So much average

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I'm about to do something I've never done. I'm going to "review" this film after having turned if off about 15 minutes in.You don't have to ignore this review; just read it while keeping in mind the caveat that I turned "Kiss of the Dragon" off, 15 minutes in.It's simple really: 15 minutes in, I had no idea where the flick was headed. Now, the usual retort is to point out that a lot of flicks do that: They defer spelling out the underlying key plot points quite a ways into the flick. So why do I refuse to cut KotD the kind of slack that is due to a slow-burn sizzler storyline?Because KotD doesn't sizzle. In fact, one gets the sense that Besson is fully aware of the need to create tension of one kind or another in order to sustain things while the viewer gathers the data which will eventually pay off in a stunner revelation. But the data stream is... well, I was about to say bizarre... but bizarre is good! In fact, it might be a good idea at this point to mention his La Femme Nikita (the film). It sustains for a good, long while until the data is gathered because the leading action is bizarre *enough*. There's an amazing firehose of bizarrerie that keeps you alert and pondering, until the air clears and all the necessary pieces fall into place; well, at least, enough of the pieces to apprise you of the fact that you're watching an actual story.KotD opens with an unsatisfying, disconnected cubistic salad of cloak/daggerish visual and verbal cues, gangster scenarios, a hookers/john sequence that floats in an utter void, and a weird, utterly inexplicable 180 degree turnabout in the relationship between the crime boss and the new recruit--10 minutes into their relationship--which can't even be explained away as a spurious psychopathic lark on the part of the crime boss, let alone as a natural concomitant of the recruit's actions.I suppose that, if I'd hung with it, I'd've been able to metabolize that salad in some fashion. But, 15 minutes in, my question to myself was, "Why bother?"In the stuff I describe above, I don't mention Jet Li's lovely martial arts moves. And I left them out for a reason; because I wanted to preserve them from the disreputable notion that Besson thought they'd suffice to keep the viewer's attention.I think reviewing the first 15 minutes of this flick was worth doing-- there was so much to say!--so I did it. I hope you understand.

Jet Li faces off against the French police in this silly martial arts action flick, brought to us by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. The plot, where Jet Li's character, Chinese intelligence officer Liu Jian, is betrayed by Inspector Richard of the French police, who don't really operate like any police force I've ever seen... more like a mob of some sorts. They even have their own prostitution ring, and there don't seem to be any consequences for the innocent people that get caught in the crossfire of their gunfights. But Liu, whilst escaping the hotel where he's been framed for murdering a Chinese drug lord, manages to grab enough evidence to prove his innocence on a cassette tape. Richard wants that cassette, and he's willing to do anything to get it back and silence Liu. While that's going on, Liu also becomes acquainted with a prostitute played by Bridget Fonda named Jessica, whose daughter is held by Richard as a form of leverage.Well, the plot is stupid and makes no sense. In a city like Paris, no law enforcement agency would get away with the carnage Richard and his men dish out in their attempts to catch Liu, but that's besides the point. It's a silly, one man army action movie dedicated to Jet Li fans who wanted to see more realistic fight scenes, and that is what we fans get. It's violent and it's fun, and it's a satisfying actioner that requires suspension of disbelief.Suspend and enjoy, my friends.

I'd always been curious about Jet Li, having heard so much about him and was looking forward to an exciting action movie, what with the presence of the alluring Bridget Fonda, something along the lines of "Point of No Return" or "The Bourne Identity." But the experience relieved me of any beliefs I might have had that I was in any sense "with it." I thought it stank, except as an exhibit of action choreography.The plot doesn't really matter except as a predicate for the brutality. The good guys are quiet, self contained, and handsome or beautiful. The bad guys are thoroughly evil, and they look and sound evil.The bad people outnumber the good by several hundred to one or two, but that's not important. Jet Li, a presentable Chinese actor/director/writer, knows how to demolish them without panting after an encounter.A goon is about to shoot Jet Li in a pool room. Before he can get off a round, Jet Li kicks a pool ball out of its pocket with one foot, and with the other foot he kicks the pool ball hard and unerringly it bashes in the goon's forehead at a distance of a dozen or so feet. There are hints that Jet Li has supernatural powers. If he's surrounded by evil doers who glance away for a second, he's disappeared by the time they look back. In one scene he seems to outrun a bullet.Jet Li is an evocative name, even if it's not real, suggesting speed and power. Baron von Münschhausen is a name to conjure with too.It's a comic book transferred to the screen, only it's better than a comic book because you don't have to bother reading any words. You don't even have to know how to read. I can understand why this might be fun if you were watching it -- or one of its many imitations -- for the first time, and if you were in the proper state of mind. But I can also understand why the majority of high school seniors can't place the American Civil War in its correct half century and why most of us can't name our own Congressman.How dumb can you get?

With writing credits such as Taken, The Fifth Element and Leon under his belt, you can be pretty sure that with Luc Besson's name attached to it; you're in pretty safe hands.Critics have been rather harsh on Director Chris Nahon's feature debut, but this really is worth a watch or seven.Let's start with the basic plot (however far fetched it may be):We're set in Paris with our Hero Liu Jian (who cares what his name is, we all know we'll refer to him by nothing other than Jet Li) who's come all the way from Beijing to help apprehend a notorious drug lord and his French asset. We learn quickly that the asset is the French Inspector that Jet Li is supposed to be there to help, and Jet is subsequently betrayed and marked for death. From here on we get what we came for: First-rate martial arts kick-assness!!The action is what really makes this film worth watching. In most cases that would be a bad thing, making it an empty and pointless flick, with the action over the top and often boring. Here however, the action and violence (in abundance) is tastefully and creatively executed, whist being supported by a rather dark and character-driven story. As well as a fine performance from Bridget Fonda who does well with what little she's given in the way of a character. The villains are very cartoony, but this only adds to the fun of this movieIt has it's problems, but there's enough here to distract you and leave you thoroughly entertained. What more do you need in such a film? - Vinnie