Book Review: Enter the Dragon

Enter the Dragon (book)
by Mike Roote from the original screenplay by Michael Allin
Universal-Tandem Publishing, Great Britain, 1974

Evil crime-lord Han holds a martial-arts tournament on his island. Master of Shaolin kung fu Lee is assigned to infiltrate the island fortress and report of illegal activity. Lee must also avenge the death of his sister.

Other notable invited martial artist are indebted playboy Roper and black karate instructor Williams. On the island beautiful women entertain the guests on leisure time. One of the girls is undercover agent Mei Ling who is helping Lee. Basically the story is a bit like James Bond story with martial arts. However the main character Lee is more of a philosophically oriented hero, whereas Roper in more of a ladies man.

Novelization of Bruce Lee kung fu classic follows the movie quite closely. It was quite entertaining to read. The main flaws are the same as in the film. What happens to Mei Ling is again left unknown. The main difference is the end battle, in the book there is no mirror hall. Also Han's Chinese henchman Bolo (in the film performed by Bolo Yeung) was changed to Turk.

Rating: Good

Book Review: End of Days

End of Days (book)

by Frank Lauria, based on a screenplay written by Andrew W. Marlowe
Boxtree an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, UK, 1999.

This book I found in a second-hand store (cost: 50 eurocents)

End of Days was not one of the best Arnold Schwarzenegger films. However it was still enjoyable Arnie action film and also starred great Gabriel Byrne as the Devil. In the film Arnie is the security specialist Jericho Cane, whose life has been in ruins since his family was murdered. On the Eve of the Millennium Satan comes to Earth to get a girlfriend and breed a dark ruler who will open the gates of Hell. Jericho has to protect the girl named Christine from the Devil and also from assassins sent by the Vatican.

The novelization gives a bit more back story for Jericho Cane. Jericho was a SEAL-soldier doing some black operations. It is revealed that Jericho's family was murdered as revenge because he destroyed drug lord's smuggling ring.

Some of the characters are a bit different looking (for example Christine is blond in the novel and brunette in the film, and detective Marge is redhead in the book but black woman in the film). Also the end of the novel is bit happier than the film. In the book the Devil also has T-1000 style self-repairing abilities, maybe it would have run over movie's budget. The book was a quick read (it lasted about as long as the movie). As a movie tie-in it was quite average.

Rating:Average