Kiss of the Dragon
This action thriller co-written by filmmaker Luc Besson stars Jet Li as Liu Jian, a Chinese intelligence officer in Paris on an assignment that finds him in the midst of an international conspiracy. When Liu's investigation gets too close to uncovering the truth, his life is seriously jeopardized and he's forced to creatively employ his martial arts skills, which includes using a pool ball and the French flag as defensive props. In the meantime, romantic sparks fly between Liu and a sexy witness (Bridget Fonda), while the agent discovers that a trusted French peer (longtime Besson featured player Tcheky Karyo) is actually the double-crossing criminal mastermind he's seeking.
Director: Chris Nahon
Starring: Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, Tcheky Karyo, Ric Young
It is not merely a thriller but a shocker. It will separate hard-core Jet Li followers from the fair-weather fans.
I like the movie on a simple physical level. There is no deeper meaning and no higher skill involved; just professional action, well-staged and filmed with a certain stylistic elegance.
This is all grimy, guy on guy fun, right down to the fevered, bad English dialogue.
The Hollywood action genre, sliding into a lazy dependence on computer-generated fakery, needs this authentic kick to the head delivered by Jet Li.
Seeing this movie won't get you into MIT, but it's passable fun.
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