Editing Enter the Dragon (section)

== Release ==
=== Marketing ===
''Enter the Dragon'' was heavily advertised in the United States before its release. The budget for advertising was over {{US$|1 million|link=yes}}. It was unlike any promotional campaign that had been seen before, and was extremely comprehensive. To advertise the film, the studio offered free [[Karate]] classes, produced thousands of illustrated flip books, comic books, posters, photographs, and organised dozens of news releases, interviews, and public appearances for the stars. ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'', ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', and ''[[Newsweek]]'' all wrote stories on the film.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|last=Peirano|first=Pierre-François|date=22 April 2013|title=The Multiple Facets of Enter the Dragon (Robert Clouse, 1973)|url=http://inmedia.revues.org/613|journal=InMedia. The French Journal of Media and Media Representations in the English-Speaking World|issue=3|doi=10.4000/inmedia.613|issn=2259-4728|doi-access=free|access-date=10 May 2016|archive-date=13 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513143215/http://inmedia.revues.org/613|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Box office ===
''Enter the Dragon'' was one of the most successful [[1973 in film|films of 1973]].<ref name="auto"/> Upon release in Hong Kong, the film grossed {{HK$|3,307,536|link=yes}},<ref name="imdb">{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070034/ |title=Enter The Dragon (1973) |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=8 June 2015 |archive-date=5 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105190943/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070034/business |url-status=live }}</ref> which was huge business for the time, but less than Lee's previous 1972 films ''[[Fist of Fury]]'' and ''[[The Way of the Dragon]]''.

In [[North America (box office territory)|North America]], the film was receiving offers of {{US$|500,000|year=1973|round=-5}} from American distributors by April 1973 for the distribution rights, several months before release.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Dan |title=Newest Movie Craze: Chinese Agents |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/lima-news-apr-22-1973-p-30/ |access-date=15 April 2022 |work=[[Lima News]] |via=[[NewspaperArchive]] |date=22 April 1973 |page=30 |url-access=subscription |quote=Warner Brothers has just released one called "The Five Fingers of Death" and, with Fred Weintraub as producer, is now involved in the first American-Chinese production of a martial-science picture, a film that stars Bruce (Kato) Lee (...) "Enter the Dragon," is budgeted at {{US$|1 million|long=no}}. The first two pictures grossed more than {{US$|5 million|long=no}} in Southeast Asia alone, according to Weintraub. He also said American distributors are offering as much as $500,000 in advance for distribution rights. |archive-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415055618/https://newspaperarchive.com/lima-news-apr-22-1973-p-30/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Upon its limited release in August 1973 in four theatres in New York, the film entered the weekly box office charts at number 17 with a gross of {{US$|140,010|long=no|year=1973|round=-4}} in 3 days.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=50 Top-Grossing Films|date=29 August 1973|page=9}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=3 Days, 4 Sites, 'Dragon', $140,010|date=22 August 1973|page=8}}</ref> Upon its expansion the following week, it topped the charts for two weeks.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=50 Top-Grossing Films|date=12 September 1973|page=13}}</ref> Over the next four weeks, it remained in the top 10 while competing with other [[kung fu film]]s, including ''[[Hapkido (film)|Lady Kung Fu]]'', ''[[The Chase (1971 film)|The Shanghai Killers]]'' and ''[[Deadly China Doll]]'' which held the top spot for one week each.<ref name="Desser34">{{cite book |last1=Desser |first1=David |chapter=The Kung Fu Craze: Hong Kong Cinema's First American Reception |editor-last1=Fu |editor-first1=Poshek |editor-last2=Desser |editor-first2=David |title=The Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity |date=2002 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-77602-8 |pages=19–43 (34) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sELZJ5vihJUC&pg=PA34 |access-date=9 June 2020 |archive-date=21 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621212426/https://books.google.com/books?id=sELZJ5vihJUC&pg=PA34 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October, ''Enter the Dragon'' regained the top spot in its eighth week.<ref name="Desser34"/> It sold {{nowrap|14.1 million}} tickets<ref>{{cite web |title=«Выход Дракона» (Enter the Dragon, 1973) - Dates |url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/24743/dates/ |website=[[Kinopoisk]] |language=ru |access-date=7 April 2022 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404071403/https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/24743/dates/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and grossed {{US$|25,000,000|long=no|year=1973|round=-7}} from its initial US release, making it the year's fourth highest-grossing film in the market.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Eliot |first1=Marc |title=Steve McQueen: A Biography |date=2011 |publisher=[[Aurum Press]] |isbn=978-1-84513-744-1 |pages=237, 242 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DzdsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT242 |quote=''[[Papillon (1973 film)|Papillon]]'' earned nearly $55 million in its initial domestic release, making it the third-highest-grossing film of the year. (...) Robert Clouse's ''Enter the Dragon'', starring the late Bruce Lee, came in fourth, with $25 million. |access-date=10 June 2020 |archive-date=10 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610101337/https://books.google.com/books?id=DzdsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT242 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was repeatedly re-released throughout the 1970s, with each re-release entering the top five in the box office charts.<ref name="Polly479">{{cite book |last1=Polly |first1=Matthew |title=Bruce Lee: A Life |date=2019 |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]] |isbn=978-1-5011-8763-6 |page=479 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5bGWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA479 |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620162315/https://books.google.com/books?id=5bGWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA479 |url-status=live }}</ref> The film's US gross had increased to {{US$|100 million|long=no}} by 1982,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lent |first1=John A. |title=The Asian Film Industry |date=1990 |publisher=Helm |isbn=978-0-7470-2000-4 |page=100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ogVlAAAAMAAJ |quote=The Lee film, ''Enter the Dragon'', was made with Warner; it grossed US $100 million in the United States alone (Sun 1982: 40). |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-date=8 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608191943/https://books.google.com/books?id=ogVlAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Mennel |first1=Barbara |title=Cities and Cinema |date=2008 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-134-21984-1 |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQB3MembWe8C&pg=PA87 |quote=Golden Harvest took on Bruce Lee and began co-producing with Hollywood companies, leading to its kung-fu action films, including the Bruce Lee vehicle ''Enter the Dragon'' (dir. Robert Clouse, 1973), which “grossed US $100 million in the United States alone” (Lent 100; also Sun 1982:40). |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-date=8 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608191945/https://books.google.com/books?id=pQB3MembWe8C&pg=PA87 |url-status=live }}</ref> and more than {{US$|120 million|long=no}} (equivalent to ${{#expr:{{inflation|US|25|1973}}+{{inflation|US|75|1974}}+{{inflation|US|20|1982}} round -1}} million adjusted for inflation) by 1998.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gaul |first1=Lou |title=Actor Bruce Lee's life celebrated in special video edition |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/doylestown-intelligencer-jul-20-1998-p-28/ |access-date=15 April 2022 |work=[[Doylestown Intelligencer]] |via=[[NewspaperArchive]] |date=20 July 1998 |page=28 |url-access=subscription |quote=The $550,000 picture – a modest budget even by 1973 standards – has grossed more than {{US$|120 million|long=no}} during its initial run and re-release engagements in America and has never aired on network television. |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404071403/https://newspaperarchive.com/doylestown-intelligencer-jul-20-1998-p-28/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In Europe, the film initially monopolised several [[London West End]] cinemas for five weeks, before becoming a sellout success across Britain and the rest of Europe.<ref name="Thomas1994">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Bruce |title=Bruce Lee, Fighting Spirit: A Biography |date=1994 |publisher=Frog Books |location=[[Berkeley, California]] |isbn=9781883319250 |url-access=registration |page=247 |url=https://archive.org/details/bruceleefighting0000thom_d0z5/page/247 |quote=A month after Bruce's death, ''Enter the Dragon'' was released. During its first seven weeks in the United States it grossed {{US$|3 million|long=no}}. In London it monopolized three West End cinemas for five weeks before becoming a sellout throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. The film went on to gross over {{US$|200 million|long=no}}, the ratio of cost to profit making it perhaps the most commercially successful film ever made.}}</ref> In England, it grossed over $2.5 million.<ref name=dv74>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=16 April 1974|page=1|title='Dragon' Pulling Big Foreign Coin For WB}}</ref> In Spain, it was the seventh top-grossing film of 1973,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Soyer |first1=Renaud |title=Box Office International 1973 |url=http://www.boxofficestory.com/monde-1973-c25608070 |website=Box Office Story |date=22 April 2014 |language=fr |access-date=30 June 2020 |archive-date=29 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629233751/http://www.boxofficestory.com/monde-1973-c25608070 |url-status=live }}</ref> selling 2,462,489 tickets.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Soyer |first1=Renaud |title=Bruce Lee Box Office |url=http://www.boxofficestory.com/box-office-bruce-lee-c23465174 |website=Box Office Story |date=28 January 2013 |language=fr |access-date=30 June 2020 |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501231103/http://www.boxofficestory.com/box-office-bruce-lee-c23465174 |url-status=live }}</ref> In France, it was one of the top five [[List of highest-grossing films in France|highest-grossing films]] of 1974 (above two other Lee films, ''[[The Way of the Dragon]]'' at {{nowrap|number 8}} and ''[[Fist of Fury]]'' at {{nowrap|number 12}}), with 4,444,582 ticket sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpbox-office.com/charts_france.php?filtre=datefr&variable=1974|title=Charts – LES ENTREES EN FRANCE|year=1974|website=JP's Box-Office|language=fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327161544/http://www.jpbox-office.com/charts_france.php?filtre=datefr&variable=1974|archive-date=27 March 2019|url-status=live|access-date=27 November 2018}}</ref> In Germany, it was one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 1974, with {{nowrap|1.7 million}} ticket sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpbox-office.com/charts_allemagne.php?filtre=dateall&variable=1974|title=Charts – LES ENTREES EN ALLEMAGNE|year=1974|website=JP's Box-Office|language=fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327162101/http://www.jpbox-office.com/charts_allemagne.php?filtre=dateall&variable=1974|archive-date=27 March 2019|url-status=live|access-date=27 November 2018}}</ref> In Greece, the film earned {{US$|1,000,000|long=no|year=1973|round=-5}} in its first year of release.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Tan |first1=George |title=Behind The Scenes With Bruce Lee: An Inside Look at "The Dragon's" Films |magazine=[[Black Belt (magazine)|Black Belt]] |date=November 1990 |volume=28 |issue=11 |pages=24–29 (29) |publisher=[[Active Interest Media]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5toDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA29 |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-date=12 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612161822/https://books.google.com/books?id=5toDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA29 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In Japan, it was the second highest-grossing film of 1974 with [[distributor rental]] earnings of {{JPY|1,642,000,000|link=yes|year=1974|round=-6}}.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=キネマ旬報ベスト・テン85回全史 1924–2011 |magazine=[[Kinema Junpo]] |date=2012 |page=322 |lang=ja}}</ref> It was the highest-grossing film of all-time in the Philippines.<ref name=dv74/> In South Korea, the film sold 229,681 tickets in the capital city of [[Seoul]].<ref name="korea">{{cite web |title=영화정보 |url=http://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/mast/mvie/searchMovieList.do |website=KOFIC |publisher=[[Korean Film Council]] |access-date=26 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225151904/http://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/mast/mvie/searchMovieList.do |archive-date=25 December 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In India, the movie was released in 1975 and opened to full houses; in one [[Bombay]] theatre, New Excelsior, it had a packed 32-week run.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bruce Lee storms Bombay once again with Return of the Dragon |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/19790915-bruce-lee-storms-bombay-once-again-with-return-of-the-dragon-822544-2014-02-21 |last1=Mohamed |first1=Khalid |author-link=Khalid Mohamed |work=[[India Today]] |date=15 September 1979 |access-date=20 January 2015 |archive-date=16 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716194756/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/19790915-bruce-lee-storms-bombay-once-again-with-return-of-the-dragon-822544-2014-02-21 |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was also a success in [[Iran]], where there was a theatre which played it daily up until the 1979 [[Iranian Revolution]].<ref name="Polly479"/>

Against a tight budget of $850,000,<ref name="Polly"/> the film grossed {{US$|100,000,000|year=1973|round=-7}} upon its initial 1973 worldwide release,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gross |first1=Edward |title=Bruce Lee: Fists of Fury |date=1990 |publisher=Pioneer Books |page=137 |isbn=9781556982330 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QIwnAQAAIAAJ |quote=In 1973, his third (sic) Enter the Dragon, grossed $100 million world-wide and firmly established young Lee as an international star whose films were almost guaranteed to be successful. |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801113434/https://books.google.com/books?id=QIwnAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Newspaper">{{cite news |editor1-last=Waugh |editor1-first=Darin |title=British Newspaper Clippings – Showtalk: The King Lives |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rWPuAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA98 |year=1978 |work=Bruce Lee Eve: The Robert Blakeman Bruce Lee Memorabilia Collection Logbook, and Associates of Bruce Lee Eve Newsletters |publisher=Kiazen Publications |isbn=978-1-4583-1893-0 |quote=Lee first found success in The Big Boss and followed that with Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon which grossed an outstanding 100,000,000 dollars and firmly established itself as one of the world's all-time top films in commercial terms. Lee went on to top this with The Way of the Dragon and the cameras had barely stopped rolling when he began what was to be his final film Game of Death. (...) Now director Robert Clouse has completed Game of Death. |access-date=10 June 2020 |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053103/https://books.google.com/books?id=rWPuAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA98 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Hoffmann">{{cite book |last1=Hoffmann |first1=Frank W. |last2=Bailey |first2=William G. |last3=Ramirez |first3=Beulah B. |title=Arts & Entertainment Fads |date=1990 |publisher=[[Psychology Press]] |isbn=978-0-86656-881-4 |page=210 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_tR1owszUR0C&pg=PA210 |quote=American moviemakers already knew the potential of the martial arts film; in 1973 “Enter the Dragon,” starring Bruce Lee, earned Fred Weintraub and Raymond Chow $100,000,000 worldwide. Of that amount $11,000,000 came from U.S. sales, indicating the market was really overseas. |access-date=10 June 2020 |archive-date=10 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610092453/https://books.google.com/books?id=_tR1owszUR0C&pg=PA210 |url-status=live }}</ref> making it one of the world's [[List of highest-grossing films|highest-grossing films]] of all time up until then.<ref name="Newspaper"/> The film went on to have multiple re-releases around the world over the next several decades, significantly increasing its worldwide gross.<ref name="Polly"/> The film went on to gross over {{US$|220 million|long=no}} internationally by 1981, making it the highest-grossing martial arts film of all time.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hamberger |first1=Mitchell G. |date=1 December 1981 |title=Bruce Lee remembered |page=6 |work=[[York Daily Record]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/553719147/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 April 2022 |quote=His biggest and best film ''Enter the Dragon'', grossed over {{US$|220 million|long=no}} internationally. That's more than any martial arts film has ever grossed. |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |archive-date=16 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416210057/https://www.newspapers.com/image/553719147/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was reportedly still among the {{nowrap|top 50}} all-time highest-grossing films in 1990.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Turtles Take Hollywood |journal=[[Asiaweek]] |date=May 1990 |volume=16 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIoMAQAAMAAJ |access-date=10 June 2020 |publisher=Asiaweek Limited |quote=Lee's 1973 film Enter the Dragon is said to be one of the 50 top-grossing films of all time. |archive-date=11 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611135912/https://books.google.com/books?id=dIoMAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

By 1998, it had grossed more than {{US$|300 million|long=no}} worldwide.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Immortal Kombat |journal=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]] |date=August 1998 |volume=6 |issue=8 |pages=90–94 (94) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JywEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA94 |publisher=[[Vibe Media Group]] |issn=1070-4701 |quote=Bruce's own production company, Concord, was a full partner with Warner Bros, in his final, and greatest film, ''Enter the Dragon''. Made for just $600,000, it has since grossed more than $300 million. |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620111446/https://books.google.com/books?id=JywEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA94 |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2001}}, it has grossed an estimated total of over {{US$|400 million|long=no}} worldwide,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Wayne |title=Bruce Lee |date=2001 |publisher=Mitchell Lane Publishers |isbn=978-1-58415-066-4 |pages=30–1 |url=https://archive.org/details/bruceleereallife00wayn/page/30/mode/2up |quote=After its release, ''Enter the Dragon'' became Warner Brothers' highest grossing movie of 1973. It has earned well over $400{{nbsp}}million}}</ref> having earned more than 400 times its original budget.<ref name="Polly"/> The film's cost-to-profit ratio makes it one of the most commercially successful and profitable films of all time.<ref name="Thomas1994"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bishop |first1=James |title=Remembering Bruce: The Enduring Legend of the Martial Arts Superstar |date=1999 |publisher=Cyclone Books |isbn=978-1-890723-21-7 |page=46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zh0f8EsE5GUC |quote=Three weeks after Bruce Lee died Enter the Dragon was released in the United States and became an instant hit. The movie, made for around $800,000, made {{US$|3 million|long=no}} in its first seven weeks. Its success spread to Europe and then worldwide. It would eventually make over {{US$|200 million|long=no}}, making it one of the most profitable movies of all time. |access-date=7 June 2020 |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618044351/https://books.google.com/books?id=Zh0f8EsE5GUC |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Real versus nominal value (economics)|Adjusted for inflation]], the film's worldwide gross is estimated to be the equivalent of around {{US$|2 billion|long=no}} {{as of|2022|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Risen |first1=Clay |title=Bob Wall, Martial Arts Master Who Sparred With Bruce Lee, Dies at 82 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/us/bob-wall-dead.html |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=11 February 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211164954/http://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/us/bob-wall-dead.html |archive-date=11 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chachowski |first1=Richard |title=The Best Kung Fu Movies Of All Time Ranked |url=https://www.looper.com/805482/the-best-kung-fu-movies-of-all-time-ranked/ |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=[[Looper.com]] |publisher=[[Static Media]] |date=21 March 2022 |archive-date=21 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421163001/https://www.looper.com/805482/the-best-kung-fu-movies-of-all-time-ranked/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Critical reception ===
Upon release, the film was initially received mixed reviews from several critics,<ref name="Desser34"/> including a favourable review from ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1973/film/reviews/enter-the-dragon-1200423093/|title=Review: 'Enter the Dragon'|author=Variety Staff|date=31 July 1973|access-date=11 December 2017|archive-date=8 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108210457/http://variety.com/1973/film/reviews/enter-the-dragon-1200423093/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film eventually went on to be well-received by most critics, and it is widely regarded as one of the best films of 1973.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/1973.html |title=The Greatest Films of 1973 |publisher=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] [[Filmsite.org]] |access-date=21 May 2010 |archive-date=10 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110210115957/http://www.filmsite.org/1973.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.films101.com/y1973r.htm |title=The Best Movies of 1973 by Rank |publisher=Films101.com |access-date=21 May 2010 |archive-date=13 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413212242/http://www.films101.com/y1973r.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/year/1973 |title=Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1973 |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=22 May 2010 |archive-date=1 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501143814/http://www.imdb.com/year/1973/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Critics have referred to ''Enter the Dragon'' as "a low-rent [[James Bond]] thriller",<ref>[http://movies.tvguide.com/enter-the-dragon/review/113986 ''Enter the Dragon'', TV Guide Movie Review.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704171300/http://movies.tvguide.com/enter-the-dragon/review/113986 |date=4 July 2012 }} [[TV Guide]]. Retrieved 28 September 2012.</ref><ref>''The Fourth Virgin Film Guide'' by James Pallot and the editors of [inebook]], published by [[Virgin Books]], 1995</ref> a "remake of ''[[Dr. No (film)|Dr. No]]''" with elements of [[Fu Manchu]].<ref>''Hong Kong Action Cinema'' by Bey Logan, published by [[Titan Books]], 1995</ref> J.C. Maçek III of [[PopMatters]] wrote, "Of course the real showcase here is the obvious star here, Bruce Lee, whose performance as an actor and a fighter are the most enhanced by the perfect sound and video transfer. While Kelly was a famous martial artist and a surprisingly good actor and Saxon was a famous actor and a surprisingly good martial artist, Lee proves to be a master of both fields."<ref>{{cite web|work=[[PopMatters]]|url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/172567-enter-the-dragon-40th-anniversary-edition-blu-ray/|title=Tournament of Death, Tour de Force: 'Enter the Dragon: 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray'|first=J.C.|last=Maçek III|date=21 June 2013|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=30 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630000902/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/172567-enter-the-dragon-40th-anniversary-edition-blu-ray/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many acclaimed newspapers and magazines reviewed the film. ''Variety'' described it as "rich in the atmosphere", the music score as "a strong asset" and the photography as "interesting".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/1973/film/reviews/enter-the-dragon-1200423093/|title=Review: 'Enter the Dragon'|date=31 July 1973|website=Variety|access-date=10 May 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304140319/http://variety.com/1973/film/reviews/enter-the-dragon-1200423093/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' gave the film a rave review: "The picture is expertly made and well-meshed; it moves like lightning and brims with color. It is also the most savagely murderous and numbing hand-hacker (not a gun in it) you will ever see anywhere."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9500E3D71631E63BBC4052DFBE668388669EDE|title=Movie Review - - 'Enter Dragon,' Hollywood Style:The Cast |last=Thompson |first=Howard|date=18 August 1973 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131232805/https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9500E3D71631E63BBC4052DFBE668388669EDE|archive-date=31 January 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=10 May 2016}}</ref>

The film holds an 88% approval rating on the review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Badass to the max, ''Enter the Dragon'' is the ultimate kung-fu movie and fitting (if untimely) Bruce Lee swan song."<ref>{{cite web |title=''Enter the Dragon'' |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/enter_the_dragon/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715191014/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/enter_the_dragon |archive-date=15 July 2020 |access-date=21 August 2023 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], it has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web |title=Enter the Dragon |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/enter-the-dragon |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=22 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122154217/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/enter-the-dragon |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2004, the film was deemed "culturally significant" by the [[Library of Congress]] and selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070034/awards |title=''Enter the Dragon'': Award Wins and Nominations |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=21 May 2010 |archive-date=8 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608004618/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070034/awards |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Enter the Dragon'' was selected as the best [[martial arts film]] of all time, in a 2013 poll of ''[[The Guardian]]'' and ''[[The Observer]]'' critics.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/dec/06/top-10-martial-arts-movies|title=Top 10 martial arts movies|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=6 December 2013|access-date=7 June 2020|archive-date=28 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528160416/https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/dec/06/top-10-martial-arts-movies|url-status=live}}</ref> The film also ranks No. 474 on ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's 2008 list of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/500/5.asp|title=''Empire's'' The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] magazine|access-date=21 May 2010|archive-date=28 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028130555/http://www.empireonline.com/500/5.asp|url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Home video ===
''Enter the Dragon'' has remained one of the most popular martial arts films since its premiere and has been released numerous times worldwide on multiple home video formats. For almost three decades, many theatrical and home video versions were censored for violence, especially in the West. In the UK alone, at least four different versions have been released. Since 2001, the film has been released uncut in the UK and most other territories.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies/enter-dragon|title=BBFC Case Studies: Enter the Dragon (1973)|website=bbfc.co.uk|publisher=British Board of Film Classification|access-date=15 December 2018|archive-date=16 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216103624/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/case-studies/enter-dragon|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://melonfarmers.co.uk/bbfc_cuts_enter_the_dragon.htm|title=Enter the Dragon: Bruce Lee vs the BBFC|website=Melonfarmers.co.uk|publisher=MelonFarmers|access-date=15 December 2018|archive-date=22 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122074040/http://melonfarmers.co.uk/bbfc_cuts_enter_the_dragon.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oaSUETaJ6E |title=Cutting Edge: Episode 46 - Enter The Dragon |access-date=12 August 2020 |archive-date=8 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108142538/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oaSUETaJ6E |url-status=live }}</ref> Most DVDs and [[Blu-ray]]s come with a wide range of extra features in the form of documentaries, interviews, etc. In 2013, a second, remastered HD transfer appeared on Blu-ray, billed as the "40th Anniversary Edition".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=650|title=Enter the Dragon (1973) DVD comparison|publisher=DVDCompare|access-date=15 December 2018|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215222326/http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=650|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=10949|title=Enter the Dragon (1973) Blu-ray comparison|publisher=DVDCompare|access-date=15 December 2018|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215222926/http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=10949|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, new 2K digital restorations of the theatrical cut and special edition were included as part of the ''Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits'' box set by [[The Criterion Collection]] (under licensed from [[Warner Bros. Home Entertainment]] through the physical home media joint venture in US and Canada named Studio Distribution Services, LLC. and [[Star China Media|Fortune Star Media Limited]]), which featured all of Lee's films, as well as ''[[Game of Death II]]''.<ref name="Criterion">{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/04/bruce-lee-criterion-collection-greatest-hits-1202224688/|title=Bruce Lee Will Make His Criterion Collection Debut This Summer with Greatest Hits Set|first=Ryan|last=Lattanzio|work=IndieWire|date=13 April 2020|access-date=17 July 2020|url-status=live|archive-date=16 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516191947/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/04/bruce-lee-criterion-collection-greatest-hits-1202224688/}}</ref>