Jet Li's Got the Needle
On the trail of a Drug Lord, Chinese police officer Liu Jian (Jet Li) touches down in France to assist the vice squad headed up by Inspector Richard (Tchéky Karyo) in the Drug Lord's arrest. The trouble is that Richard is in fact a dirty cop and is the Drug Lord's French connection except he plans to kill him and set up Liu for the murder. Forced to go on the run Liu Jian meets Jessica (Bridget Fonda) an American forced into prostitution by Richard who has her daughter stashed away in an orphanage. In order for Jessica to help Liu Jian must protect her and save her daughter as well.
Some times a movie just needs to do one thing right to work and that is what "Kiss of the Dragon" has going for it, some very entertaining action. It isn't just the action which works as Jet Li delivers another cool performance and whilst the overall storyline isn't complex it has some nice detail. But it is the action which makes the movie and what you end up remembering once the movie is over.
Now when it comes to that action we get what we expect which is plenty of impressive martial arts action where Liu Jian beats up bad guys, often a few at the time with his quick fighting skills and ability to use what ever is at hand to do the job such as a mop or a tumble dryer. Yes I did say tumble dryer and the outrageousness of some of the action is comical yet Jet Li plays it all seriously, dead pan rather than acting the clown. So in the end it is scenes such as a snooker ball kicked at a bad guys head or an escape down a laundry chute involving fire and explosions is what you remember once "Kiss of the Dragon" is over.
Aside from the spectacular action, which thankfully there is plenty of, there isn't a great deal more to say as the acting is okay through out but nothing special even if Bridget Fonda looks a sight at a prostitute. And beyond the fact that "Kiss of the Dragon" may make you worried about a trip to see your acupuncturist it is a case of if you don't enjoy martial arts action it might bore you.
What this all boils down to is that "Kiss of the Dragon" is a movie for those who dig Jet Li and his style of martial arts action as that is what you get and it works. But if you watched because the storyline sounded appealing you might end up bored as the story, characters and detail all end up playing second fiddle to the action.
