Enter the Dragon

Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox film

Enter the Dragon (Template:Lang-zh) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien and Jim Kelly. Enter the Dragon was Bruce Lee's final completed film appearance before his death on 20 July 1973 at the age of 32. An American-Hong Kong co-production, the film was premiered in Los Angeles on 19 August 1973, one month after Lee's death.

Enter the Dragon was estimated to have grossed over Template:US$ worldwide (equivalent to an estimated Template:US$ adjusted for inflation Template:As of) 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.<ref name="Guardian"/> 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".<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="press.uillinois.edu">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Kato 62–99">Template:Cite journal</ref>

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.

Plot

Lee, a martial artist and instructor from Shaolin temple, Hong Kong, is approached by British intelligence agent Braithwaite, who asks for his help in an undercover mission to investigate suspected crime lord Han, who was one of the students in Shaolin temple. 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.

Since Han's island is only partly in their jurisdiction, they are unable to conduct any formal investigations. Han does not allow firearms on the island to prevent assassination attempts and raids from international authorities. He runs a martial arts school as cover for his illegal operations and holds the tournament to recruit martial artists to expand his illegal business. Lee agrees to help Braithwaite, believing his efforts will also redeem the honor of the Shaolin temple that was tarnished by Han. Shortly before his departure, Lee also learns that Han's bodyguard O'Hara is responsible for the death of his sister Su Lin.

Lee arrives on Han's island and receives a warm reception. Joining him are other competitors, including Roper, an American playboy and gambler, who is indebted and on the run from the mob, and Williams, an African-American activist, who is on the run after defending himself against two racist police officers in Los Angeles. Roper and Williams are former Karate brothers and fellow Vietnam veterans, who also have a betting scam going: one will underperform until the other can get a bet on the outcome at good odds. Roper and Williams win their first fights easily.

The rules of Han's tournament are simple: competitors compete in one-on-one matches against each other, the opponent, who gets knocked to the ground loses each round. Any weapons are strictly prohibited in the fighting arena. At the end of the first day, the competitors are all offered girls of their choice by Han's assistant Tania. Williams chooses several women, while Roper cunningly chooses Tania as a mutual attraction grows between them. Lee chooses a girl, which he saw in Han's entourage, who is Mei Ling, a covert agent whom Braithwaite had placed on the island to gather intelligence. However, Mei Ling has been unable to escape Han's strict observation never to leave their rooms.

That night, Lee begins to stealthily search and infiltrate the island for evidence and finds a secret entrance to an underground compound base where drugs are being manufactured and tested on unwitting prisoners. Lee runs into Han's guards, but manages to take them down and flee before they can identify him. Lee is seen by Williams, who is outside for some fresh air and practice, despite strict rules against being outside after night. The next morning, Han warns the competitors about wandering out of their rooms at night. Han punishes his guards for their inability to fulfill their duties by leaving them to be killed by Bolo, Han's musclebound enforcer and chief bodyguard. After the execution, the competition resumes as Lee is called to his first match, which is against O'Hara.

During the fight, Han warns O'Hara to step down as Lee keeps outclassing him in a humiliating fashion. Lee kills O'Hara with a stomp after he tries to attack him with a pair of half-shattered glass bottles, thus avenging Su Lin's death. An embarrassed Han abruptly ends the day's competition after stating that O'Hara's treachery has disgraced them. Later, Han summons Williams in his office and accuses him of attacking the guards the previous night. Williams denies this and requests to leave the island, so Han brutally beats him to death with his iron prosthetic left hand.

Han takes Roper on a tour of his underground base and invites him to be his representative for his illegal operations in the United States. Han also implicitly threatens to imprison Roper with other martial artists who joined Han's tournaments in the past. Roper reluctantly accepts after Han drops the brutalized corpse of Williams into a pit of acid, hinting that Roper will face the same fate if he refuses to cooperate. The same night, Lee infiltrates the underground base again to gather sufficient evidence to warrant Han's arrest and manages to send a message to Braithwaite. After a prolonged battle with Han's guards, Lee is eventually lured into a door trap to get imprisoned and captured.

The next morning, Han commands Roper to fight Lee, but Roper refuses and Han has him fight Bolo. Roper manages to overpower and beat Bolo after a gruelling battle. Han orders all his men to kill Lee and Roper. Despite facing insurmountable odds, the island's prisoners, released by Mei Ling, and the other invited martial artists aid Lee and Roper in defeating Han's guards. Amid the chaos, Han attempts to fight his way out to escape, only to have Lee pursue and corner him in his museum, where Han retrieves a bladed-talon replacement for his hand to prepare for a brutal fight. Han retreats into a room full of mirrors, which proves disorientating for Lee until Lee keeps remembers his lessons at the Shaolin Temple and smashes all the mirrors to spoil Han's illusions. Lee kicks Han, who gets impaled on his own spear that was halfway harpooned through a wall.

Lee returns to Roper and they exchange a weary thumbs-up as the military finally arrives to take control of the island.

Cast

• Bruce Lee as Lee
• John Saxon as Roper
• Jim Kelly as Williams<ref name=horn/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Ahna Capri as Tania, Han's secretary<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Shih Kien as Han (voice dubbed by Keye Luke)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Bob Wall as O'Hara, Han's bodyguard<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="city on fire"/>
• Angela Mao Ying as Su-lin, Lee's sister
• Betty Chung as Mei-ling, an undercover operative
• Geoffrey Weeks as Braithwaite, a British Intelligence agent
• Yang Sze as Bolo, Han's enforcer
• Peter Archer as Parsons, an arrogant New Zealand martial artist and Williams' opponent
• Tony Liu as Liu, Roper's opponent
• Sammo Hung as Lee's opponent (credited as Sammo Hung Kam-po)
• Jackie Chan (uncredited) as a minor henchman
• Yuen Wah (uncredited) as a tournament fighterTemplate:Efn
• Yuen Biao (uncredited) as a tournament fighter
• Roy Chiao (uncredited) as the Shaolin abbot
• Pat E. Johnson (uncredited) as a thug on golf course

Production

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The film was produced on a tight production budget of $850,000.<ref name="Polly">Template:Cite book</ref> Fighting sequences were staged by Bruce Lee.<ref name="WorldCat">Template:Cite book</ref>

Writing

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name="martialDirect">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="bokuden">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Casting

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> John Saxon, who was a black belt in Judo and Shotokan Karate (he studied under grandmaster Hidetaka Nishiyama for three years),<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> became the preferred choice.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="talk">Template:Cite book</ref> In a six decade career, the character would become one of Saxon's best known roles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name=horn>Template:Citation</ref> 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<ref name="Blackbelt">Template:Cite book</ref> and went on to make several martial arts-themed blaxploitation films in the 1970s.<ref>Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak, 2009. pps.129–130 Template:Webarchive</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sammo Hung also has an uncredited role in the opening fight scene against Lee at the start of the film.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="city on fire">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Filming

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The scenes on Han's Island were filmed at a residence known as Palm Villa near the coastal town of Stanley.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The villa is now demolished and the area heavily redeveloped around Tai Tam Bay where the martial artists were filmed coming ashore.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Soundtrack

Template:Further 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He composed the score by sampling sounds from China, Korea, and Japan. The soundtrack has sold over 500,000 copies, earning a gold record.<ref name="press.uillinois.edu"/>

Release

Marketing

Enter the Dragon was heavily advertised in the United States before its release. The budget for advertising was over Template:US$. 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.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Box office

Enter the Dragon was one of the most successful films of 1973.<ref name="auto"/> Upon release in Hong Kong, the film grossed Template:HK$,<ref name="imdb">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which was huge business for the time, but less than Lee's previous 1972 films Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon.

In North America, the film was receiving offers of Template:US$ from American distributors by April 1973 for the distribution rights, several months before release.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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 Template:US$ in 3 days.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Upon its expansion the following week, it topped the charts for two weeks.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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.<ref name="Desser34">Template:Cite book</ref>

In October, Enter the Dragon regained the top spot in its eighth week.<ref name="Desser34"/> It sold Template:Nowrap tickets<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and grossed Template:US$ from its initial US release, making it the year's fourth highest-grossing film in the market.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was repeatedly re-released throughout the 1970s, with each re-release entering the top five in the box office charts.<ref name="Polly479">Template:Cite book</ref> The film's US gross had increased to Template:US$ by 1982,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and more than Template:US$ (equivalent to ${{#expr:Template:Inflation+Template:Inflation+Template:Inflation round -1}} million adjusted for inflation) by 1998.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="Thomas1994">Template:Cite book</ref> In England, it grossed over $2.5 million.<ref name=dv74>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In Spain, it was the seventh top-grossing film of 1973,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> selling 2,462,489 tickets.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In France, it was one of the top five highest-grossing films of 1974 (above two other Lee films, The Way of the Dragon at Template:Nowrap and Fist of Fury at Template:Nowrap), with 4,444,582 ticket sales.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In Germany, it was one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 1974, with Template:Nowrap ticket sales.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In Greece, the film earned Template:US$ in its first year of release.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In Japan, it was the second highest-grossing film of 1974 with distributor rental earnings of Template:JPY.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It was the highest-grossing film of all-time in the Philippines.<ref name=dv74/> In South Korea, the film sold 229,681 tickets in the capital city of Seoul.<ref name="korea">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In India, the movie was released in 1975 and opened to full houses; in one Bombay theatre, New Excelsior, it had a packed 32-week run.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was also a success in Iran, where there was a theatre which played it daily up until the 1979 Iranian Revolution.<ref name="Polly479"/>

Against a tight budget of $850,000,<ref name="Polly"/> the film grossed Template:US$ upon its initial 1973 worldwide release,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Newspaper">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Hoffmann">Template:Cite book</ref> making it one of the world's highest-grossing films of all time up until then.<ref name="Newspaper"/> The film went on to have multiple re-releases around the world over the next several decades, significantly increasing its worldwide gross.<ref name="Polly"/> The film went on to gross over Template:US$ internationally by 1981, making it the highest-grossing martial arts film of all time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was reportedly still among the Template:Nowrap all-time highest-grossing films in 1990.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

By 1998, it had grossed more than Template:US$ worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Template:As of, it has grossed an estimated total of over Template:US$ worldwide,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> having earned more than 400 times its original budget.<ref name="Polly"/> The film's cost-to-profit ratio makes it one of the most commercially successful and profitable films of all time.<ref name="Thomas1994"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Adjusted for inflation, the film's worldwide gross is estimated to be the equivalent of around Template:US$ Template:As of.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Critical reception

Upon release, the film was initially received mixed reviews from several critics,<ref name="Desser34"/> including a favourable review from Variety magazine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The film eventually went on to be well-received by most critics, and it is widely regarded as one of the best films of 1973.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Critics have referred to Enter the Dragon as "a low-rent James Bond thriller",<ref>Enter the Dragon, TV Guide Movie Review. Template:Webarchive TV Guide. Retrieved 28 September 2012.</ref><ref>The Fourth Virgin Film Guide by James Pallot and the editors of [inebook]], published by Virgin Books, 1995</ref> a "remake of Dr. No" with elements of Fu Manchu.<ref>Hong Kong Action Cinema by Bey Logan, published by Titan Books, 1995</ref> J.C. Maçek III of PopMatters wrote, "Of course the real showcase here is the obvious star here, Bruce Lee, whose performance as an actor and a fighter are the most enhanced by the perfect sound and video transfer. While Kelly was a famous martial artist and a surprisingly good actor and Saxon was a famous actor and a surprisingly good martial artist, Lee proves to be a master of both fields."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Many acclaimed newspapers and magazines reviewed the film. Variety described it as "rich in the atmosphere", the music score as "a strong asset" and the photography as "interesting".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The New York Times gave the film a rave review: "The picture is expertly made and well-meshed; it moves like lightning and brims with color. It is also the most savagely murderous and numbing hand-hacker (not a gun in it) you will ever see anywhere."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The film holds an 88% approval rating on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Badass to the max, Enter the Dragon is the ultimate kung-fu movie and fitting (if untimely) Bruce Lee swan song."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2004, the film was deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Enter the Dragon was selected as the best martial arts film of all time, in a 2013 poll of The Guardian and The Observer critics.<ref name="Guardian">Template:Cite news</ref> The film also ranks No. 474 on Empire magazine's 2008 list of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Home video

Enter the Dragon has remained one of the most popular martial arts films since its premiere and has been released numerous times worldwide on multiple home video formats. For almost three decades, many theatrical and home video versions were censored for violence, especially in the West. In the UK alone, at least four different versions have been released. Since 2001, the film has been released uncut in the UK and most other territories.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> Most DVDs and Blu-rays come with a wide range of extra features in the form of documentaries, interviews, etc. In 2013, a second, remastered HD transfer appeared on Blu-ray, billed as the "40th Anniversary Edition".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2020, new 2K digital restorations of the theatrical cut and special edition were included as part of the Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits box set by The Criterion Collection (under licensed from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment through the physical home media joint venture in US and Canada named Studio Distribution Services, LLC. and Fortune Star Media Limited), which featured all of Lee's films, as well as Game of Death II.<ref name="Criterion">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Legacy

Enter the Dragon has been parodied and referenced in places such as the 1976 film The Pink Panther Strikes Again, the satirical publication The Onion, the Japanese game-show Takeshi's Castle, and the 1977 John Landis comedy anthology film The Kentucky Fried Movie (in its lengthy "A Fistful of Yen" sequence, basically a comedic, note for note remake of Dragon) and also in the film Balls of Fury.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was also parodied on television in That '70s Show during the episode Jackie Moves On with regular character Fez taking on the Bruce Lee role. Several clips from the film are comically used during the theatre scene in The Last Dragon. Lee's martial arts films were broadly lampooned in the recurring Almost Live! sketch Mind Your Manners with Billy Quan. Ram Gopal Varma directed the martial-arts film Ladki: Dragon Girl after being heavily inspired by the film.

In August 2007, the now-defunct Warner Independent Pictures announced that television producer Kurt Sutter would be remaking the film as a noir-style thriller entitled Awaken the Dragon with Korean singer-actor Rain.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was announced in September 2014 that Spike Lee would work on the remake. In March 2015, Brett Ratner revealed that he wanted to make the remake.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In July 2018, David Leitch was in early talks to direct the remake.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> As of 2024, there are no further updates on this project.

Cultural impact

Enter the Dragon has been cited as one of the most influential action films of all time. Sascha Matuszak of Vice called it the most influential kung fu film and said it "is referenced in all manner of media, the plot line and characters continue to influence storytellers today and the impact was particularly felt in the revolutionizing way the film portrayed African-Americans, Asians and traditional martial arts."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Joel Stice of Uproxx called it "arguably the most influential kung fu movie of all time."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kuan-Hsing Chen and Beng Huat Chua cited its fight scenes as influential as well as its "hybrid form and its mode of address" which pitches "an elemental story of good against evil in such a spectacle-saturated way."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Quentin Tarantino cited Enter the Dragon as a formative influence on his career.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

According to Scott Mendelson of Forbes, Enter the Dragon contains spy film elements similar to the James Bond film series. Enter the Dragon was the most successful action-spy film to not be part of the James Bond film series; Enter the Dragon had an initial global box office comparable to the James Bond films of that era, and a lifetime gross surpassing every James Bond film up until GoldenEye. Mendelson argues that, had Bruce Lee lived after Enter the Dragon was released, the film had the potential to launch an action-spy film franchise starring Bruce Lee that could have rivalled the success of the James Bond franchise.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The film had an impact on MMA. In the opening fight sequence, where Lee fights Sammo Hung, Lee demonstrated elements of what would later become known as MMA. Both fighters wore what would later become common MMA clothing items, including kempo gloves and small shorts, and the fight ends with Lee utilising an armbar (then used in judo and jiu-jitsu) to submit Hung. According to UFC Hall of Fame fighter Urijah Faber, "that was the moment" that MMA was born.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Dragon Ball manga and anime franchise, debuted in 1984, was inspired by Enter the Dragon, which Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama was a fan of.<ref name="Guide">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The title Dragon Ball was also inspired by Enter the Dragon and the piercing eyes of Goku's Super Saiyan transformation was based on Bruce Lee's paralysing glare.<ref name="Guide"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Enter the Dragon inspired early beat 'em up brawler games. It was cited by game designer Yoshihisa Kishimoto as a key inspiration behind Technōs Japan's brawler Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, released as Renegade in the West.<ref name="Polygon">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Williams">Template:Cite book</ref> Its spiritual successor Double Dragon also drew inspiration from Enter the Dragon, with the game's title being a homage to the film.<ref name="Polygon"/> Double Dragon also features two enemies named Roper and Williams, a reference to the two characters Roper and Williams from Enter the Dragon. The sequel Double Dragon II: The Revenge includes opponents named Bolo and Oharra.

Enter the Dragon was the foundation for fighting games.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film's tournament plot inspired numerous fighting games, such as the Tekken series, for example.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Street Fighter video game franchise, debuted in 1987, was inspired by Enter the Dragon, with the gameplay centered around an international fighting tournament, and each character having a unique combination of ethnicity, nationality and fighting style. Street Fighter went on to set the template for all fighting games that followed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The little-known 1985 Nintendo arcade game Arm Wrestling contains voice leftovers from the film, as well as their original counterparts. The popular fighting game Mortal Kombat borrows multiple plot elements from Enter the Dragon as does its movie adaptation.

See also

• Bruce Lee filmography
• List of cult films

External links

• Enter the Dragon essay by Michael Sragow at National Film Registry
• Enter the Dragon essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 Template:ISBN, pages 694-696
• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0070034

 | title/{{#if: {{#invoke:ustring|match|1=0070034|2=^tt}}
   | Template:Trim/
   | tt0070034/
   }}
 | {{#if: {{#property:P345|from=}}
   | title/Template:First word/
   | find?q=%5B%5B%3ATemplate%3APAGENAMEBASE%5D%5D&s=tt
   }}
 }}{{#ifeq: {{#invoke:If any equal|main|Q618779|Q67325957|Q33999|value=Template:Wikidata}} | yes 
     | {{#switch: Template:Wikidata 
       | Q618779 
       | Q67325957  = awards Awards for
       | Q33999  = fullcredits Full cast and crew of
       }}
   | {{#if: Template:Wikidata 
     | {{#switch: Template:Wikidata
       | Q63032896 
       | Q66763446  = fullcredits Full cast and crew of
       | Q107974527 
       | Q482994  = soundtrack Soundtrack of
       }}
     }}
   }} Template:Trim] at {{#if: | IMDb | IMDb }}Template:EditAtWikidata{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:IMDb title with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|showblankpositional=1| 1 | 2 | 3 | description | id | link_hide | qid | quotes | title }}{{#switch: {{#invoke:String2|matchAny|^tt.........|^tt.......|tt|.........|source=0070034|plain=false}}| 1 | 3 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning| 4 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning}}{{#if: 0070034 {{#property:P345}} || Template:Preview warningTemplate:Main other }}{{#switch: Template:Wikidata 

| Q21191270 | Q21664088 | Q50062923 | Q50914552 | Q99079902 | Q123186929 | Q55422400 | Q61220733 =Template:Preview warning | Q3464665 =Template:Preview warning }}{{#ifeq: Template:Wikidata | Q21191270 |Template:Preview warning }}{{#if: 0070034 | Template:WikidataCheck }}

• Template:Hkmdb title
• Template:Mojo title