Overview
A martial artist arrives in Rome, ready to take on the city's toughest foes.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- irreverent
- playful
- classic action night
- martial arts movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrate Bruce Lee's charisma and the film's energetic martial arts set pieces, while finding its story and humor comparatively predictable.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tang Lung's defense of the family restaurant culminates in a major fight staged in the Colosseum.
Tang Lung arrives from Hong Kong to navigate an Italian restaurant, local gangsters, and foreign martial artists.
Bruce Lee's performance as Tang Lung combines comic presence, expressive movement, and dominant kung fu choreography.
The syndicate recruits Japanese and European fighters before hiring the American martial artist Colt.
Films like The Way of the Dragon, and why
Enter the Dragon
shared martial arts action, charismatic lead performance, crime syndicate conflict, and showcase fight choreography
Fist of Fury
shared hong kong martial arts tradition, revenge-driven action, and escalating confrontations with criminal antagonists
The Big Boss
shared kung fu action, culture clash, comic bravado, and a working-class community threatened by organized crime
Way of the Master
shared international martial arts spectacle, outsider hero, and climactic one-on-one combat
Movie Details
- Director
- Bruce Lee
- Release Date
- 1972-12-30
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (1343)
Cast
- Bruce Lee
- Nora Miao
- Chuck Norris
- Wei Ping-Ao
- Huang Tsung-Hsun
- Robert Wall
- Hwang In-shik
- Chin Ti
- Tony Liu Tian-jue
- Little Unicorn
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Way of the Dragon about?
- A playful Hong Kong kung fu champion protects a family restaurant in Rome from a ruthless syndicate through a succession of spectacular fights.
- What is The Way of the Dragon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Way of the Dragon as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Way of the Dragon violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Way of the Dragon as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Way of the Dragon?
- Critics broadly celebrate Bruce Lee's charisma and the film's energetic martial arts set pieces, while finding its story and humor comparatively predictable.
- Which films are like The Way of the Dragon?
- Films with a similar feel include Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury, The Big Boss, and Way of the Master.
- How long is The Way of the Dragon?
- The Way of the Dragon runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Way of the Dragon?
- In United States, The Way of the Dragon is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
