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Kiss of the Dragon by Chris Nahon
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DVD detailsActor: Bridget Fonda, Jet Li, Max Ryan, Ric Young, Tch?ky Karyo Director: Chris Nahon Brand: LI,JET Producer: Jet Li Writer: Jet Li Producer: Bernard Grenet Producer: Happy Walters Producer: Luc Besson Writer: Luc Besson Writer: Robert Mark Kamen DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language) Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen Picture Format: 2.35:1 Running Time: 98 minutes DVD Release Date: 2002-01-22 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of Kiss of the DragonDVD Review: Most EXCELLENT hand2hand battle vs. Government corruption Summary: 5 StarsThis is my first Jet Li production [it was on TV sinfully edited, I couldn't watch it] and I am REALLY impressed !!! The ENERGY Jet Li put into this character is AWESOME !!! When it gets going ,,, you lose your breathe ,,, and start "praying" for him to find some solace [and give me a break] !!! Un-Believable !!!
I have purchased all of Steven Seagal AND I am definitely going to add "Jet Li" to my martial arts collection of "the little guy in our fight against government corruption" !!! This is A MOST EXCELLENT FILM !!!
P.S. No kissy, kissy dingbat chick-flick sissy stuff !!! This is a man's REALITY CHECK !!! And iluvit !!!
DVD Review: Not Your Normal Martial Arts Fare Summary: 3 StarsUp to this film, I found most of these Hong Kong martial-arts films to be packed with action and most feature either a little humor (Jackie Chan) or beautiful scenery ("Hero," etc.) or wild special effects ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and more).....but this one features a mean edge.
I guess I'm not used to seeing Asian films with a lot of profanity (mainly f-words) or bloody scenes almost to the point of being gross, which one scene was in here. Yet: don't misunderstand: I liked this movie.
The hero is likable guy played by Jet Li. Despite his martial arts penchant for violence, he has a soft, boyish look to him and doesn't seem to fit the type. He's always the gentleman in here, with no profanity either. The villains, led by Tchecky Karyo, are brutal. Bridget Fonda, playing a hooker, at least wasn't some "Pretty Woman" type figure. She was rough, too, but at least realistic and I give her credit for not worrying about how she looked in here, beauty-wise.
DVD Review: Not Li's best, but enjoyable Summary: 3 StarsKiss of the Dragon is not Jet Li's best by any stretch, but still a fun movie especially for fans of Jet, and perhaps more so for action fans than for hard core martial arts fan (of which I'm one). So while this film is no Fearless or Fist of Legend, they do not lend a fair comparison as they are not the same type of movie. Where I would consider the aforementioned as 'martial arts films,' this is more of an action film. The difference being simply an action film relies on more than just martial arts, also gun play etc. Still, even as an action movie, it is heavy on martial arts, so gets much more credit than the disapointing 'War' (with Jet Li and Jason Statham).
A lot of reviews trash the story, but considering the bulk of action movies out there, I'd say it is actually a pretty good story; it just wasn't flushed out as well as it could have been.
Your interest in this movie will probably be determined by the type of action you are looking for. For the action sequences, Kiss of the Dragon is more gritty (more like Unleashed, though not as good). And while Jet displays some impressive martial arts, quick editing takes away some of the novelty, bringing more attention to the 'action' and less focus on solid scenes of the martial arts, if that makes ANY sense at all.
While this is obviously not an Oscar winning film, it's still very enjoyable. If you are in need of a good display of butt-kicking, this will be a good fix.
I bought this DVD, and have no regrets. My rating of 3 stars is simply because Jet had much better films, but that doesn't mean this one is no good. Also includes some decent special features including some clips of coreographer Corey Yeuen, Jet's philosophy of fighting, and commentary by the lead roles.
DVD Review: Good Quality Movie Summary: 5 StarsI have this movie for regular DVD and I can say that the blu-ray version did improve upon the movie itself. Crystal clear quality!
DVD Review: "Sometimes the best are also the worst. It's really sad. " Summary: 3 StarsFirst the good news.
This is a very entertaining film
on many levels.
The plot is simplistic, but that
is alright because the action sequences
are excellent.
Jet Li's character in this film does have
some depth, the only one that does,
and I liked it very much.
Jet Li is the best martial artist on film
at the time of this review and he is in
great form in this one.
Admit it, the primary reason to watch
a Jet Li film is to watch him air out
his fighting skills, and in this case,
his needle-placement skills.
In that regard, this an excellent film,
but...
The bad news.
The characters are extremely cliche
and the acting and over-acting,
with some exception, is not at
all good, noticeably so.
What could have been an excellent crime
drama becomes an over the top moving comic
book.
Too many ridiculous things happen,
such as policemen whipping out machine guns
on city streets, hotel rooms and lobbies,
fighting in orphanages, etc.,
at will with no apparent blow-back from anyone
but a foreigner visiting the country (France).
The soundtrack had no continuity at all.
I thought the techno music suited the film
quite well, but the rap music nearly ruined
the fight sequence with the nasty twins at
the police station for me, rescued only
by the last few moments when there was no music
as it should have been done.
I wanted this to be a different type of movie,
but it never was.
The way it ends is very nicely done.
It is good enough to watch multiple times,
but it could have been so much better
had it been produced for intelligent adults
rather than as a product for the marketplace.
I consider film to be an art form.
This is commercial art, not fine art.
Hence the three star rating.
Description of Kiss of the DragonMartial arts genius Jet Li explodes onto the screen with an intensity not seen since Bruce Lee. "Kiss of the Dragon" is not merely a thriller but a shocker. (San Francisco Chronicle) China's top secret agent visits Paris on a pleasure trip only to encounter government espionage at the highest level. "Li's action sequences are like an oil fire, spilling from one room into the next and lighing up in the interiors with heat and wreakage"! (The New York Times) Let's face it: No one is usually checking a Jet Li movie for the verbal sparring. In Kiss of the Dragon, Chinese undercover agent Li chops his way through Paris after he's framed in some sketchily defined drug sting operation. The fight sequences are tough and quite brutal, and the over-the-top finale is arguably worth the price of admission, wherein an implacable Li takes on the entire Paris Police Bureau, working his way up toward police chief Tch?ky Karyo's office through cops, a pair of peroxide-blond twin henchmen, and a whole class of kung fu cadets. Co-screenwriter Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita) should know by now what makes for a nifty genre piece, but the woeful dialogue is a shame, and there aren't nearly enough action sequences to get your blood boiling. Poor Bridget Fonda gives it the old school try in a thankless role as an ex-junkie prostitute from the Midwest whose young daughter is being held captive by duplicitous police chief/drug lord/pimp Karyo (who fairly inhales the scenery). Director Chris Nolan might have pushed further the strangers-in-a-strange-land camaraderie between Li and Fonda, but the script still would've sunk him. --Steve Wiecking
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