Kiss Of The Dragon (2001)

1.5 out of 4

Starring: Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, Tcheky Karyo, Ric Young

Director: Chris Nahon

Time: 98 mins

Like fellow Asian superstars, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-Fat, and Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li is slowly but steadily making his name known in the tough US market. He was effective as the cold but charismatic villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), but in his first US starring vehicle, last year's Romeo Must Die, his talent was overshadowed by too much style and inappropriate music. Now, in Kiss Of The Dragon, a film based on his own story and produced by himself and Luc Besson (The Professional, a.k.a. Leon), first-time director Chris Nahon wisely allows Jet to show his skills, but we still have too many bursts of hard rock music during the martial arts segments. This is a problem that also plagued the remixes of several of Jackie Chan's older films during their North American releases. Why is it necessary for this blaring accompaniment? Can't an audience enjoy a well-choreographed fight anymore without having to be subjected to songs that would be more fitting at an outdoor concert?

Loud rock music is not the only problem with Kiss Of The Dragon. While the several action sequences are well-filmed, the story and pacing don't stand up to close scrutiny. Jet plays Liu Jian, a top Chinese policeman assigned to assist his French counterpart, Inspector Richard (Tcheky Karyo), in the investigation of a Chinese druglord (Ric Young) in Paris. When the stakeout goes awry, Liu is framed for murder. Now a fugitive in a foreign country, Liu becomes partners with Jessica (Bridget Fonda), a prostitute who witnessed the murder, in a desperate bid to clear his name and rescue her young daughter.

While the story in Kiss Of The Dragon seems simple, most of it doesn't make any sense. There are plenty of plot holes, and many other events aren't even explained. The most glaring is why was the murder committed in the first place. The audience is left searching for an answer through the rest of the movie, but there isn't one. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if the movie was more action-packed, but the long lulls between the kinetics makes it easier to notice these inconsistencies. The action isn't too bad as far as westernised martial films go (it's definitely more realistic and, hence, better than Romeo Must Die's computer-assisted nonsense), but other than one relatively extended confrontation between Jet and twin brothers with peroxide hair, most of the fights are fairly quick. Not all kung fu showdowns have to be ten minutes long, of course, but it would be good to see Jet in danger of coming out second best more than once. Jet does have a steely intensity that convinces you of the power behind his punches; in comparison, Jackie Chan's fights in his Hollywood films seem devoid of menace.

The other liability in the film is Bridget Fonda's character. While understanding the need to develop the story further and, hopefully, add some human interest, Fonda's Jessica does nothing for the story except to slow it down and provide a female lead. The movie would have been no worse if her character wasn't involved, and may, indeed, have turned out to be slicker and leaner.

As for Jet, his acting skills are adequate for the role, though he doesn't evoke too much emotion. While his seriousness in this film is the antithesis to Jackie Chan's lightheartedness, Jet has played more humorous characters before, such as in the wire-fu classics Fong Sai Yuk and its sequel. Playing serious parts may be the way to go for Jet in Hollywood, though, given Jackie has the action-comedy genre sewn up. Tcheky Karyo (The Patriot), like Gerard Depardieu a physically commanding presence, is way over the top in his portrayal of a vindictive policeman, but he does provide some fireworks during the film's quieter moments. As mentioned previously, Bridget Fonda adds little to the film. She tries hard, but her character is a hindrance. Her role (and appearance) is similar to the one played by Mira Sorvino in The Replacement Killers (1998) with Chow Yun-Fat, though Fonda is saddled with a more tragic past (as if that's meant to elicit sympathy from the audience).

The involvement of Luc Besson in Kiss Of The Dragon gave rise to hopes a work similar to his modern action classic The Professional (1994) could have been produced. Jet Li's Liu Jian character has some affinity with Jean Reno's Leon, the lonely killer befriended by a young girl after her parents have been executed, but the rest of the relationships don't hold a candle to those in the 1994 film. The action could have saved Kiss Of The Dragon, but there's too little, and too late.

(c) Joe Wong (9 July 2001)