Film Name: 龙之吻 / Kiss Of The Dragon / 龍之吻
This is undoubtedly Jet Li’s finest Hollywood film. The plot unfolds with relentless twists and turns, building to climax after climax.
Chinese and French police collaborate on a case, but during the investigation, the French officer murders a witness to frame Liu Jian. Liu Jian’s escape marks the first climax, while his billiards kick scene becomes an action classic.
Liu Jian’s encounter with the female lead at the shrimp cracker shop and their interactions add a touch of warmth and charm to the film.
Liu Jian is secretly summoned by the ambassador’s assistant to hand over evidence, but they are ambushed. The assistant is killed, and Liu Jian narrowly escapes death through the subway—the second action climax of the film.
Returning to the shrimp cracker shop, Liu Jian attempts to stitch his own right arm wound. The female lead volunteers to help, sparking the film’s emotional core. Their dialogue is cleverly crafted and witty. Initially, Liu Jian refuses her help. Standing at the doorway, she insists she has experience, warning that prolonged exposure risks infection—blah blah blah. Fed up with her chatter, he finally relents. She challenges him to guess how many clients prostitutes see daily, claiming 25. Liu Jian is stunned—prostitutes have it rough, he muses, such grueling workloads… The female lead asks Liu Jian if he likes women who can cook, clean, and stitch wounds. This scene is incredibly sweet, fully revealing her strong attraction to him. She’s already fantasizing about becoming his girlfriend—mirroring the moment in Zhongnanhai when Yang Qian’er asks Xu Zhengyang, “Would you like me to be your girlfriend?” When the female lead tried to examine the scar on Liu Jian’s back, he jumped away as if electrocuted. This is where Jet Li’s acting shines—those who claim he lacks acting skills should eat their words. He plays it well and even comes off a bit adorable 👍🏻. Another standout acting moment: when that scumbag supervising the prostitutes extorts 1000 French francs from Liu Jian. Liu Jian hands over the money twice, and he plays it perfectly—yet the villain still attacks the female lead, pushing Liu Jian past his breaking point. Liu Jian wasn’t one to back down. He held his ground because he didn’t want to cause trouble at the old man’s place—it would drag the old man into trouble and attract the attention of the corrupt French cops. As it turned out, the old man did get dragged into trouble. 😔
I won’t elaborate further on the subsequent plot. I’ve written all this merely to tell those who give one or two stars, criticizing the film for lacking plot or condemning Li Zi’s acting, to please watch the film carefully before writing reviews. You must take responsibility for every word you write.
The latter half featured several iconic brawls: storming the “Hongkou Dojo Paris Branch” and knocking out the Contra brothers. Classic move: jumping off the balcony using curtains. Liu Jian wrapped the curtain fabric twice around his feet, then did a backflip and dropped upside down. When taking down the younger Contra brother, he executed two backflips while clutching his legs, then snapped his neck with a downward twist. For the elder Contra brother, he used the “Double Peak Piercing Ears” technique. And that move right before kissing the final boss, Long. The fight choreography during the Hongkou Dojo raid was also superb—Liu Jian’s expression as he closed the door and turned back was pure acting. Liu Jian fought 25 opponents here, each armed and physically formidable. Winning against so many while maintaining believable, unforced realism demanded meticulous choreography. Initially, as the mob charged, Liu Jian parried their attacks with his hands, seizing the moment to close the distance and subdue one man. He then used that man’s own weapon to strangle him, intimidating and stunning the others. He then hurls that man into the crowd, knocking several others down. By this point, he’s seized the weapon and charges into the throng, unleashing a flurry of spinning strikes that hit most of them. This maneuver prevents him from being overwhelmed by a mob attack.
Many question the Dragon Kiss technique. Personally, I don’t see the issue. Does the Heavenly Shift technique align with logic? Is the Star-Sucking Art grounded in reality? Neither does. Honestly, we should just treat Dragon Kiss as one of Liu Jian’s signature moves. I don’t see why it’s unacceptable. Besides, the final boss’s death scene was vividly portrayed, wasn’t it? I think this film deserves at least an 80+ rating—it’s quite good. The action choreography, character development, and plot are all solid elements of a fine film.
Finally, regarding the question of why he fought barehanded instead of using the weapons provided: those asking clearly didn’t watch closely. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did prepare numerous weapons for Liu Jian—shown when he opens the storage locker—but he couldn’t retrieve them because two police officers happened to be nearby. Moreover, the gun he carried was confiscated by the French police chief at the very beginning. Chinese citizens traveling to France certainly couldn’t carry firearms through security. Liu Jian couldn’t find a French firearms market on short notice, nor did he have the time. Is that explanation clear enough?
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