Review of Kiss of the Dragon (2001) by Kenneth H — 08 May 2009

In Kiss of the Dragon, Jet Li's "Johnny" deals with enemy thugs with brutal, swift, and almost completely one-sided efficiency. The plot is surprisingly thought-out and offers some complexity rather than being a simplistic black-and-white affair like most martial arts movies seem to be.

The movie also at least makes an attempt at character development, even if the characters are pretty stereotyped. But the movie feels flat, mechanical, and, at times, boring. There's a distinct feeling of lack of passion throughout the movie, and the times when that feeling isn't there are when the movie uses an awkward soundtrack of rap music (like Mystikal, of all people) that is just totally inappropriate for this kind of movie.

And the "magic needles" that keep handily popping up whenever Johnny needs them are pretty lame.