THE WAY OF THE DRAGON Digitally remastered (Japan Version) DVD Region 2

Also known as Return of the Dragon, the tale revolves around Tang Long who rushes to the aid of Chen Qing Hua (Nora Miao) whose restaurant is threatened by a band of organized hoodlums. Lee, known to be a perfectionist not only as far as martial arts were concerned, improvised the role from his earlier roles to present a many-faceted hero. He mostly follows his nature as a well-trained destructive living weapon, but is also very likely to become caught within cultural differences and misunderstandings. Very obviously this approach also presented a more down-to-earth hero who, like all other people, has need for a restroom or loosens his belt because of a too sumptuous meal from time to time.

As for the fights, the film features perhaps some of the best choreographed battles ever to appear on screen. What clearly differentiates Bruce's efforts from other entries in this genre is the incomparable gracefulness that truly makes these matches stand out as a piece of art. The showdown with main opponent Colt (Chuck Norris, who at the time of the shooting was holder of the Karate Heavyweight World Champion title) is especially a feast for the eyes. There probably couldn't be a location more worthy of a fight between a Chinese Dragon and a Western Colt than in the ancient remains of the coliseum in Rome. In a highly stylized on screen sparring session void of the wirework found in other comparable movies, Lee's crescent and hook kicks as well as other martial arts repertoire hail down on Norris as swift as lightning and with exceptional precision. However, before the final curtain falls on this clash of the titans, Lee has to digest some of his enemy's equally well-aimed blows and kicks that hit the mark in their own unique way.

Other memorable scenes include Lee's use of double nunchakus, the bo staff, and wooden darts which all, needless to say, never miss their targets. People longing to see the hero perform somersaults in mid-air and swinging look-alike enemies around with ease may be disappointed because Lee, fully in charge of this project, was smart enough to do without these effects. Instead, the movie features seamless action motions in an ambitious martial arts movie in which the protagonist and his opponent respect each other. To cut a long story short, Way of the Dragon features an abundance of Lee's magic in and outside of his professional repertoire that promises to put old and new viewers under a lasting spell.