Movie Cosmos - Kiss of the Dragon

Description:

Liu Jian, an elite Chinese police officer, comes to Paris to arrest a Chinese drug lord. When Jian is betrayed by a French officer and framed for murder, he must go into hiding and find new allies.

Top Cast >

Jet Li

As Liu Jian

Bridget Fonda

As Jessica

Tchéky Karyo

As Richard

Ric Young

As Mister Big

Burt Kwouk

As Uncle Taï

Laurence Ashley

As Aja

Cyril Raffaelli

As Twin

Didier Azoulay

As Twin

John Forgeham

As Max

Paul Barrett

As Pilot

Max Ryan

As Lupo

Colin Prince

As Lupo's assistant

Vincent Glo

As Pluto

Vincent Wong

As Minister Tang

Kentaro

As Chen

Stéphane Jacquot

As Richard's Right Hand Man

Stefan Nelet

As Tang's Assistant

Peter Sakon Lee

As Tang's Assistant

Isabelle Duhauvelle

As Isabel

Yannick Derrien

As Bodysearch Boss

Francesca Disca

As Red Hair Hooker

Taïra

As Fat Hooker

David Gabison

As French Minister

Bertrand Waintrop

As Customs Official

Alain Zef

As Video Technician

Nicolas Herault

As Video Technician

Jean-Marc Huber

As Fat Thug

Franck Tiozzo

As Thug

John Maczko

As Thug

Claude Brécourt

As Concierge

Jean-Georges Vongerichten

As Barman

François Nguyen

As Chinese Bodyguard

Jocelyne Isaac

As Subway Agent

Raymond Khamvene

As Fat Chinese Chef Wong

Urfé Koupaki

As Taxi Driver (rasta)

Gregory Galin

As Hotel Clerk

Alexander Koumpan

As Driver Place de la Concorde

Daniel Milgram

As Taxi Driver

Bernard Flavien

As Coroner

Eric Averlant

As Coroner

Marc Ligaudan

As Assistant Coroner

Frédéric Moulin

As Cop (Sentry Box)

Alain de Catuelan

As Cop (Station)

Ludovic Berthillot

As Cop (Lift)

Guillaume Lamant-Deboudt

As Newspaper Man

Lina Chen

As Hooker

Barbara Bernard

As Hooker

Pat Tourne

As Hooker

Crystalle Seeram

As Hooker

Karen Drotard

As Hooker

Sabine Ben Rhadi

As Hooker

Saadi Spera

As Hooker

Stéphanie Martin

As Hooker

Stéphanie Durand

As Hooker

Carmelle Edma

As Hooker

Schana Réaux

As Hooker

Affif Ben Badra

As Lupo's Henchman (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Chris Nahon

Director

Reviews:

Wuchak (6/10)

Jet Li flick in Paris with Bridget Fonda

An expert Chinese intelligence agent (Jet Li) is sent to Paris to help the head inspector (Tchéky Karyo) in apprehending a Chinese mob boss at a ritzy hotel, unaware that it’s a set-up. Bridget Fonda plays an American prostitute that “Johnny” (Li) develops a relationship with during the misadventure.

"Kiss of the Dragon" (2001) is a big city crime thriller with the expected overdone martial arts action due to Li. It’s a modern mixing of “From Russia with Love” (1963) with the preposterous action of “The Gauntlet” (1977) and the martial arts of “Enter the Dragon” (1973). It was Bridget’s second to last theatrical movie before calling it a day (although she also did some TV work in 2001-2002, like her final piece “Snow Queen”).

I like the fact that the protagonist, Liu Jian (Li), is confident and an expert fighter, but also very human, even meek, as a stranger in a strange land (being his first visit to Paris). The action is thrilling with a sense of style counterbalanced by some quality drama with Fonda’s character and her situation.

If I were to nitpick, some eye-rolling elements bring down the film’s quality. For instance, Liu Jian storms a police building, opens a door and suddenly enters a dojo full of martial arts guys ready to take him down. Why Sure! Earlier, a British pilot grabs not one, but two Uzis to kill Liu Jian in the swank lobby, shooting up the entire place. Did he really need to cause mass devastation to kill one Chinese man? I'm sure the corrupt Inspector (Tchéky Karyo) wouldn't enjoy explaining the wholesale desolation to the mayor.

Moreover, there are too many hip-hop songs on the soundtrack. I could see one or two (at the most), but they overdid it. It smacked of trying to be too ‘hip.’

The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes and was shot entirely in Paris & nearby Seine-Saint-Denis, France.

GRADE: B-

2021-05-20