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Title: Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jet Li | ... | Liu Jian | |
| Bridget Fonda | ... | Jessica Kamen | |
| Tchéky Karyo | ... | Insp. Richard | |
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Ric Young | ... | Mister Big |
| Burt Kwouk | ... | Uncle Tai | |
| Laurence Ashley | ... | Aja | |
| Cyril Raffaelli | ... | Twin | |
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Didier Azoulay | ... | Twin |
| John Forgeham | ... | Max | |
| Paul Barrett | ... | Pilot | |
| Max Ryan | ... | Lupo | |
|
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Colin Prince | ... | Lupo's Assistant |
|
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Vincent Glo | ... | Pluto |
|
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Vincent Wong | ... | Minister Tang |
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Kentaro | ... | Chen |
Liu Jian, a police officer from China, comes to Paris to help the vice squad apprehend a Chinese drug lord and his unknown French connection. The French connection is Richard, the head of the vice squad, who intends to kill the drug lord then frame Jian. Jian ducks a bullet and escapes with a tape of what really happened. By chance, Jian turns to Jessica - a US farm girl who is one of Richard's hookers - for help. She has her own problems, including the fact that Richard has her daughter locked in an orphanage to keep Jessica on the streets and silent about his activities. Can Jian protect Jessica, rescue her daughter, and give Richard the kiss of the dragon? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
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What do you want from a Jet Li movie? By the time of Kiss Of The Dragon being released, many of his fans had been vociferous about how his film's were losing realism in the fight scenes. Here, teaming up with Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen in the writing room, Li himself set about readdressing the balance for American produced martial artistry. The result is of course a preposterous plot that should duly have been expected, but without doubt for action fans this is a real high kicker that delivers thrill after thrill as Li beats up Paris.
The plot simply sees Li as Chinese intelligence agent Liu Siu-jian who is sent to Paris to aid in the apprehension of a Chinese drug lord. Things go belly up when corrupt cops led by Insp. Richard {Tchéky Karyo} wipe out the target and frame Liu Siu-jian for the murder. But he ain't going to take it on the chin. So with the help of prostitute witness Jessica Kamen (Bridget Fonda), he sets about clearing his name whilst perhaps helping Jessica get her life back on track too. Cue the odd couple forming a tender relationship as they shift from one death defying encounter to another.
The action on offer here is excellently put together, there's minimal CGI and even less wire work involved. This is stunts and martial artistry produced by a master craftsman. From a unique use of a snooker ball to an exhilarating smack down with a class of martial arts students, and on to a tag team scrap with the blonde twins, this has enough biff and bam to fill the Louvre itself. Li is on fire, not only one of the toughest guys on the planet, but also one of the coolest. While Fonda is hugely touching in a stereotypical role and Karyo continues to be one of the best psycho actors in the new millennium.
Flaws and plot holes here? Of course. Does it matter in a buttock kicking action movie? Course not. 7.5/10