Enter The Fat Dragon Full Movie

[Alexandrin Chaples]

Enterthe Dragon was estimated to have grossed over US$400 million worldwide (equivalent to an estimated $2 billion adjusted for inflation as of 2022[update]) against a budget of $850,000. It is the most successful martial arts film ever and is widely regarded as one of the greatest martial arts films of all time.[4] In 2004, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5][6][7] Among the first films to combine martial arts action with spy film elements and the emerging blaxploitation genre, its success led to a series of similar productions combining the martial arts and blaxploitation genres.[8] The film's themes have generated scholarly debate about the changes taking place within post-colonial Asian societies following the end of World War II.[9]

Enter the Dragon is also considered one of the most influential action films of all time, with its success contributing to mainstream worldwide interest in the martial arts as well as inspiring numerous fictional works, including action films, television shows, action games, comic books, manga and anime.

Lee, a martial artist and instructor from Hong Kong, is approached by Braithwaite, a British intelligence agent investigating a suspected crime lord named Han. Lee is persuaded to attend a high-profile martial arts tournament on Han's private island to gather evidence that will prove Han's involvement in drug trafficking and prostitution. Shortly before his departure, Lee also learns that O'Hara, the man responsible for his sister's death, is working as Han's bodyguard on the island. Also fighting in the competition are Roper, an indebted gambling addict, and fellow Vietnam War veteran Williams.

At the end of the first day, Han gives strict orders to the competitors not to leave their rooms. Lee makes contact with covert operative Mei-ling and sneaks into Han's underground compound, looking for evidence. He is discovered by several guards, but manages to escape. The next morning, Han orders his giant enforcer Bolo to kill the guards in public for failing in their duties. After the execution, the competition resumes with Lee facing O'Hara. During the fight, Han warns O'Hara to step down as Lee beats him in humiliating fashion. Lee then kills O'Hara after he attacks Lee with a pair of broken bottles, thus avenging his sister's death. Embarrassed, Han abruptly ends the day's competition after stating that O'Hara's treachery has disgraced them. Han confronts Williams, who had also left his room the previous night to exercise.

Han believes Williams to have knowledge of the intruder and after a destructive brawl, beats Williams to death with his iron prosthetic hand. Han then reveals his drug operation to Roper, hoping that he will join his organisation. Han also implicitly threatens to imprison Roper, along with all the other martial artists who joined Han's tournaments in the past, if Roper will not join his operation. Despite being initially intrigued, Roper reluctantly accepts after learning of Williams's fate. Lee sneaks out again that night and manages to send a message to Braithwaite, but he is captured after a prolonged battle with the guards. The next morning, Han arranges for Roper to fight Lee, but Roper refuses. As a punishment, Roper has to fight Bolo instead, whom he manages to overpower and beat after a gruelling battle.

Enraged, Han commands his remaining men to kill Lee and Roper. Facing insurmountable odds, they are soon aided by the island's prisoners and the other invited martial artists, who had been freed by Mei-ling. Han escapes and is pursued by Lee, who finally corners him in his museum. After a brutal fight, Han runs away into a hidden mirror room. The mirrors initially give Han an advantage, but Lee smashes all the room's mirrors to reveal Han's location and eventually kills him. Lee returns outside to the main battle, which is now over. Bruised and bloodied, Lee and Roper exchange a weary thumbs-up as the military finally arrives to take control of the island.

Due to the success of his earlier films, Warner Bros. began helping Bruce Lee with the film in 1972. They brought in producers Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller.[16] The film was produced on a tight production budget of $850,000.[17] Fighting sequences were staged by Bruce Lee.[18]

The screenplay title was originally named Blood and Steel. The story features heroic protagonists who are Asian, white, and Black, as the producers wanted a film that would appeal to the widest possible international audience.[19] The scene in which Lee states that his style is "Fighting Without Fighting" is based upon a famous anecdote involving the 16th century samurai Tsukahara Bokuden.[20][21]

Rod Taylor was first choice for playing the down-on-his-luck martial artist Roper. Director Robert Clouse had already worked with Taylor in the 1970 film Darker than Amber. However, Taylor was dropped after Bruce Lee deemed him to be too tall for the role.[22][23] John Saxon, who was a black belt in Judo and Shotokan Karate (he studied under grandmaster Hidetaka Nishiyama for three years),[24] became the preferred choice.[25] During contractual negotiations, Saxon's agent told the film's producers that if they wanted him they would have to change the plot so that the character of Williams is killed instead of Roper. They agreed and the script was changed.[26] In a six decade career, the character would become one of Saxon's best known roles.[27]

Rockne Tarkington was originally cast in the role of Williams. However, he unexpectedly dropped out days before the production was about to begin in Hong Kong. Producer Fred Weintraub knew that karate world champion Jim Kelly had a training dojo in Crenshaw, Los Angeles, so he hastily arranged a meeting. Weintraub was immediately impressed, and Kelly was cast in the film.[10] The success of Kelly's appearance launched his career as a star: after Enter the Dragon, he signed a three-film deal with Warner Bros[28] and went on to make several martial arts-themed blaxploitation films in the 1970s.[29]

Jackie Chan has uncredited roles as various guards during the fights with Lee. However, Yuen Wah was Lee's main stunt double for the film, responsible for the gymnastics stunts such as the cartwheels and jumping back flip in the opening fight.[30]

A rumour surrounding the making of Enter The Dragon claims that actor Bob Wall did not like Bruce Lee and that their fight scenes were not choreographed. However, Wall has denied this, stating he and Lee were good friends.[15]

The film was shot on location in Hong Kong. In keeping with local film-making practices, scenes were filmed without sound: dialogue and sound effects were added or dubbed in during post-production. Bruce Lee, after he had been goaded or challenged, fought several real fights with the film's extras and some set intruders during filming.[32] The scenes on Han's Island were filmed at a residence known as Palm Villa near the coastal town of Stanley.[33] The villa is now demolished and the area heavily redeveloped around Tai Tam Bay where the martial artists were filmed coming ashore.[34][35]

Argentinian musician Lalo Schifrin composed the film's musical score. While Schifrin was widely known at the time for his jazz scores, he also incorporated funk and traditional film score elements into the film's soundtrack.[36] He composed the score by sampling sounds from China, Korea, and Japan. The soundtrack has sold over 500,000 copies, earning a gold record.[8]

Enter the Dragon was heavily advertised in the United States before its release. The budget for advertising was over US$1 million. It was unlike any promotional campaign that had been seen before, and was extremely comprehensive. To advertise the film, the studio offered free Karate classes, produced thousands of illustrated flip books, comic books, posters, photographs, and organised dozens of news releases, interviews, and public appearances for the stars. Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and Newsweek all wrote stories on the film.[37]

In North America, the film was receiving offers of US$500,000 (equivalent to $3,400,000 in 2023) from American distributors by April 1973 for the distribution rights, several months before release.[39] Upon its limited release in August 1973 in four theatres in New York, the film entered the weekly box office charts at number 17 with a gross of $140,010 (equivalent to $960,000 in 2023) in 3 days.[40][41] Upon its expansion the following week, it topped the charts for two weeks.[42] Over the next four weeks, it remained in the top 10 while competing with other kung fu films, including Lady Kung Fu, The Shanghai Killers and Deadly China Doll which held the top spot for one week each.[43]

In October, Enter the Dragon regained the top spot in its eighth week.[43] It sold 14.1 million tickets[44] and grossed $25,000,000 (equivalent to $170,000,000 in 2023) from its initial US release, making it the year's fourth highest-grossing film in the market.[45] It was repeatedly re-released throughout the 1970s, with each re-release entering the top five in the box office charts.[46] The film's US gross had increased to $100 million by 1982,[47][48] and more than $120 million (equivalent to $700 million adjusted for inflation) by 1998.[49]

In Europe, the film initially monopolised several London West End cinemas for five weeks, before becoming a sellout success across Britain and the rest of Europe.[50] In Spain, it was the seventh top-grossing film of 1973,[51] selling 2,462,489 tickets.[52] In France, it was one of the top five highest-grossing films of 1974 (above two other Lee films, The Way of the Dragon at number 8 and Fist of Fury at number 12), with 4,444,582 ticket sales.[53] In Germany, it was one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 1974, with 1.7 million ticket sales.[54] In Greece, the film earned $1,000,000 (equivalent to $6,900,000 in 2023) in its first year of release.[55]

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