Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Way of the Dragon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 20, 2020

Bruce Lee's "The Way of the Dragon" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include new program featuring biographer Matthew Polly; archival interviews with various actors; vintage promotional materials for the film; vintage audio commentary by Mike Leeder; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Jeff Chang as well as technical credits. In Cantonese, English, and Mandarin, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

In the United States, The Way of the Dragon was initially released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory. For an in-depth analysis of the film, please see Jeff Kauffman's review of the first release here.

The Way of the Dragon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Way of the Dragon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release is sourced from a new 4K master which I found much more difficult to evaluate than the one that was used for Fist of Fury. There are bigger tonal/color temperature shifts in The Way of the Dragon and often it is not at all clear how pronounced they were meant to be. For example, initially I thought that the brightness settings ought to be slightly elevated to avoid at least some of what appear to be crushed blacks, but there is a lot of footage that actually looks brighter and better balanced than the corresponding footage from Shout Factory's most recent release of The Way of the Dragon (see screencapture #15). However, elsewhere exactly the opposite is true, and darker areas look even darker on the new master (see screencapture #3). Whites are generally handled much better on the new master, so there are healthier ranges of nuances during indoor and outdoor footage that ultimately ensure a strong and convincing dynamic range. There is greater consistency in terms of saturation as well, though this is precisely the area where I think the new master would look superior in native 4K. Density levels are excellent, so if you have a larger screen you will be very pleased with the new master. Image stability is terrific. Finally, the entire film looks spotless. So, I think that this is a very fine technical presentation of The Way of the Dragon. There are a few areas that could have been managed slightly better -- perhaps when the 4K content was downscaled to 1080p -- but overall this is undoubtedly the best presentation of this film that I have seen to date. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Way of the Dragon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Mandarin: LPCM Mono, English: LPCM Mono, Cantonese: Dolby Digital Mono and English: Dolby Digital Mono (from a Japanese release). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I once again started viewing the film with the Mandarin track and then switched to the original English track. The latter is again quite funny, so if you are in mood for a more exotic experience I highly recommend that you give it a chance. These are also the healhier of the four tracks, though there is nothing particularly wrong with the Cantonese and alternate English dub tracks. The Mandarin and original English tracks have simply been cleaned up better and optimized as best as possible. Bottom line is this: there are four good audio options to choose from.

The Way of the Dragon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• On The Way of the Dragon - in this new program, biographer Matthew Polly (Bruce Lee: A Life) explains why The Way of the Dragon occupies a special place in Bruce Lee's body of work and discusses the film's conception and reception. The program was created for Criterion. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080p).

• Legacy of the Dragon (2001) - this archival documentary focuses on the life and career of Bruce Lee as well as the enduring appeal of his films. Included in it are clips from interviews with karate world champion Joe Lewis, producer Andre Morgan, actors Sammo Hung and George Lazenby, martial arts instructor Taky Kimura, and producer Russell Cawthorne, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (47 min, 1080i).

• Alternate Opening Credits - presented here are opening credits that were used for different releases of the film.
  
  1. Version One (3 min, 1080p).
  2. Version Two ((3 min, 1080p),

• Bruce Lee Remembered - in this archival program, Sammo Hung, Flora Cheong-Leen, Simon Yam, Clarence Fok and Wong Jing, amongst others, discuss the impact Bruce Lee had on the evolution of Hong Kong cinema and action actors in general. In English and Cantonese, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (8 min, 1080i).

• Kung Fu? - in this archival program, actor Jon T. Benn remembers Bruce Lee and discusses his contribution to The Way of the Dragon. In English, not subtitled. (22 min, 1080i).

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Vintage trailers for The Way of the Dragon.
  2. One vintage radio spot.

• Commentary -Hong Kong-film expert Mike Leeder offers an in-depth analysis of The Way of the Dragon and overview of Bruce Lee's career and work. It is a typically great commentary that fans of the film are already familiar with as it has appeared on previous home video releases. The commentary was recorded in 2013.

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Jeff Chang as well as technical credits.

The Way of the Dragon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Way of the Dragon is the Bruce Lee film I enjoy the most. It oozes testosterone but also manages to be funny in some pretty outrageous ways. (The scene where Lee blows away Chuck Norris' chest hair while trying to look tough is pure gold). So, this release is sourced from a new 4K master that I think will be enthusiastically embraced by fans of the film. I would have loved to see it in native 4K because it made me question a few things, but overall I am quite happy with it. The release is included in Criterion's Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits box set, which will be available for purchase on July 14. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.