10 Movies To Watch If You Love Enter The Dragon

Enter the Dragon is arguably Bruce Lee's greatest movie and one that audiences know him best for. Its influence on martial arts projects cannot be understated, and it remains a must-watch in the genre more than 50 years later.

The 1973 movie is beloved by martial arts and action movie fans across the world for its intense fighting tournament, but it's so much more than that. Lee has an incredible screen presence, and the title is just as much about his activities on Han's (Shih Kien) island as it is about his participation in the competition.

Enter the Dragon was also the ideal platform for Bruce Lee to showcase some of the finest fights in the entire genre. His fight against Oharra (Robert Wall) is a surgical demonstration of speed and precision. Bolo Yeung also plays an imposing villain, even if the two never actually have the chance to fight.

Fans adore Enter the Dragon for its combination of many elements, and it's a tough act to follow. However, there are other titles you may enjoy that share similarities. We have several movies on this list with a fighting tournament at their core. We're also featuring other films that showcase exceptional martial arts or charismatic heroes, as those are both elements that make Enter the Dragon rather special.

Whether you want to be wowed by jaw-dropping feats of physical skill or to watch a brutal martial arts tournament play out, here's a selection of movies you may enjoy if you love Enter the Dragon.

10 Mortal Kombat (1995)

We're starting our list with an unusual pick, though it shares more similarities with Enter the Dragon than you may realize. Mortal Kombat is based on the video game series of the same name, which is a famous tournament fighter and a franchise still going strong today.

The movie stars Robin Shou as Liu Kang. He's a skilled fighter and enters the Mortal Kombat tournament alongside Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby) and Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras). They must face deadly opponents from the video games, like Scorpion and Sub-Zero. If they lose the tournament, the fate of the world is at stake.

Mortal Kombat is obviously less grounded in reality than Enter the Dragon. Nevertheless, both movies showcase a grand fighting tournament, and Robin Shou, in particular, is a skilled martial artist regardless of the fantasy setting.

9 The Raid: Redemption (2011)

The Raid: Redemption is an influential martial arts action movie starring Iko Uwais as Rama. He's a skilled Pencak Silat practitioner, and the film showcases his incredibly brutal fighting style.

Rama is part of a police force on a mission to dethrone a drug lord running his operation from the top of a dingy apartment complex. It's only a matter of time before they are discovered and surrounded by enemies on all sides. Rama is adept with weapons, but the most deadly of all are his fists, elbows, and knees.

The Raid: Redemption is full of intense, brutal martial arts set pieces. Rama faces multiple groups of enemies. He also battles in some incredible fights with a single opponent, such as Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian). Their showdown is among the most impressive martial arts displays in modern cinema, and if you enjoy the movie, you'll no doubt enjoy The Raid 2.

8 Fist of Legend (1994)

Jet Li is a household name among martial arts fans, and many of his movies could have made the list. Fist of Legend, in particular, offers an impressive showcase of his fighting prowess, even if the movie does not feature a tournament.

Li stars as Chen Zhen, a skilled Chinese fighter. He returns to Shanghai after hearing that his master died fighting a Japanese martial artist and suspects foul play. Zhen finds the Jingwu school in disarray and decides to take matters into his own hands.

Keen-eyed fans of Bruce Lee movies may note that the plot is similar to Fist of Fury. In fact, Fist of Legend is a remake or homage to the 1972 classic, making it a unique title on the list.

7 Blood And Bone (2009)

Michael Jai White is arguably an underrated action star, though he is well known among fans of martial arts movies. Blood and Bone is a gritty action title starring White as Isaiah Bone, a skilled brawler and ex-convict.

Bone enters an underground fighting circuit, soundly thrashing some of the most respected brawlers in the scene. He quickly gains a fearsome reputation, though he has his own motivations for competing as he climbs the ranks.

Blood and Bone doesn't feature a traditional tournament, though it shares many similarities with Enter the Dragon. Bone is calm and collected, much like Lee, and the movie ends in a dramatic showdown and an exceptional demonstration of White's fighting skills.

6 Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)

Tony Jaa wowed audiences in the early 2000s with Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior. The movie was influential at the time, showcasing Muay Thai to a worldwide audience and cementing Jaa as an action star.

Jaa stars as Ting. He's from a rural village and travels to Bangkok after criminals steal the head of an important statue. Ting learns that the head has ended up in the hands of gangs connected to an underground fight circuit and enters to get answers.

It's immediately clear that Ting is on another level than the other fighters as he rains down elbows and knees on his opponents. Jaa is incredibly athletic. He's able to knee his opponents in the face and smash his elbows into the top of their heads, and Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior is the perfect platform to show off his phenomenal skills.

5 Police Story (1985)

No Enter the Dragon-adjacent list would be complete without featuring Jackie Chan. His contribution to martial arts movies cannot be understated, and while his titles don't typically feature tournaments, Police Story is a genre classic with a wonderfully charismatic hero.

That hero is Chan Ka Kui (Chan). He's a Hong Kong police officer, though he's forced to fight to clear his name after a drug lord frames him for murdering a fellow officer.

Police Story is tonally different from Enter the Dragon, and there isn't a fighting tournament. However, the movie showcases Chan's jaw-dropping martial arts and stunt work. Much like Bruce Lee movies, Police Story holds up remarkably well today as it features Chan's physical abilities at their peak.

4 Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

Another martial arts star who is rarely mentioned outside the genre is Scott Adkins. He plays Yuri Boyka in the Undisputed movies. Boyka is a fearsome prison fighter and is the antagonist in Undisputed II, though Undisputed III features his redemption arc.

Boyka is recovering from a nasty leg injury in Undisputed III. He enters a tournament at the high-security Gorgon Prison, with freedom as the grand prize. Boyka is an exceptional fighter, but news travels fast in prison, and many of his opponents are aware of his weaknesses and are looking to exploit them.

Scott Adkins is a powerhouse as Yuri Boyka, and Undisputed III: Redemption features a tournament like Enter the Dragon. The movies are tonally different, but Adkins is arguably an underrated martial artist, and if you enjoy the third movie, you'll likely enjoy the entire franchise.

3 The Quest (1996)

The Quest is an underrated movie in Jean-Claude Van Damme's filmography starring the martial artist as Christopher Dubois. He enters a secret martial arts tournament in Tibet with a grand prize of a priceless golden dragon statue.

Competitors in the tournament showcase several fighting styles. For example, one is a sumo wrestler, while another is a kung-fu expert who mimics animals. Dubois stands out because he adapts to his opponents. He also quickly realizes that losing could have deadly consequences, as competitors can die in the ring.

The Quest has a similar setup to Enter the Dragon, and Van Damme is a charismatic lead. Dubois fights through the ranks, as does a dangerous Mongolian fighter called Khan (Abdel Qissi), who doesn't value the lives of his opponents.

2 Way Of The Dragon (1972)

It might seem cheeky for us to include a Bruce Lee movie in the list. Still, Way of the Dragon is a martial arts classic. Lee stars as Tang Lung. He's visiting relatives who own a Chinese restaurant and quickly becomes involved in their affairs.

Lung notices gangsters harassing the restaurant owners and springs into action. Much like his character in Enter the Dragon, Lee is a formidable fighter and quickly becomes the only person capable of keeping the gang members at bay.

Bruce Lee directed and wrote Way of the Dragon, and the movie has a straightforward but strong story of standing up against oppression. The film also features one of the most influential fight scenes ever made as Lee battles Chuck Norris in a colosseum.

1 Bloodsport (1988)

We've already covered one Jean-Claude Van Damme movie in The Quest, but Bloodsport is arguably an even closer match if you're looking for movies like Enter the Dragon. Van Damme stars as Frank Dux. He's an American martial artist and chooses to compete in the Kumite, an underground fighting tournament.

The movie is part training montage, as Dux studies under Senzo Tanaka (Roy Chiao), who teaches him the legendary Dim-Mak technique. He enters the Kumite alongside other fighters with a broad range of styles, from Karate to Muay Thai.

Bloodsport also deserves a special mention because Bolo Yeung plays Chong Li, the main antagonist. He's a dangerous opponent, and not afraid to bend the rules to tip the odds in his favor. Dux's showdown with Li is legendary among fans of 80s action and martial arts movies, and Bloodsport is arguably a must-watch in the genre.