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IMDbPro

The Way of the Dragon

Original title: Meng long guo jiang
  • 19721972
  • 13+13+
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
37K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
6,269
603
Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
ActionAdventureComedy
A man visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them.A man visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them.A man visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
37K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
6,269
603
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Bruce Lee
    • Writer
      • Bruce Lee(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Bruce Lee
      • Chuck Norris
      • Nora Miao
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Bruce Lee
    • Writer
      • Bruce Lee(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Bruce Lee
      • Chuck Norris
      • Nora Miao
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 144User reviews
    • 73Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Photos98

    Bruce Lee at an event for The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Bruce Lee in Tang Shan Da Xiong (1971)
    Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Nora Miao in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Nora Miao in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
    Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon (1972)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bruce Lee
    Bruce Lee
    • Tang Lung
    Chuck Norris
    Chuck Norris
    • Colt
    Nora Miao
    Nora Miao
    • Chen Ching Hua
    Ping-Ou Wei
    Ping-Ou Wei
    • Ho
    • (as Paul Wei Ping-Ao)
    Chung-Hsin Huang
    Chung-Hsin Huang
    • 'Uncle' Wang
    • (as Wang Chung Hsin)
    Robert Wall
    Robert Wall
    • Bob
    In-shik Hwang
    • Japanese Fighter
    • (as Ing-Sik Whang)
    Ti Chin
    Ti Chin
    • Ah Quen
    Tony Liu
    Tony Liu
    • Tony
    Little Unicorn
    Little Unicorn
    • Jimmy
    Malisa Longo
    Malisa Longo
    • Italian Beauty
    Ngan Wu
    • Waiter
    Fu Ching Chen
    Fu Ching Chen
    • Robert
    • (as Robert Chen)
    Jon T. Benn
    • The Boss
    John Kenny
    • Quen
    • (voice)
    Robert Baker
    • Thug
    • (uncredited)
    Riccardo Billi
    • Bank Manager
    • (uncredited)
    Russell Cawthorne
    • Man at Airport
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Bruce Lee
    • Writer
      • Bruce Lee(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The entire film was shot without sound, with the actors looping their lines in post-production.
    • Goofs
      When the gunman is first revealed in Chen's apartment, Tang Lung beats the guy all over, but never hits his face. Later when the gunman is being chewed out, he's shown with a bandaged forehead, two bruised cheeks and a black eye.
    • Quotes

      Tang Lung: Movement number 4: Dragon seeks path. Hi-yah!" (Tang kicks, knocking a hoodlum unconscious) "Dragon whips his tail!

    • Alternate versions
      All above mentioned cuts to the original US release were restored to the new 2005 DVD release. Plus an additional scene of Lee being made fun of by the gang for saying "excuse me" to one of the crooks after bumping into him.
    • Connections
      Edited into Game of Death (1978)
    • Soundtracks
      As A Judgement
      (Colt's Theme)

      by Ennio Morricone

    User reviews144

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    In this world of guns n knives, Tang Lung is respectd wherever he goes cos of his fist fights n nunchukas.
    I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs, then again in the early 2k on a dvd which I own.

    Revisited it recently.

    As a kid from the 80s n aft seeing this movie, i was in awe aft witnessing the nunchukas fight sequence.

    This one gets a bit repetitive cos of the same goons who keeps on getting thrashed by the character of Lee but they keep on coming back. One of the fat goon with a beard looks like poor man's Russell Crowe.

    The best n the most memorable is the treatment of the fight in the Colosseum with Chuck Norris with a cat as a spectator.

    In this one Lee plays Tang Lung, a kung fu expert who is sent from Hong Kong to Italy by his uncle to help family friends whose restaurant business is threatened by a mafia boss.

    This one showcases Lee's immense energy n amazing fighting skills, especially the way his feet moves.

    He mimicked Mohammad Ali's float like a butterfly style.

    Lee is allowed to have a sense of humor in this movie.

    This one aint gory like The Big Boss.

    Ping-Ou Wei (famous for playing the interpreter in this one n the Fist of Fury) acted very well. His body language is total effeminate, especially his limp wristed n running style is a big lol.

    Another best fight sequence is the one in the alley with the nunchukas.
    helpful•24
    1
    • Fella_shibby
    • Aug 18, 2021

    FAQ2

    • Why the ironic music when Tang Lung presents the wad of banknotes to the bank manager?
    • What are the differences between the old British VHS and the Uncensored Version? How about the US Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 1972 (Hong Kong)
    • Country of origin
      • Hong Kong
    • Official site
      • Miramax [United States]
    • Languages
      • Mandarin
      • Cantonese
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Meng long guo jiang
    • Filming locations
      • La Villa d'Este, Tivoli, Rome, Lazio, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Golden Harvest Films
      • Concord Productions
      • Golden Harvest Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $130,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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