Rating: 
Summary: The Movie Industry Eats Its Young
Review: Movie-making is often an incestuous business; here we have Chinese martial-arts star Jet Li starring in a film written by Luc Besson ("La Femme Nikita" and "Leon"), featuring Tcheky Karyo ("La Femme Nikita") and Brigitte Fonda ("Point of No Return" [aka "Remake Without a Point"], the American trivialization of "Le Femme Nikita". And it looks a lot like something Sergio Leone might have made. Except that Sergio would do it better.Unfortunately, it's less than the best for everyone, except possibly Fonda, who seems to be improving somewhat in her art as time goes on. The story is a classic -- one might say a cliche as easily -- the honest cop from out of town framed by the crooked cop who then spends the rest of the film trying to kill him. Jackie Chan [or even Terence Hill] has done basically the same story several times over, though generally not with the hard-edged violence we see here. One of my problems with action films these days is that the really hard stunts tend to contain large chunks of CGI -- the final carjump in the remake of "Gone in 60 Seconds", which was simply impossible to do with real cars -- and, even when they don't, we assume they do. There's none of the air of "Oh, gosh! How the *&*$%* did they do *that*?" or "Wow! That's incredible!" that, say, the Terminator jumping the Harley off the embankment into the Flood Control channel or the car just missing both of the falling chimneys in "Hooper" or the final car stunt in the *original* "Gone in 60 Seconds" engenders, since you know that there isn't any CGI involved there, somehow real stuntmen did real stunts that look spectacularly impossible. ((Well, actually, there *is* CGI in the "Terminator" Harley jump; the stuntman and bike were rigged on cables and treated as a puppet on a crane and CGI was used to paint out the cables. But that could have been accomplishce other ways.)) And there's some of that here; one reviewer says that he's glad there isn't too much wire work, and i have to agree -- but, watching the extras on this DVD, i discovered that the niftiest stunt -- the one that inspired the grasphic design of the DVD itself -- is a combination of wire work and CGI, which disappoints me. In one of his films from the 70's, Terence Hill grabs a number of balls off a pool table, and juggles them, while flipping them one by one back-hand at various Bad Guys' heads. The balls Hill juggled weren't CGI and he had to make them go where he wanted them to, instead of making motions that the CGI crew could later line up balls to. Which is not to take anything away from Jet Li -- the man's speed, precision and ahtleticism are incredible. The scene in which he simultaneously fights -- and defeats -- three black belts using batons has to be seen to be believed, and some of his other work is equally breathtaking. Bridget Fonda as the Hooker Who Knows Something is adequate; much better than she was in "Point of No Return", the only other film i can recall seeing her in. Her byplay with a piece of steampipe is a neat visual gag. Tcheky Karyo makes sure that every piece of scenery he comes near is well-adorned with toothmarks as the evil crooked drugdealing French cop -- Sort of like the DEA agent played by Gary Oldman in "Leon", but not as charming. His demise is appropriately gross by this film's standards. Besson's script doesn't go for the same sort of issues as he did with "Nikita" or "Leon", though he does cast a brief eye on the plight of the prostitute in modern Paris (though i suspect he exaggerates at least a bit). The direction, cinematography and editing are competent and quick-enough-moving to work, with occasional neat little grace notes -- the injured Li, having temporarily escaped his enemies, collapses against the wall of a subway car, his head falling to one side -- and we immediately cross-cut to a bust of the Virgin, head tilted at the same angle, similar expression of weariness and suffering on her features. Later, he bursts into the apparently-abandoned Emergency Room at a small hospital, carrying the wounded Fonda; for just a moment after he kicks open the swingong doors, they stand, she lieing in his arms in almost exactly the pose of the "Pieta", until he screams "Somebody help me!" and suddenly we jump-cut to a veritable horde of doctors and nurses and attendants rushing the injured girl into surgery and working on her, in a very effective transition. I didn't particularly like the rap/hiphop soundtrack. All in all a decent thriller to enjoy when there's not a "Nikita" or a "Leon" or a "Once Upon a Time in the West" on cable this week... (Incidentally, keep a close eye on the telephone on the wall in the hotel laundry during the end of the laundry-chute sequence)
Rating:
Summary: I'm Coming Up
Review: Movie Summary: Liu Jian is an undercover Chinese agent in Paris. He is there to help the French authorities bust the China France drug trade. When a sting operation goes bad, Liu finds himself on the run from the French authorities and unable to make contact with his own fellow agents. His only friends are a lobster chipmaker and a burnt out junkie prostitute. My Opinion: Jet Li alone does not a good movie make. Or maybe he would if they would have just left him alone and not forced a horrible script on him. Bridgett Fonda does a good job as the junkie prostitute, but her character gets old. I signed on for some bone crunching action, and I had to wait until the last scene. It was awesome, but why did they make us wait so long? Had there been a few more scenes like this one, this would have been an awesome movie. Sure there are a few action scenes before the "I'm coming up" scence, but they are trying to force too much plot and character development on us during these scenes. Who needs it. That's not what a movie like this is about. We don't need secondary characters unless they are going to kick some butt or have a unique fighting style or weapon. Unless you count Ms. Fonda's character's whining as a weapon, she doesn't qualify. In a nutshell, let Jet Li do what he does best. Save the kids and prostitutes for another movie. DVD Quality: Video: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Sound: DD5.1 Extras: Commentary, Trailers, Featurettes, Still Gallery Menus: Basic What You Should Do: Rent it if you are a die-hard Jet Li fan. I am an action and martial arts movie fan and I found this movie a bit slow with its only redeeming feature being the final sequence. Related Movies To Check Out: Once Upon a Time in China, Lethal Weapon 4, Black Mask
Rating: 
Summary: Regardless of what anyone else says, Jet Li at his finest!
Review: I loved it. This movie is true Jet Li w/ a dash of Hollywood to spice up the action. It is a bit unrealistic but they make it look good! I also recommend "The One", if you enjoy this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Jet Li still a failure in America
Review: Jet Li's been trying to find a good American movie to star in, and sadly he hasn't done it with "Kiss of the Dragon." For starters, when your star is as electrifying an action star as Jet Li, you don't bog him down with pages and pages of witless dialogue. You give him action...and maybe 7 or 8 of this film's 98 minutes are devoted to seeing our man actually get his kung fu on. It doesn't help that the director, Chris Nahon, is obviously new to the game; some of the sequences here don't make a whole lot of sense. Perhaps that's the editor's fault as well. This film is also surprisingly mean-spirited and very degrading to women, and one really has to wonder why Bridget Fonda would agree to take such a horrible role in a film that continually treats her character like dirt. I hope they paid her a lot of money. Another aspect that cannot be overlooked is that this American-made movie is populated almost exclusively with Chinese and French actors. There are a few scenes near the beginning where I couldn't understand one word that was said; it might make me sound like an "ugly American" to say such a thing, but when you're making a movie for mass American consumption, please make sure your actors are speaking something remotely close to English if you're not gonna put subtitles up there. This film fails on so many levels, it's really disheartening; I want to like Jet Li, but I can't say I've enjoyed any of his American movies. Sure, I liked "Lethal Weapon 4," but you can hardly call that a Jet Li movie. Jackie Chan has eased into the American film market, and makes films that -- while not the greatest cinema ever made -- are funny, well-directed and well-intentioned. Jet Li's nowhere near Chan. I find it hard to swallow that this movie came from the same writers of "The Fifth Element," a film overflowing with life, energy, fun and wit. Oh well.
Rating: 
Summary: A great movie, a better DVD
Review: "Kiss of the Dragon" is a great movie: action-packed, and it shows off Jet Li's talents very well. People have complained about the plot not being very substantial but that is a ridiculous grievance. You don't go to a Jet Li movie expecting to see "My Dinner With Andre" and there is a decent plot in this movie anyway. Briefly, Jet stars as a Chinese special agent hunting down Chinese gangsters in Paris, unaware that the French cops assisting him are criminals themselves. The action sequences in this film are spectacular and the added features on this DVD are well worth watching, especially the interview with Jet Li.
Rating:
Summary: Why Can't Hollywood Make HK Action?
Review: Let me start by saying I love JET LI, and I wish nothing but the best for him. I own probably a dozen of his movies. I DO want JET to succeed in Hollywood. At least his talent is finally being recognized, giving him more leading roles. But I feel his choice of material and Directors has not been to his benefit and fails to showcase this man's awesome talent. I have yet to see a Hollywood Director who is able to capture the Martial Arts magic of the HK Action Directors.(Except maybe Dick Donner, who I know from personal experience to be a wonderful man.) At least this one's better than Romeo Must Die.(I'd love to see Quentin Tarantino write and Direct a Movie for JET LI.) Lacking is a Chinese sense of humor that is a trademark of the best of JET's HK Action Movies.(And I don't mean Jacky Chan humor.) KISS OF THE DRAGON has a very serious tone making it too dark for me. JET LI has a tremendous screen presence. I understand that he studies English 4 hours a day, but I prefer when he acts in his native Chinese, where his acting really comes to the fore.(Even if his acting is dubbed.) Although I don't think it was the Movie's intention, someone at the very least should have written JET some good Schwarzenegger one-liners. I hope JET's Agent reads this. Some scenery chewing by the main villain played by Tcheky Karyo (which works for me in HK Action Movies) and a totally superfluous prostitute character played by Brigit Fonda. Who's idea was this? Oh well, I suppose, it's forgivable considering there should be a female fish-out-of-water foil in this type of Action Movie. But for goodness sake, give her something wacky to do. Or maybe give her a fight scene. I do like the idea of the Kung Fu needles. Good choice of eccentric traditional weaponry and of course who can forget the infamous Kiss of the Dragon.(See the Movie, I won't spoil it for you.)
The fight choreography by Cory Yuen is good. I didn't like the camera placement in most of the Action shots. (Though, from what I gathered from one of the Bonus Features on the DVD, Cory Yuen did some of the hand-held camera work.) Hollywood Directors need to learn to pull back the camera a bit so that we can witness the full movements of the fighters at times. Close-ups are fine but they need to be edited into better Mastershots. JET LI's leg work is cut off from most of the fight sequences. The fight scene in The Gym against the 25 cops, though brief, is incredible and reminds me of Bruce Lee's nunchuck stand in ENTER THE DRAGON. That scene gets 5 Stars. If you're new to JET LI and want to witness THE MASTER at his finest, I would recommend: FISTS OF LEGEND, TWIN WARRIORS, THE ENFORCER(also titled MY FATHER IS A HERO), or JET's first Kung Fu masterpiece at 19 years of age, SHAOLIN TEMPLE. Trust me, these are some of JET LI's finest. You won't be disappointed, like I was with some of this movie. KISS OF THE DRAGON is not one of JET's best. But, what do I know? I even loved what some people consider one of his worst movies: MELTDOWN. (See my review on what I think is JET's funniest HK Action Movie of all time.) Diehard fans may want to add this one to their collections because of some short DVD Extras including a Featurette on JET LI'S FIGHTING PHILOSOPHY(which is more of a dialogue on movie making.) I give it 4 Stars because after all, JET LI is in it!!
Rating:
Summary: All around good movie
Review: Some people didn't like this movie, but personally, I did. This was the first movie I have seen with Jet Li, I have heard the name thrown around for awhile but never went out of my way to see a movie with him in it. This movie blew me away. I love the fight scenes and the way they incorporate objects into the fights, seemingly out of nowhere. The scene with him holding irons while punching gave me a good laugh while at the same time making my stomach churn just a bit. And another thing, how can you not love a movie where the main character takes down an entire karate class of about 25 students? Sure, it's not realistic and that situation would never arise in real life, but what are movies for? The acting brought the score down to 4 stars, because while I have seen worse acting, this wasn't the best either. The acting is passable, and doesn't do anything to seriously hinder the film. To me the fight scenes were very inventive, and although the way he kills the end boss is kind of cheap, it's also really cool at the same time. All in all, a solid movie with great action, and a must-see for all Li/action fans.
Rating:
Summary: Three times is a charm...
Review: This is Jet Li's third movie in the United States, and I must say...this is probably his best so far. It doesn't disappoint in the action area...within the first fifteen/twenty minutes of the movie you are already off and running with Jet Li through a hotel in Paris into a web of deceit and intrigue. The plot is actually quite easy to follow and is well conceived. A Chinese undercover agent caught in the web of a dirty French cop (Tceky Karyo), and a down trodden American prostitute (Bridget Fonda)plays an unlikely side-kick who is Li's only salvation to clearing his name.
The martial arts action is non-stop...and yes highly plausible...no hidden wires here. The fighting scenes in the police station are incredible; stick fighting, wu shu, tae kwon do...you name it.
Overall, there is a good balance between action and drama. Something that isn't always easy to come by with many action flicks today. I firmly believe that this movie solidifies Jet Li's stardom in the U.S.A.
Rating:
Summary: It takes a French Director to reproduce HK Qlty Action in US
Review: Jet Li gets to finally make the film he's always dreamed of. A US action movie of HIS caliber without all of our watered down action scenes and horrible butchers of imported films. Jet Li is a show man like no other in this day and age, he outdoes all the shwarzeneggars and tom cruises. In a time where we are in dire need of GOOD action stars with REAL talent Jet knows how to give us what we want. Plenty of ground action with as little Wire work as possible. Be wary this movie is not for the faint of heart, its bloody and violent, with some sexual scenes. BUT NO nudity. It's story is watchable, and all the players in this game do what they are best at. KUDOS to this awesome French director who also gave us 5th Element. Now if only Jackie Chan can make a movie that HE wants to without all the HOllywood red tape on stunts and Medical Insurance.
Rating: 
Summary: What??
Review: The worst Jet Li film I have ever seen. I have watched every jet li movie there is ( including all HK films) and this is by far the worst. The only reason I gave it two stars is because its jet li!
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