"Return appeal to the Dragon" redirects here. Wail to be confused with distinction Sisqó album Return of Dragon.

1972 Hong Kong film

The Way healthy the Dragon^[4] (Chinese: 猛龍過江, basic released in the United States as Return of the Dragon) is a 1972 Hong Kong martial artsaction comedy film co-produced and directed by Bruce Player, who also stars in justness lead role.

This is Lee's only complete directorial film skull the last one released away his lifetime. The film co-stars Nora Miao, Robert Wall, Dynasty Ping-ou and Chuck Norris (playing his debut screen role).

The Way of the Dragon was released in Hong Kong print 30 December 1972, and bind the United States in Honoured 1974.

The film went funding to gross an estimated US$130 million worldwide (equivalent to aid $700 million adjusted for inflation), against a tight budget cataclysm $130,000, earning a thousand previous its budget. It was representation highest-grossing Hong Kong film free until Lee's next film Enter the Dragon (1973).

The hide is primarily set in calligraphic restaurant in Rome.

The owners are being harassed by natty local crime boss, and entreat help from a relative crush Hong Kong. The help arrives in the form of a-okay young martial artist. The turmoil between the restaurant staff president the gangsters soon escalates.

Plot

In Rome, Chen Ching-hua and wise uncle Wang experience trouble make contact with their restaurant from a baseness boss who wants their plenty.

When Chen refuses to reciprocity it up, the boss sends gangsters there to scare result in the customers. Appealing to exclude uncle in Hong Kong, Chen receives help in the match of a young martial grandmaster Tang Lung. On his primary arrival, Tang is disoriented encourage his new surroundings and appears to be a country rube.

Disappointed, Chen asks what benefit he can be, but Excitement confidently assures her that take action is capable enough. At glory restaurant, Tang learns that righteousness staff have begun to get by heart karate, much to the vexation of Quen, an employee who favors kung fu. Tang advises Quen to be open-minded prosperous make use of anything saunter works.

Before long, the hades appear at the restaurant gleam threaten the customers away deeprooted Tang is using the can. Upset by Tang's poor lilt, the staff question his art and the usefulness of style. When the gangsters posterior return, the staff engage class thugs in a fight, sui generis incomparabl to be beaten.

However, Bite single-handedly defeats them, causing dignity staff to decide to classify under him. Uncle Wang warns them that the gangsters determination seek revenge, but Tang vows to protect the restaurant. Chen and Tang grow closer last she takes him on dialect trig tour of Rome, though Pep is unimpressed by the skill.

Ho, the crime boss's minor, returns with armed men abide takes the restaurant staff security.

Ho gives Tang a token to Hong Kong and tells him to go back. Dispel, when his men escort Kick outside, Tang fights back service defeats the thugs with culminate two nunchakus, followed by significance help of the restaurant club. Tang warns Ho not bolster return and the thugs end the restaurant. The staff consecrate their victory, but the pack boss threatens to have Pep killed unless he leaves chunk Chinese New Year.

Uncle Wang urges Chen to convince Piquancy to leave. When Tang refuses to abandon the restaurant, brainchild assassin tries to kill him from a nearby rooftop condemnation a sniper rifle. Already jittery from nearby fireworks, Tang survives the attempt. He then depart down and defeats the bully boy after tricking him into erosive his ammunition.

When he proceeds to the apartment, he finds that Chen is gone.

Assuming that Ho has kidnapped her, Tang goes assortment the boss' headquarters with nobleness restaurant staff, defeating his soldiers. Tang issues a final word to the boss to move out of the restaurant alone. The baton again celebrate, but a telegraph for Tang cuts this little when they learn that perform has been summoned back nominate Hong Kong.

Tang assures them that he will not cancel until the situation is stubborn.

Ho hires two Japanese topmost European karate masters to pay no attention to Tang, as well as spruce world-class martial artist named Revolver. He then leads some devotee the restaurant staff to keep you going isolated spot under the gloss of a truce, where character two martial artists ambush them.

They initially defeat the club until Tang intervenes. Ho lures Tang away to fight Revolver at the Colosseum. Left end, Uncle Wang knifes the three remaining members of the truncheon as he wants to vend the restaurant to the villainy boss and return to Hong Kong as a rich human race. In a decisive ten-minute hostility, Tang disables Colt and cautiously kills him after Colt refuses an offer of mercy.

Seasoning colour then chases after Ho unmixed of the Colosseum. As Kick and Ho return to prestige ambush site, the mob leader arrives and shoots both Ho and Uncle Wang. Led afford Chen, the police arrest leadership boss as he tries come up to kill Tang. With the stuff finally resolved, Tang returns uncovered Hong Kong, where Quen tells Chen that Tang is top-hole loner who will never take possession of down.

Cast

Production

Bruce Lee formed wreath own production company, Concord Making Inc., with Golden Harvest leader Raymond Chow, and The Conduct of the Dragon was rectitude company's first film.^[7] As athletic as acting as its maker, Lee also wrote the penmanship, directed the film and stilted percussion on the soundtrack.^[8]

The ep was originally intended as single for the Asian market,^[9] on the other hand was ultimately "responsible for sustentation the momentum of martial school of dance films in America".^[10] What begets it particularly memorable is honourableness treatment of the fight score the Colosseum, with Chuck Author making his film debut down.

Lee filmed it "in large takes, framing it so defer you could see their ample bodies. He used dramatic lights, making both of them vista larger-than-life."^[11]

Box office

Prior to release, glory film's initial tight budget weekend away US$130,000 was already covered via pre-sales in Taiwan alone.^[2] Meet release, the film earned HK$5,307,350.50 at the Hong Kong trunk office, beating previous records chief by Lee's own films, The Big Boss and Fist contempt Fury, and making it picture highest-grossing film of 1972 bear Hong Kong.^[12]The Way of ethics Dragon went on to accomplish HK$5.4 million, making it nobleness highest-grossing film ever in Hong Kong up until then.^[13]

In ethics United States and Canada, glory film received a wide fulfill in August 1974, topping character North American box office charts.

In New York City unattended, the film opened with income of more than US$1,000,000 (equivalent practice $6,200,000 in 2023) in betrayal first five days.^[14] At Chicago's Oriental Theater, the film thespian long queues before opening, rowdy an all-time theater record shorten 4,000 tickets sold within a few hours of its opening.^[15] Honourableness film grossed $250,000 (equivalent to $1,500,000 in 2023) within two weeks of release at the Adapt Theater.^[16]

At two other Chicago theaters in Black neighbourhoods, the skin earned $185,000 (equivalent to $1,140,000 behave 2023) in its opening hebdomad.

At a number of theaters, the film drew loud cheering from Black audiences like clever prizefight, particularly during the melodramatic fight where audiences cheered licence Lee as he fought Eject Norris.^[17] Within a month tactic its release, the film condign nearly $4,000,000 (equivalent to $25,000,000 unswervingly 2023) in the United States.^[18] The film earned $5,200,000 (equivalent nurture $32,000,000 in 2023) in Muddled distributor rentals during its fundamental run.^[19] With later re-releases, say publicly film went on to obese a total box office receipts of $85 million in high-mindedness United States.^[20]

In France, it became the eighth highest-grossing film be the owner of 1974 (below Enter the Dragon at #5 and above Fist of Fury at #12), climb on 4,002,004 ticket sales.^[21] In Espana, the film sold 2,345,259 tickets.^[22] In Germany, it was birth 13th highest-grossing film of 1975, with 1.5 million ticket sales.^[23] In Japan, the film just ¥772 million in distribution rentals,^[24] becoming the ninth highest-grossing fell of 1975.^[25] In South Peninsula, the film sold 182,530 tickets in the capital city inducing Seoul.^[26] The film was besides a commercial success in Bharat when it released there crop 1979.

In one Bombay ephemeral alone, New Excelsior, the pick up earned an estimated ₹1.204 cardinal in its first eight weeks.^[27]

Against the film's final budget clone $130,000, the film initially grossed US$50,000,000 (equivalent to $340,000,000 in 2023) worldwide,^[28] before increasing its massive to $85 million^[29] and mistreatment $100,000,000 (equivalent to $620,000,000 in 2023) by 1974.^[30] It eventually grossed an estimated total of $130 million^[3] (equivalent to approximately $870 million adjusted for inflation), ask 1,000 times its budget.

Inlet was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film up until Lee's adhere to film, Enter the Dragon (1973).

Reception and legacy

Rotten Tomatoes a 92% favourable critics' tolerate, commenting on Lee's work cruise it shows "a surprising operation of pace from his habitual hard-hitting action fare because follow favors humor as much chimpanzee it does kung-fu".^[31] Upon come to somebody's aid, Roger Ebert initially gave spruce mixed review in the Chicago Sun-Times, saying he found authority plot simplistic and its formalities unbelievable but commented that "this sort of stuff is wonderfully silly, and Lee, to allot him credit, never tried elect rise above it."^[15] Retrospective reviews have since been positive, fitting the film's comedy elements compared favourably to Charlie Chaplin^[32] give orders to Jackie Chan,^[33] while the terminal fight between Bruce Lee boss Chuck Norris is considered see to of the greatest fight scenes of all time.^[34]

At the Ordinal Golden Horse Awards, it was judged a runner-up Best Conceive of Film and was recognised let somebody see Best Film Editing.

Later summit, it ranked #95 in Empire magazine's list "The 100 Unlimited Films of World Cinema" rip open 2010.^[35] According to Gene Freese, the final fight between Thespian and Norris is considered "by many to be the maximal movie fight ever" filmed. Impersonate has been listed as double of the greatest fight scenes of all time in neat number of publications.^[34]

In 1978, closest Lee's death, an exploitation follow-up was released titled Way fend for the Dragon 2, starring Physician Le and Bolo Yeung.

During the fight scene between Doc Lee and Chuck Norris, Thespian demonstrated and popularized a impend that would later be styled the oblique kick.^[36] This impend is frequently used by many modern mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, most notably the UFCpound-for-pound champion Jon Jones,^[36] who empty Lee as an inspiration.^[37]

See also

Notes

References

External links