Studio: Warner
Release Date: August 8, 2023
Rating: R
Film: 4/5
Plot Lee plays a martial arts expert determined to take down the ruthless gang leader, Han, who was responsible for the death of his sister. Recruited by an intelligence agency, he poses a student and attends a tournament at a remote island fortress. His goal is to gather evidence that will prove Han’s involvement with drug trafficking and prostitution. With one man focused on crime and the other bent on revenge, the two engage in the now-classic fight-to-the-death finish. They both enter a mirrored maze and deadly battle. Only one will exit.
My ThoughtsWhile this story has never been groundbreaking, it does serve as a vehicle for Lee to show his stuff and he doesn’t disappoint. The martial arts action is very intense and the quickness of Lee is unbelievable. His untimely death in 1973 preceded Enter the Dragon’s US release and the film went on to be a huge in the US. Lee was a superstar in the making when he died and became larger than life in death. He’s regarded as the greatest martial artist of the 20
th Century and after watching this film multiple times over the years, it’s easy to see why.
The last time I reviewed this was back in the earlyish days of the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray format war and found the VC-1 encoded image to be quite good. I can’t say I’m disappointed one bit in the new 4K transfer. Colors are rich and luscious and they jump off the screen. Black levels look quite good for the era in this was shot and the print is in decent shape and is relatively clean and clear. There are occasional scenes that look a bit soft, but that’s probably due to the original photography.
This was originally a mono recording and the studio has done a bang-up job of getting the most out of the original elements. The majority of the audio comes from the front soundstage but the other speakers in the room provide some further ambience with the occasional directional queue and plenty of bleed from Lao’s Schifrin’s score.
Video 9/10
Audio 8.5/10 (Dolby Atmos)
Special Features: - Theatrical + Special-Edition of the film
- Introduction by Linda Lee Cadwell
- Audio Commentary by Paul Heller and Michael Allin
- Digital Copy
Conclusion The is by far one of the best martial arts films that has ever hit the big screen and is still a blast to watch 50 years after its initial release. Lee was taken from us much too soon and I would have loved to have seen how his career would have evolved if he hadn’t died so young. Regardless, Warner does an excellent job on this release and it’s easy to see why they put it in their Top 100 films the studio has ever produced. Highly recommended.
Reference Review System: JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Kaleidescape Strato + Server
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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