DRAGON’S LAIR

THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT BIRTH OF THE DRAGON, BUT THE SCRIPT IS NOT ONE OF THEM.

The new film Birth of the Dragon takes us back to 1965 Seattle, when a young Bruce Lee, already a successful martial artist, would challenge kung fu master Wong Jack Man and take the first step on his way to becoming a household name. However, Birth of the Dragon is just the latest film to tell the story of Lee, who was instrumental in bringing kung fu films to mainstream American audiences and changing the way Chinese characters were portrayed in Hollywood.

Here are five other Bruce Lee movies you can watch to bone up on all things Lee — from his iconic film openings, to his screenwriting and directing efforts, to a documentary about people’s reverence for the iconic martial artist, who died at age 32 in 1973.

ENTER THE DRAGON (1973)

The film was originally released just six days after Bruce Lee’s death and is considered one of the greatest kung fu movies of all time — so much so that in 2004, it was preserved in the American Film Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” In Enter the Dragon, Lee portrays an expert martial artist approached by the British government to infiltrate a martial arts competition to gather information on a dangerous crime lord.

FIST OF FURY (1972)

In Fist of Fury, Lee plays a man on a quest to bring the people responsible for the death of his master to justice. The film spawned three sequels.

WAY OF THE DRAGON, A.K.A. RETURN OF THE DRAGON (1972)

The 1972 film features a 10-minute fight scene between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, but if you need further convincing that this movie is a must-see: Lee starred in the film as well as directed, wrote and produced it.

DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY (1993)

A story as inspirational as Lee’s was bound to be fodder for dramatization. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is one of many biopics of Lee and is based on the biography written by his widow, Linda Lee Caldwell, Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew.

I AM BRUCE LEE (2012)

For an idea of just how wide his influence reached, seek out I Am Bruce Lee, a 2012 documentary with surprising appearances from people who credit Lee for their success — Kobe Bryant, Ed O’Neill, Mickey Rourke and Dana White, president of the UFC, who calls Lee the father of modern MMA.

BRUCE LEE ENTERPRISES / LLC Bruce Lee was instrumental in bringing kung fu films to mainstream audiences in North America.