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Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:101
Fresh:51
Rotten:50
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: A formulaic actioner that's sure to please action fans. Those looking for plot, believability, or character development will have difficulty finding them.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: The writers of THE FIFTH ELEMENT, Luc Besson (who also directed the Bruce Willis film) and Robert Mark Kamen, have teamed up again to deliver Jet Li in the action thriller KISS OF THE DRAGON. Li... The writers of THE FIFTH ELEMENT, Luc Besson (who also directed the Bruce Willis film) and Robert Mark Kamen, have teamed up again to deliver Jet Li in the action thriller KISS OF THE DRAGON. Li stars as Liu Jiuan, a Chinese agent so dedicated to his job that he has no friends, no family, no dreams. He is sent to Paris to help the French police capture a Chinese gangster, but France's top cop, Jeanne-Pierre Richard (Tcheky Karyo), has set Liu up to take the fall for a brutal killing he himself carried out. On the run in a strange city, Liu keeps a low profile until he unwillingly becomes friends with an American hooker, Jessica (Bridget Fonda)--who just happens to hold the key to his innocence. But Richard is always one step ahead of them--he has Jessica's daughter. Li and Fonda make a great team; their relationship is at the core of the film, as neither character has ever been able to put his complete trust in another person before. The action scenes, directed by Corey Yuen, are fast and furious and very violent, featuring mesmerizing moves by Li, especially one involving a billiard ball. Chris Nahon, in his directorial debut, makes excellent use of the location, including numerous shots of famous Parisian landmarks as the bad cops try to machine-gun down Liu in the streets and sewers and on the Seine. [More]
Starring: Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, Tcheky Karyo, Burt Kwouk
Starring: Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, Tcheky Karyo, Burt Kwouk, Max Ryan
Director: Chris Nahon
Director: Chris Nahon
Screenwriter: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Producer: Luc Besson, Steven Chasman, Happy Walters
Composer: Craig Armstrong
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Kiss of the Dragon
In almost all martial arts action movies, plot is subordinate to action, and 'Kiss Of The Dragon' is no different.
Even to [Li's] long-time fans in Hong Kong and America the results should be eye-opening.
While Kiss of the Dragon remains a relatively fun little brain-dead punch-em-out worth a rental, it's forgettable at best.
There are some tangible similarities between rising star Jet Li and Bruce Lee, beyond just the pronunciation of their last names.
You’ve got to respect any movie that jumps into an action scene every fifteen minutes, regardless of what that pesky “plot” has to say.
...has no other claims to fame than its filling up ninety-eight minutes of screen time with plenty of Jet Li and a pile of kicking, punching, and shooting.
The whole film plays a great deal like an extended episode of "Iron Chef": lots of edged weapons, dead frogs, and campy dialogue.
... pure action entertainment. It’s not aiming for posterity or gold statues, and as such, it delivers on its modest promises.
Belongs to that rare breed of Hollywood film that does some justice to the talents of Hong Kong crossover stars.
It's not often in an action flick as big and loud as this that the most intimate gesture between the male and female lead is a gracious offering of brightly colored shrimp chips.
Flounders in desperately overwrought dialogue and one of the most incomprehensible plots since 2000's 'Battlefield Earth.'
Latest News for Kiss of the Dragon
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June 14, 2001:
The style of action in KOD was heavily influenced by comments made during series of messages posted by fans on the Jet Li website forum, immediately after the release of Romeo Must Die in United States. ![]()
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