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With: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, Paul Wei, Huang Chung-hsin, Tony Liu, Unicorn Chan, Chuck Norris, Malisa Longo, Robert Wall, Hwang In-shik, Jon T. Benn
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Written by: Bruce Lee
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Directed by: Bruce Lee
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MPAA Rating: R
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Language: Mandarin, Cantonese, English, with English subtitles
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Running Time: 100
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Date: 12/30/1972
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The Way of the Dragon (1972)
Chuck 'Dragon'
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Bruce Lee made his directorial debut with this martial arts classic, further suggesting the great talent that he might have become. He plays Tang Lung, who is summed to Rome to help with a restaurant run by Uncle Wang (Huang Chung-hsin), which is under threat by gangsters. At first Tang seems a bit clueless; just off the plane and hungry, he manages to order five bowls of soup. But soon his skill with nunchakus proves formidable, and Uncle Wang's bumbling employees are eager to learn from him. And there's a budding romance between Tang and Uncle Wang's niece, Chen Ching-hua (Nora Miao). Eventually the crime lords hire martial artist Colt (Chuck Norris, sans beard) to fight Tang in a breathtaking showdown in the Colosseum. The movie is pitched as a comedy, and includes a weird, wah-wah-wah music score to underline the jokes, but it's not particularly funny. It is, however, quite kick-ass and very entertaining. It was made before Enter the Dragon and released successfully in Hong Kong in 1972, but did not arrive in America until 1974, where it was re-titled Return of the Dragon to cash in on the success of Lee's most famous film.
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