Film

Enter the Dragon

Name: Enter the Dragon
Genre: Action
Released: 1973
Cast: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Shih Kien, Ahna Capri

Action

The film that made Bruce Lee a Hollywood icon and international box office phenomenon just weeks after his death. Part spy thriller, part martial arts showcase, it strips its plot to a scaffold — infiltrate the tournament, expose the villain — so nothing gets in the way of watching Lee move. Fast, stylish, occasionally silly, and endlessly influential; essential for understanding why every action film since owes it something.

TMDb rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love old-school kung fu cinema where the fights are the point, staged with real rhythm and flair, and the 1970s grit and funk around them feel like part of the pleasure.

Skip it if you want modern, quick-cut action or a tightly plotted thriller; the middle stretches to a slower, more talky pace, and the dialogue and dubbing can feel stiff.

What it asks of you: Around a hundred minutes, with patience for slow setup before the fights. It rewards attention to movement and framing more than to story twists.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Ip Man2008

Donnie Yen anchors a martial arts biopic with the same disciplined, righteous-outsider energy Lee brought to Han's island — gorgeous choreography, real historical stakes, and a hero who'd rather not fight until he absolutely must.

But More restrained and melancholic than Enter the Dragon's tournament spectacle; patience required between fight scenes.

Kill Bill: Vol. 12003

Tarantino's love letter to exactly this genre, with the yellow tracksuit lifted straight from Bruce Lee and fight choreography built as pure spectacle rather than realism, blood and all.

But Ultra-violent and stylised to the point of cartoonish; some will find the homage overwhelms the substance.

The Raid2012

Same bare-bones premise — infiltrate a fortress controlled by a crime boss — rebuilt as one relentless, brutal set piece using Indonesian pencak silat instead of kung fu.

But Punishingly intense with almost no breathing room; not for anyone wanting charm or humour mixed in.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Enter the Dragon

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Dr. No1962

Enter the Dragon was pitched to producers as a martial arts Bond film, and the plot structure — spy accepts invitation to a villain's island, poses as a guest, exposes his empire — is lifted almost wholesale from this one.

"Bond with kung fu" was literally the pitch for Enter the Dragon, and here's the blueprint — an agent infiltrates a reclusive villain's island lair, poses as a guest, and uncovers his criminal empire.

But Slower, more talk-heavy spy pacing from an era before action set pieces were the point; patience needed for the payoff.

Kung Fu Hustle2004

Stephen Chow takes the tournament-of-fighters idea and blows it up into slapstick, wire-fu comedy that still respects the genre's history and rhythms even while mocking them.

But Broad, cartoonish humour that swings wildly in tone; won't suit anyone wanting Enter the Dragon's straight-faced cool.

Ong-Bak2003

Tony Jaa announced himself with no wires, no CGI, just brutal, precise Muay Thai — the purist's answer to the question of what a body can actually do on camera.

But Thin plot and rough production values; it's a showcase for fight craft first, story a distant second.

Drunken Master1978

Jackie Chan at his most acrobatic and funny, turning martial arts training itself into slapstick comedy — the lighter, goofier cousin to Lee's stone-faced intensity.

But Comedy-forward and dated in places; expect broad gags rather than tension or menace.

Mortal Kombat1995

A gloriously cheesy tournament movie that wears its Enter the Dragon debt openly — mysterious island, sinister host, fighters chosen for a contest with stakes far bigger than themselves.

But Video game logic and 90s cheese throughout; treat it as a nostalgic guilty pleasure, not a serious martial arts film.

Kickboxer1989

Van Damme's breakout, built on the same revenge-and-tournament chassis, swapping Hong Kong mysticism for Thai boxing training-montage muscle and pure 80s excess.

But Unapologetically trashy and predictable; goes for spectacle and montage over any real depth.

Bloodsport1988

The most direct descendant of Enter the Dragon's underground tournament structure, with Van Damme fighting through a rogues' gallery of increasingly outlandish opponents.

But Thin on plot and acting; a comfort-food tournament movie rather than anything ambitious.

Be Water2020

It's the true story behind the film — why Enter the Dragon nearly didn't happen, and why Lee died weeks before it made him a legend.

This ESPN documentary traces Bruce Lee's real struggle to get roles like the one in Enter the Dragon made at all, and the racism, ambition and heartbreak behind his one great Hollywood shot.

But No fights, no spectacle — it's a sober, sometimes sad account of an industry that nearly wasted him.

Black Belt Jones1974

Same actor, same year's genre wave, but swapped from Lee's tightly controlled tournament thriller into loud, funky, unapologetic blaxploitation — the same fighter, wildly different register.

Jim Kelly, Enter the Dragon's Williams, gets his own star vehicle here — a gloriously trashy blaxploitation martial arts romp with funk score, neighbourhood politics, and considerably less restraint.

But Cheap, campy, and proudly B-movie in every frame; a completely different budget and ambition level.

People

Enter the Dragon

Where to watch

Checked 18 October 2026. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Age rating

Rin United States

Ratings come from the people who assign them in each country, and they do not mean the same thing in any two. We show the one given where you are.

Released: 1973
Genre: Action
Status: Released
Runtime: 102 min