... In Kiss of the Dragon, he plays a man who believes that actions speak louder than words - just as well, because his English isn't all that good. As far as character development goes, there is very little; we see his relationship with Jessica blossom, but that is the only time we see him as ... Read review
Jet Li (Romeo Must Die) plays Liu Jiuan. China's top government agent, who arrives in ... more
Paris from Shanghai to assist Richard (Tcheky Karyo. The Patriot), a corrupt French police inspector, with a top secret mission to uncover an international drug conspiracy. The mission goes horribly wrong, as the man Liu came to help, betrays him.Accused of murder he did not commit and on the run in a city he doesn't know. Liu befriends an American woman, Jessica (Bridget Fonda, Jackie Brown), who Richard has forced into prostitution. As Jessica and Liu go up against their cunning and ruthless adversary. Liu makes a promise to Jessica that could compromise his career - and even his life.
Martial arts master Jet Li explode onto the screen as China's top secret agent, whose ... more
latest mission in Paris puts him face-to-face with government espionage at the highest level. Falsely accused of murder, he must team up with a seductive call girl (Bridget Fonda) to save himself - and her!
Martial arts genius Jet Li explodes onto the screen with an intensity not seen since Bruce ... more
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...
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Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
Advantages: A good action movie Disadvantages: Not much of a plot
...he moved into acting. In Kiss of the Dragon, he plays a man who believes that actions speak louder than words - just as well, because his English isn't all that good. As far as character development goes, there is very little; we see his relationship with Jessica blossom, but that is the only time we see him as anything but a one man fighting machine. However, this is an action film and from that point of view, Jet Li delivers time after time. I ... ...limbs and acupuncture needles are really breath-taking to watch. My only gripe is that, having seen a number of his former films, I know that he is capable of much more acting-wise.
Jessica, played by Bridget Fonda, is another seriously under-developed character. An American in Paris (at least she has an American accent), it is never really explained why she is there or why she was forced to turn to prostitution, although she hints ... more
A Chinese intelligence officer, Liu Jian, is sent to France to work with the French police on a case. However, on arrival, he is betrayed by Inspector Richard, the man in charge of the case, who frames him for a series of murders. Trying to avoid being caught and charged, Liu Jian becomes involved with Jessica, a prostitute, who just happens to have been part of the attempt to frame him. In return for her testimony to his innocence, he agrees to rescue her daughter from Richard's clutches. Can one man fight the French authorities and win? And will he be able to rescue Jessica's daughter at the same time?
Following an appearance in the fourth Lethal Weapon film and the lead role in a lesser known film called Romeo Must Die, this is Jet Li's first real attempt to make his name in the West. However, in Asia, he has long been famous for his martial arts skills - which are not an act - Jet Li (or Li Lian Jie as I know him) was a martial arts champion before he moved into acting. In Kiss of the Dragon, he plays a man who believes that actions speak louder than words - just as well, because his English isn't all that good. As far as character development goes, there is very little; we see his relationship with Jessica blossom, but that is the only time we see him as anything but a one man fighting machine. However, this is an action film and from that point of view, Jet Li delivers time after time. I don't usually enjoy action films, but his skills with his limbs and acupuncture needles are really breath-taking to watch. My only gripe is that, having seen a number of his former films, I know that he is capable of much more acting-wise.
Jessica, played by Bridget Fonda, is another seriously under-developed character. An American in Paris (at least she has an American accent), it is never really explained why she is there or why she was forced to turn to prostitution, although she hints that it is because of an ex-boyfriend, all of which would have made her a much more sympathetic character. I'm not that familiar with Bridget Fonda as an actress, but I got the impression that she could have given much more had she been given the chance.
There are a string of other actors, many of whom don't say a word, but just fight. There are a couple of familiar faces. Burt Kwouk, best known as Cato in the Pink Panther films and Entwistle in Last of the Summer Wine, plays the man who shelters Liu Jian. Then there is John Forgeham (Frank in Footballers' Wives) who plays a thug. Inspector Richard is played by Tcheky Karyo and is one of the few characters who has more than a couple of sentences to say. I wasn't impressed by his acting though. As a police officer gone badly wrong, he is just not that convincing, even for a role in an action film.
As so often happens with action films, the plot is the weakest part. There are lots of opportunities to broaden it and add some depth to the characters, but Li and his co-writers obviously decided that that would be superfluous. Despite this, I still think this film works. Perhaps it is Li's fighting skills, perhaps it is the fact that it is a martial arts film set in France, but having seen the film numerous times, I still enjoy watching it - there is something fresh about it that stops all the fighting becoming boring.
This is a very violent film, hence the 18 rating. The violence starts from more or less the first shot and is relentless. I am not usually a fan of such pointless brutality, yet there is a strange beauty to it that only martial arts films can have. I am not condoning it, but from a visual point of view, it is much pleasanter to watch than films with guns and knives.
I have to admit to being slightly biased when it comes to Jet Li. Having seen a number of his Chinese films, I know that this film is not just a one-off and even that he is capable of much more than he gives in this film. I do prefer his Chinese-language films simply because he talks more and so there is more depth to his characters, but as an attempt to break into the West, I think this is pretty good. Four stars.
The kiss of the dragon was a completely different DVD, from what I ever bought. I have always enjoyed watching the Bruce Lee films, and this DVD was selling cheap in ASDA so I thought I would buy it.
The plot of the film consists of Liu Jian, a police officer from china comes the Paris to help the vice squad to try and get hold of a Chinese drug lord. The head of the French police, Richard kills the Chinese drug lord and tries to frame Liu for the murder. However Jian escapes the hotel with a tape that shows he is innocent but before he hands it over to one of his bosses, his boss is killed. After being alone, hiding within Paris, he meets a US girl who is one of Richard hookers. He has her own problems at the moment; Richard has the little girl captured, to ensure that she still works for him. Now Jian has to protect Jessica ...
Advantages: Great fight scenes Disadvantages: NOt particularly an original story
Kiss Of The Dragon was released in 2001 and stars Jet Li (Romeo Must die), Bridget Fonda (Jackie Brown) and Tceky Laryo (Bad Boys) and is set in the beatiful Paris. This blu ray release enhances the setting, quality of clothing, everything basically. Its quite a dark film and the blu ray version gives you those little bits of brightness that give you enough hope that the stroy will have a happy ending.
Li plays Liu Jiuan, but is constantly called Johnny, and is a top chinese government agent who is bought over from china to assist Richard (Laryo) a french police officer in a international drugs conspiracy. Little does Johnny know that Richard is a bent copper who is the mastermind behind the whole thing.
Richard sees Johnny as a nuisance and sets him up for a murder he didnt committ. Johnny is forced to run in a strange country ...
Advantages: Action , action, and more action. Disadvantages: A weak storyline and some poor acting.
~ ~ My local video shop (Xtravision) has a special offer on at the moment. Any two new releases (VHS or DVD) at only €8 for two night’s rental. Applies to games as well, but as I’m not much of a games fan these days, that’s not too much benefit to me. Anyhoo. It means that the old movies have been getting a right hammering from the ‘mad cabbie’ of late.
Last night I watched a martial arts movie called “Kiss of the Dragon” (2001) starring Jet Li, a would be successor to the martial arts Crown held for so long by the late Bruce Lee, and co-starring Bridget Fonda as Jessica, a forlorn American hooker working the streets of Paris.
~ ~ The only other movie that I can recall seeing Jet Li in was Lethal Weapon 4, with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, where he plays a Chinese bad guy called Wah ...
"...With KISS, the spotlight swivels to Jet Li, a fleet performer with a highly appealing demeanor of patient, quizzical intelligence..." (Entertainment Weekly, p.53-4, 13/07/2001)
"...Mr. Li and his fisticuffs choreographer, Corey Yuan, have set a new standard for action here....The combat couldn't be better..." (New York Times, p.E13, 06/07/2001)
"...It's an assortment of kicks, somersaults and Dolby Digital bone-snaps..." (USA Today, p.5E, 06/07/2001)
"Boldly kicking ass like no ass has been kicked before, KISS OF THE DRAGON is a slick, straight-ahead action-thriller..." (Variety, p.19-28, 09/07/2001)
DVD Description
The writers of THE FIFTH ELEMENT, Luc Besson (who also directed the Bruce Willis film) and Robert Mark Kamen, have teamed up again to deliver Jet Li in the action thriller KISS OF THE DRAGON. Li stars as Liu Jiuan, a Chinese agent so dedicated to his job that he has no friends, no family, no dreams. He is sent to Paris to help the French police capture a Chinese gangster, but France's top cop, Jeanne-Pierre Richard (Tcheky Karyo), has set Liu up to take the fall for a brutal killing he himself carried out. On the run in a strange city, Liu keeps a low profile until he unwillingly becomes friends with an American hooker, Jessica (Bridget Fonda) who just happens to hold the key to his innocence. But Richard is always one step ahead of them he has Jessica's daughter. Li and Fonda make a great team; their relationship is at the core of the film, as neither character has ever been able to put his complete trust in another person before. The action scenes, directed by Corey Yuen, are fast and furious and very violent, featuring mesmerising moves by Li, especially one involving a billiard ball. Chris Nahon, in his directorial debut, makes excellent use of the location, including numerous shots of famous Parisian landmarks as the bad cops try to machine-gun down Liu in the streets and sewers and on the Seine.
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