The crew that has something to do with Luc Besson seem to rotate jobs as films are made. From Besson there comes a line-up of action films created by Cory Yuen, Louis Leterrier, Pierre Morel, and more, all taking turns at direction, cinematography, or choreography.
These movies have always been fun and easy to watch, with charming moments of clever action and a smart twist on the normal plate. "The Transporter," "Unleashed," "District B13," "Wasabi," the upcoming "War," and, of course, "Kiss of the Dragon" are among this collection.
I give my review of "Kiss of the Dragon" by pointing to the contributions of Cory Yuen, the director and fight choreographer, and actors Jet Li, who co-wrote, and Cyril Raffaelli.
Of the actors, this latter one is the silent blonde martial artist Jet Li fights in the climax of the film. Though examples of him are not prolific, he is swift become my favorite martial artist of the day, due partially to his enthusiasm for le parkour.
"Kiss of the Dragon" features very fine action from Jet Li at the hands of Cory Yuen, highlighted with Jet Li's defeat of a room full of karate students, a brutal fight in a noodel shop with a much larger gentleman, and the seminal moment, the fight against Cyril Raffaelli. The acrobatics and speed on display in especially this final conflict are a pleasure to watch.
Of course, it is the action which shines, more than making up for decent connections. One staple of the films produced by this crew is an unusually intelligent script or, instead of plot, a unique and refreshing take on the action scenes themselves. The action was great, but the plot seemed to rely too heavily on crutch of the female protagonist's status as a prostitute. Dealing with her destructive personal life in a serious way was an admirable attempt for an action film, but not enough to justify calling the script intelligent, making this an anomaly among the collection of films I've mentioned.
It's a fun movie, especially in a nostalgic way- it's one of the earliest movies put out by this group of filmmakers, and for an early attempt it does well for itself. They've certainly polished themselves up with time, sort of leaving "Kiss of the Dragon" behind. But it's still fun to watch, and fun to see the early stages of some of my favorite industry names. |