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Kiss Of The Dragon | Year: 2001 Classification: Action/Adventure Directed: - Chris Nahon Actors/Actresses: - Luc Besson - Bridget Fonda - Jet Li as Liu Jiuan - Tcheky Karyo No Wires, No Problem As far as action films go, this one is a winner. Which is what any movie that has both Luc Besson(The Professional, The Fifth Element)and Jet Li in the credits should be. The story is simple and everyone has heard it before, but what people have not seen before is Jet Li in this role. Li plays a Chinese cop sent to Paris to assist the French authorities in a bust. The reason being that the bad guy is some scum from China. As it turns out things are not how they seem. Li ends up getting framed for murder and now he is on the run. Li has to watch his back at every turn, which makes for some great brawls, and the only person he can trust is a prostitute played by Briget Fonda. His goal: he has to prove he is innocent without being caught by the police. This movie is so much fun to watch. Li, who apparently felt because of films like the Matrix and Charlie's Angels that the wire kung fu had become too commercial, decided not to use them this time around. The result is that the audience is treated to a display of old school fights, you know, the ones that actually happen on the ground. And to boot, the producers sent scouts all over Europe to find the best martial artists and sign them up. It works wonderfully because the action is great. Especially in a scene in which he fights two Schwarzennegger size twins. I really felt this film put Jet Li in his element. He plays the cool stoic cop with compassion quite well. This is a better film than his previous American release, Romeo Must Die. So if you saw that and were not impressed give Jet a second chance and see Kiss of the Dragon. Li shines and Fonda is wishy washy This is a must-see film for Jet Li fans! It's a fast paced action movie with quite a few good fighting scenes. Li was very enjoyable, and his English as well as his acting have greatly improved. This movie was mostly wire-free which was wonderful. It was nice to see stunts and fights where the action was believable. This movie is not for the faint-hearted though. The action is very violent, and the martial arts are very hard-style as opposed to a softer traditional Kung Fu. Li's use of 'anything lying about that looks dangerous' to dispatch the bad guys often leaves you cringing and almost feeling their pain. Definitally not a movie for children. Li plays a cold-blooded cop who doesn't mind killing the bad guys as he goes. Bridget Fonda is a washed up prostitute with bad lines and no spirit. She's really the worst thing in this movie, don't buy it just for her. The plot was often hard to follow and they really tried too hard to have character development, but the movie is all together pretty cool. This is also a movie that is cinemagraphically pleasing to watch. I highly recommend owning it on DVD! Terrific Modern Action Movie Kiss of the Dragon is a hyperactive martial arts movie with a heavy European feel. After Jet Li's fans were left disappointed with the fake, CGI-enhanced fighting in Romeo Must Die he decided to go back to practical, hand-to-hand combat with literally no strings attached. KOTD is the perfect excuse for action, with minimal plot and impossible odds. Basically, Jet Li plays a Chinese cop Lui Jian who travels to Paris to help the police bring a crime boss to justice. But the French police just happen to be heavily, heavily corrupt and kill Mr. Big, framing Lui Jian in the process. Keen to stay alive, Lui Jian flees the scene, but not before screaming, mad and completely hatstand police inspector Richard (Tcheky Caryo in his typically delirious role) sends just about every hardened police psycho after him. Outrageously outnumbered, Lui Jian prevails and fights his way through swarms and swarms of thugs out for his blood. Using only his hands and feet (and any useful nearby tool) he manages to wipe them all out. Far-fetched it may be, but action choreographer Cory Yuen shoots it all in the most realistic and stylish way. You really will believe Lui Jian is capable of such an impossible feat, that's how realistic the action is. And all without glamorising guns. KOTD uses the rule of increasingly mad set-pieces. The first desperate escape through the corridors and passageways of the hotel, the death-defying escape from the Seine Barge and through the tunnels and sewers, the orphanage confrontation and (especially) the final scene in the police station where Lui Jian takes on a dojo full of martial artist police officers, evil twins and finally Inspector Richard. It's all breathtaking stuff and very, very violent. With far too many sanitised PG-13 minded 'action' movies abundant these days KOTD is a breath of hardcore fresh air. If you like this then I suggest checking out The Transporter. It may be slightly tamer but it's made by the same people (producer Luc Besson, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Cory Yuen) and is also set in France, only with a warmer, more exotic look. The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with a great Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. There are some extras and a commentary if you're into that sort of thing. Buy Kiss Of The Dragon at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Kiss Of The Dragon Search with the Priority Search Engine on Kiss Of The Dragon This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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