Dragon is a
blending of genres which plays out something like Rashamon meets Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon. There is a mystery and a lot of spectacular action within
a world of pristine visual fantasy. There is enough eye candy and hard-hitting
action to please the low brow, with a clever screenplay and flawless
choreography to cater to those who want more than just a quota of violence.
Donnie Yen once again elevates his
status as the most enigmatic working Chinese action star playing Liu Jin-xi.
The village craftsman lives a quiet life until the arrival of two wanted
gangsters in the local general store. Jin-xi happens to be shopping when they
arrive, and is pulled into a fight with them, saving the shopkeeper from
certain death.
The event first appears to be an act
of bravery which results in a lucky victory, but a visiting detective named Xu
Bai-jiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) sees more to the altercation than that. The
detective becomes convinced that Jin-xi is hiding something about his past and
possesses more powers than he admits. In his investigation, the truth about
Jin-xi’s identity comes out, and it brings a dangerous clan of criminals to the
village in the process.
The Blu-ray release includes a making-of
featurette, as well as additional features with Donnie Yen interviews and a
music video. The highlight of the disc, however, is the visual impact of the
high definition. This is easily one of the most beautifully shot action films
of the last few years, and it is paired with an impressively impactful
soundtrack, all of which is enhanced by the high definition presentation.
Entertainment Value:
8.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
Disc Features: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment