Dragon Strike (1982) Long xiao ye (original title)

Director:

Jackie Chan

Writers:

Jackie Chan
Edward Tang
(more)

Release Date:

21 January 1982 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Sport

Plot:

The adventures of a restless martial arts student called Dragon, who, while constantly pursuing a girl, gets involved in the affairs of a gang of thieves. |

Plot Keywords:

Student | Gang | Martial Arts | Contest | Fight

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jackie Chan	...	Dragon
Wai-Man Chan	...	Tiger (as Hui-Min Chen)
Paul Chang	...	Cowboy's Father
Kang-Yeh Cheng	...	Ah Dee
Fung Feng	...	The Referee
Hark-On Fung	...	The Killer King (as Ke-An Fung)
Kam-Kwong Ho	...	The Commentator
Kang Ho	...	Referee
Pak-Kwong Ho	...	Spectator
Yeong-mun Kwon	...	The Hatchetman (as Kuen Wing-Man)
Keung-Kuen Lai
Ge Liu
Ying Lung
Chin Ku Ma
Hoi Mang	...	Lu Chen gang member
Mars	...	Cowboy
Yuen Yee Ng	...	The Matchmaker (as Yuen-Yee Ny)
Lei Suet	...	Alice (as Sidney Yim)
Po Tai	...	Ah Dum (as Tai Do)
Yan Tsan Tang	...	Smuggler
Feng Tien	...	Dragon's Father
Chien-Po Tsen
Ing-Sik Whang	...	The Big Boss
Chia-hsiang Wu	...	Mr. Chu
Chao Hsu Yeh	...	Thug (as Clement Yip)
Wen-hua Yu
Corey Yuen	...	Lu Chen gang member

Directed by
Jackie Chan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jackie Chan
Edward Tang		(as King-Sang Tang)
Barry Wong

Produced by
Raymond Chow	....	executive producer
Leonard Ho	....	producer

Cinematography by
Ching-Chu Chen
Chung Yuan Chen

Film Editing by
Peter Cheung

Costume Design by
Wen-hua Yu

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yan Tsan Tang	....	action director (as Yim Chan Tang)

Stunts
Hark-On Fung	....	stunt coordinator
Yuen Kuni	....	stunt coordinator
Yan Tsan Tang	....	stunt double (as Yim Chan Tang)
Jackie Chan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wah Cheung	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mars	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Other crew
Jackie Chan	....	martial arts choreographer
Leonard Ho	....	presenter
Corey Yuen	....	martial arts choreographer
Ing-Sik Whang	....	action choreographer: his own scenes (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Authority Films
• Golden Harvest Company
• Lo Wei Motion Picture Company

Distributors

• Buena Vista Home Video
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Echo Bridge Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• F.J. Lucas (Brazil) (VHS) (as "O Lorde Dragão")
• Reserva Especial (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Dragon Lord")
• Splendid Film (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Long xiao ye" - Hong Kong (original title)
"Dragon Lord" - Australia (cable TV title), Hong Kong (English title), USA (video title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence

Runtime:

86 min | Italy:90 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 (re-rating) (uncut) | Germany:16 (original rating) (cut) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Norway:15 | UK:18 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Authority Films

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Art of Action: Martial Arts in Motion Picture (2002) (TV)

A Pyramid, A Golden Egg, Poetry, & Antiques.

"Dragonlord" sees Chan returning to his role of "Dragon" from "The Young Master". Not much has carried over from the first film though. "Tiger", his older brother, is nowhere to be seen; neither is the Marshall, his daughter or his son played superbly by Yuen Biao in the original film. Dragon does have the same master though - presumably all the other students have moved on to other things. (Dragon's laziness at training is portrayed heavily in this film, so maybe he's still studying!)

Originally titled "Young Master In Love", this film sees Dragon (for the first sixty minutes at least) pursuing a villager girl in various idiotic and slapstick ways. His rival for her affection is his friend (inappropriately named "Cowboy") played comically by the longtime Chan Stunt-team member Mars. We see various scenes where their silly schemes backfire. It is one of these scenes that we (thankfully) find "Dragon" in over his head.

This film is notorious in that it failed expectations at the box office. That said, I'm sure the expectations were pretty high, and I feel that this film has never had a fair judgment based on it's own merits. But even when I try to do this, I still feel that there is a problem with the film. It seems quite unfocused, sometimes rushed, and I think the action is too sporadic and not as brilliant as Chan's other work from this period.

The thing that really saves the film is the ending sequence. As in "The Young Master", there is a fantastic final reel that it full of incredibly exhausting action - you really feel every blow. And again, Chan goes up against the same rival from "The Young Master" (is it the same character?), and the timing and energy here is brilliant. Chan's style of using every last bit of his environment to help defeat his opponent - not just relying on pure physical ability - is as apparent here as anywhere else. The barn they fight in is full of clever little prop gags and improvisations. This is an absolute highlight of the film and one of Chan's incredible career.

It's not necessary to see the prequel before seeing "Dragonlord", in fact, it might even raise more questions than what it hopes to answer. But it must be said that the original film is the superior film, and "Dragonlord", with it's focus on girl-chasing and team-sports does seem baffling. Luckily, the few fight scenes it offers (plus a fantastic shuttle-cock scene) push it over the line as a must-see film in this genre.