We here at DVDCULT are proud to bring you our first high-def review!!! Yes, we take a close look at Warner Bros. Bruce Lee classic, ENTER THE DRAGON on HD-DVD!!! After the success of Golden Harvest’s THE BIG BOSS, FISTS OF FURY, WAY OF THE DRAGON, and THE CHINESE CONNECTION, the California movie moguls were finally hot to feature Bruce Lee in his first major Hollywood production. Warner Bros. beat the other studios to the punch and signed Lee to take the starring role in the first all-star American martial arts film. Backing up Lee was a true international cast including major studio talent and Hong Kong veterans like James Tien, Angela Mao, Jim Kelley, Bolo Yeung, and John Saxon. Look closely and you’ll see stuntwork from some of Hong Kong’s best like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao. ENTER THE DRAGON has set the standard for action films and gone on to become a major staple of American pop culture. Sadly, ENTER THE DRAGON was Bruce Lee’s final film (despite the ensuing films that incorporate un-used footage of Bruce Lee like GAME OF DEATH & TOWER OF DEATH 2) as he died under mysterious circumstances. Warner Home Video previously released ENTER THE DRAGON in a regular edition, but on the eve of the film’s thirtieth anniversary, WHV releases a full-blown, 2 disc special edition with a brand, new completely remastered transfer.

A renegade Shaolin monk named Han (James Tien) creates his own corrupt martial arts empire that he uses to harvest and sell drugs, run a prostitution racket, and sell pirated DVDs (sorry could not resist that last one). The British government counters Han’s activities by hiring special agent Lee (who is also a former Shaolin monk) to break up Han’s empire. Since Han is a man consumed with the martial arts, he holds a tournament each year on his island fortress. The government arranges for Lee to infiltrate Han’s island stronghold by posing a participant in the tournament. When Lee arrives on the island, the repressive atmosphere and resentment from Han and his underlings cause Lee to form an alliance with two other fighters, Roper (John Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly). Lee uses the down time between fights to spy on Han’s operation to learn just how powerful and dangerous the man is. However, one night Lee is caught and thrown into Han’s private prison. But no man-made prison can hold Lee for long. He breaks free and leads an assault against Han’s private army. He also summons British officials who move in to mop up Han’s operation. Now Han is dead set against eliminating the man who ruined his empire. Han attaches a steel claw to his wrist and traps Lee in his hall of mirrors, for one of the most memorable movie showdowns in history!

ENTER THE DRAGON is presented in the original widescreen theatrical ratio of 2.35.1 with 16x9 enhancement. Warner Home Video took the time to restore the luster of this film by removing any scratches, dirt, or other anomalies. Wow, I thought that the regular DVD edition of EOD was amazing, wait until you see this disc. You’ve never seen Bruce Lee in action with such stunning clarity. The color pallette is rich and full, and the blacks are perfectly calibrated. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Plus, and while it won’t match the intensity of your DTS DIE HARD disc, it does wonders for this 1973 action classic. The punches and kicks envelope you is the sound field, and Lilo Shifrin’s score pulls you into the action and drama of ENTER THE DRAGON. The dialog is crisp and its great to hear Lee with his own voice. Some of the other actors are dubbed like James Tien. Still, the sound effects, ambient noises, score, and voices are perfectly integrated with a minimum of background noise and hiss.

From the Special Features menu, you'll find that pretty much all the features from the regular DVD edition are ported over, with the exception of the producer Paul Heller commentary. In my opinion that's not a big loss because his commentary track is boring as these things sometimes come. However, it would have been preferable to get the inside commentary from some of the on-screen talent involved in the film, like Jim Kelly, Robert Wall, John Saxon, or even Hollywood martial arts director Robert Clouse. There are some notable featurettes including Blood and Steel: Making of ENTER THE DRAGON, Bruce Lee: In His Own Words, which was put together for the release of ENTER THE DRAGON. A newer documentary has been assembled which chronicles the production of the film in China. Bruce Lee Curse of the Dragon, narrated by George Takei, is a documentary that takes a look at the legacy of Bruce Lee. Finally, there is a collection of Bruce Lee and family home movie footage courtesy of widow Linda Lee. Included on disc 2 is the entire documentary Bruce Lee: A Warriors Journey, which provides a detailed history of martial arts cinema’s most significant performer. Also included is a collection of trailers and television commercials from the original release.

Kudos to Warner Home Video for revisiting this old title and giving ENTER THE DRAGON it’s due oh HD-DVD. The new widescreen transfer looks dazzling, and the extras on this two disc set are worthy of the Bruce Lee legend. The only weak spot on this disc is perhaps the lack of an audio commentary, which could have been better with the inclusion of the remaining cast members like Saxon, Kelly, Bolo, etc.

ENTER THE DRAGON HD DVD Special Edition is available from DVDEmpire.com

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