Enter the Dragon

Billed at the time as the "First American-produced martial arts spectacular," this is the film that made Bruce Lee a cultural icon. Not only is it the most famous entry into its genre, it is also arguably the best and deserving of its unofficial tag as the Citizen Kane of kung fu films.

Lee is a great hero here and not only because of his jaw-dropping speed and grace in the fight scenes. He adheres to the philosophy of "the art of fighting without fighting," which makes him seem noble and valiant even when he has to resort to kicking ass, which fortunately is often. At all times he comes across as charismatic and can match the intensity of the story with his performance.

Said story does a great job of building the importance of each fight, peaking with the final showdown in the famous hall of mirrors scene. That setting isn’t the only one to impress, with oriental architecture adding a sense of the exotic while spots such as the dungeon are suitably grimy and foreboding. The cherry on top is the New Zealand character (!) who Lee humiliates in style.

For the uninitiated, this film has been the gateway drug for legions of hardcore kung fu fans. For those who already fall into that group, here’s your chance to see it as it was meant to be seen – larger than life on the big screen.