back alley to the rightly legendary battle with between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in the Colosseum, WAY OF THE DRAGON offers up tons of fine martial arts fighting and even some fantastic nunchucks action which was cut out of the British version up until now. The sequences in which Lee takes on a huge gang of armed bad guys alone are fluid and exciting, but even these themselves are topped by the finale, in which he faces three skilled martial arts champions! The first two are pretty easy going but the final battle with Norris is hard and brutal stuff, and ends on a poignant and moving note. Lee is excellent as the likable lead, getting ample opportunity to strut his stuff in style (I had to rewind the scene in which he kicks out a light on the ceiling ABOVE him in one quick move to make sure I wasn't seeing things!) and the supporting cast of memorably off-beat characters fit their parts well - although I'm not too sure about the overtly homosexual translator guy who is a little too much to take! The fresh-faced appearance of Norris is a revelation too, with a real screen presence being built up for his character to fill. WAY OF THE DRAGON is an example of the kung fu genre at its wackiest best and is a must-see for Bruce Lee fans.
Chockys
It's an unknown fact outside from Spain that in the original Spanish dubbed voice, Tang Lung (Bruce Lee's character) was named simply as Bruce Lee not as the actor, but just like another character more. A strange movement which changed the way to see the movie and to see Bruce Lee, turned unwittingly in a version of himself and foreshadowing completely Tang Lung. If this same Spanish dubbed voice turned "Colt" in "Chuck" or "Norris" (something that never happened), it had been the top of the ridiculous, because the main antagonists have been missed to be themselves. By lucky, re-editions of the movie made in decades later returned Tang Lung to his place, although the voices were too much false by the difference between the visual look of the movie and the sound of the dubbed actors (a terrific thing that remembering when "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979) was re-dubbed for its 25th anniversary in 2004, destroying all the previous quality).The Way of the Dragon, named in Spain "El Furor del Dragón" (The Fury of the Dragon), still as the movie with the most epic fight seen in the cinema and the only one directed by the own Lee, in an attempt to do a career as director. A movie simply great in much elements, since the performance of Bruce and the visuals of Roman Coliseum during the prosecute between Tang Lung and Ho (Bruce Lee and in those times Paul Wei Ping-Ao), just before of the Fight of the Century. The use of his eternal nunchakus, his training making sound all bones of his thin body and the intensity of his face made Bruce not a hero, but a true superhero capable to defeat a dozen of men without an effort. Filmed so-so a year before of his tragic death, Bruce Lee gave us a gift in shape of his directional debut, intuiting that beyond the actor existed a future filmmaker which mind should promised a very much brilliant place in the world of seventh art.Bruce Lee passed away. His movies never will pass away. This is the best way to remember of a simple man turned in an extraordinary icon: seeing his work for inspiring us time and time again. Bruce Lee died. His legend never will die.
gavin6942
A man (Bruce Lee) visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them.I am by no means an expert on martial arts films or on Bruce Lee. I happen to enjoy the films of Donnie Yen, who I presume was heavily influenced by Lee (because, after all, everyone was influenced by Lee).This film has the distinction of including multiple jokes about Bruce needing the bathroom far more frequently than the average human being. More interestingly, it also features Chuck Norris as the villain Colt. Younger people today (2013) may barely recognize Norris, as he has no beard here and has some strange 1970s clothes.
lost-in-limbo
Bruce Lee might make his mark with "Way of the Dragon" in front, but also behind the camera due to him penning the material and taking charge of the director's chair in his directorial debut. Therefore you could say it's a personal film, but where most of the interest arises is that it stars a pre-stardom (movie-wise at least) American karate champion Chuck Norris. For Lee, Norris wasn't his first choice for the part, but Norris acting bad-ass was nothing more than imposing even though he doesn't make his first appearance until somewhat after the hour mark. The gusty, live-wire iconic battle between the two in Rome's historic Coliseum is simply a marvel, even so the intense lead-up to it. Lee plays country boy Tang Lee who arrives in Rome from Hong Kong to help a family friend whose restaurant is being terrorised by the local Mafia. After getting the better of them in many exchanges, these gangsters won't back down and decide hire outside help in the shape of American karate champion Colt. "Way of the Dragon" is very rough around the edges, as Lee tries to fuse together his fondness for slapstick amongst the punishing, high-impact kung fu combat. The concise and precise choreography is breath-takingly well-done caught by its showy camera-work, but the comedy is clumsy if charmingly so. The plot is rather simplistic, revenge and nothing more. Although there are awkward moments and some strange sub-plots, but it does offer up a stinging surprise in the back-end. Another humorous thing would be the thugs that Lee finger waves to. Quite a colourful lot with some dramatic acting, but the dubbing makes it sound rather campy. Watch with subtitles instead. Lee is charismatically confident in front of the camera. The choice of setting is interesting and ambitious, but this exotic backdrop adds another layer despite some obvious studio bound sets which did give it a cheap, dingy look. "Way of the Dragon" is raw, but magnetic martial arts entertainment with plenty of flair and energy by its star. "Let him know. If I ever see him here again… He won't leave alive!"
