The following is a version of a segment to a compilation article to which I contributed with other writers over at The Action Elite prior to its publication on February 9, 2015. CLICK HERE to read the article in its entirety.
For a lot of American moviegoers like myself, the 1998 blockbuster, Lethal Weapon 4 was our introduction to martial arts action superstar, Jet Li. His career would ultimately become a highlight for many a fan with DVD distributors releasing his films internationally online with HD renditions of classics from distributors like Dimension, Dragon Dynasty and Hong Kong Legends as Li's crossover would soon catapult him in stardom through some of his most memorable performances, including none other than the 2001 Chris Nahon-directed action classic, Kiss Of The Dragon.
The film sees Li in the role Liu, a Chinese intelligence agent assigned to France to assist Inspector Richard (Tcheky Karyo) and his unit of police stationed at a hotel awaiting to apprehend a crimeboss named Mr. Big ahead of a drug deal set to take place. However, the second Liu walks in, the red flags are already setting off and before he knows it, Richard reveals himself as Big's contact, killing him in cold blood whilst failing to take out Liu before he escapes with his life. Liu is now on the run with a courrupt high-ranking French cop and his men on his tail and almost no one to turn to for help until he meets Jessica, a prostitute with whom Liu eventually finds much more in common than he initially thought. The two make a reluctant deal for her help in clearing his name in exchange for getting her daughter back from under his far-reaching grip. The clock is ticking though, and with three lives now at stake, the ball is in Liu's court to use his deadly skillset to set the wrong things right.
Li wrote the story for this movie and as it turns out, he was also perfect for the lead role, presenting just the kind of leading man starpower required for a film of this caliber on top his action star credentials. Kiss Of The Dragon became more of a character thriller than anything else, revealing layers to Liu's personality that we could relate to, especially in his scenes with Bridget Fonda who plays Jessica, who is essestially the heart and soul of this film. The two have an awkward chemistry when they first meet, but the bond grows only closer as the film moves forward and it all pays off, right down to the climatic fight finale in Richard's police station. Of course, we could also ramble to no end about just how amazing the action is, with Corey Yuen at the helm. Having worked with each other before, it's pleasing to see these two collaborate so well in designing the fights, and its not just all about our protagonist doing contemporary kung fu superheroics and punching and kicking. Sure, we see some spectacle, but its not ham-fisted and cheaply written in. There's a method to Liu's masterful style of combat rooted in Chinese medicine and human physiology that makes him a certified killing machine, which makes it all the more delightful to watch Liu do what he does considering the odds, in addition to Richard's cruelty, cowering and hubris.
Kiss Of The Dragon a truly, artfully delivered and thrilling story of good and evil, centered on one man's stoic journey of love, honor, redemption and self-discovery through sacrifice. Liu's is a story of a man with a good heart, imperfect in every way with a life that has hardened him and conditioned him to be a self-sufficient survivalist when called for. As a result of the film's progression, the level of danger exhibted here almost perfectly sculpts the nature of Liu's character and humanity, giving us a reason to care about our his mission and why he fights in the first place, and exemplifies just why it is folks like screenwriters Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen are good at what they do on paper.
Come to think of it (though I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel this way before) I would go so far as to suggest that Kiss Of The Dragon is my absolute favorite Jet Li film of all time next to Unleashed. Everything from the story and character development, to the poetic fight finale between Li and fight duo Cyril Raffaelli and Dider Azoulay, the music and performances from Fonda and Karyo and the recapitulating track by Massive Attack toward the end credits, are all qualifiers on this behalf. Point in fact, it's films like Kiss Of The Dragon that make me want to go to the movies and enjoy some of the most pleasing moments on the big screen - moments that makes you cheer and cry with tears of joy, moments that can either anger you or make you laugh, essentially bringing you along for the journey, which seldom happens at the movies.
This is what good writing and directing does, as well as good acting, and in that respect, Jet Li completely owned this character. Suffice it to say, I would have loved a sequel to this film just to see where a character like Liu Jian could go from there. Even at the end, we still don't know everything there could be about his background as much as it is all a mystery while the film focuses on where it needs to be from A to Z, and I wasn't bothered at all with this after enjoying such a fantastic film. Granted however, and if Li's current health weren't an issue, if Besson and Kamen or another screenwriter were to revisit this character for a continuation of Liu Jian's story in some capacity, I would not argue.
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