La leggenda del drago rosso

Not very clever, not very elaborate, and far from original. Yup, it's another Wong Jing movie. The opening scene is stolen directly from Kazou Koike's Lone Wolf and Cub, that's our first clue. As Wong Jing movies go, this really isn't one of the best. It doesn't match the violence and frantic pace of High Risk (Meltdown) or the exploitation fun of The Naked Killer. Yuen Kwai's choreography here isn't up to the standards of his work on My Father is a Hero (The Protector), but it isn't as bad as Romeo Must Die or Fong Sai Yuk (The Legend). If you just want to see another kung fu movie, and you don't care about the specifics, you should be able to enjoy it. Just don't expect too much.

This is an okay Jet Li flick if you're into crazy wire work instead of real kung fu. I enjoyed it, but Jet Li has done better. He's also done worse. The kid who played Jet's son was great, though. Go check out Fist of Legend (original dubbed version is the best) or Tai-Chi Master (released in english dubbed form as Twin Warriors). I think someone else suggested this as well. Frankly, Jet's screen persona has always been kind of wooden. He's a martial artist, not an actor. So why does he hardly ever get to show off what he's REALLY capable of? If you want to see a Jet Li movie thats even wilder, crazier, and has more action (albeit wire-work) then check out Kung Fu Cult Master.

An entertaining Jet Li period vehicle, which Li co-produced. Li plays a Chinese folk hero, a rebel who battled a violent, repressive Manchu government. Li teams with 10 year old martial arts prodigy, Xie Miao, who effectively portrays Li's kung-fu fighting son. The duo have some similarities to the "Lone Wolf and Cub" team in numerous, more atmospheric, very gory Japanese movies of the 1970's. Li and son are joined by a sly mother/daughter con artist team to protect 5 young boys who each have a segment of a rebel map tattooed on their back.

Fine photography and inventive action sequences, especially the opener, and one with a clever Trojan horse variant. Li's fight scenes are wondrous, as usual, but his part seems too stiffly written for a fluffy, child-oriented action film with much comic relief. Deannie Yip and sensual Chingmy Yau are energetic and funny as the kung-fu mother/daughter scammers.

The English dubbed version, made in 2000, has excellent, witty dialogue and appropriate voices. Prolific Hong Kong writer/director Wong Jing cameos in the closing scene.

Pretty good action featuring Jet Li and Chingmy Yau. There's real story, and action in this well made Hong Kong movie.

It's a Wong Jin movie, so you can expect high quality, and entertainment. The movie delivers on both fronts. There's a happy feeling to this movie that's copiously missing from all Hong Kong movies made in the 21st century. Also there's innocence that seems to be scoffed at as cheese these days. But it's these two qualities that makes this movie so good. Jet Li plays the part of a father who bears lot to raise his son. Soon he meets Red Bean (Chingmy Yau) who ends up following him around. The three ends up fighting the bad guys to help the local people.

One thing I miss about movies from this era is that there were actors who by their presence can brighten the whole screen. Where are the Chingmy Yau of our generation, or Do Do Chen ? The details have improved but that has pigeon holed actors to play their roles in a certain way. This movie carries the genes from the silver age of Hong Kong cinema that was wildly entertaining.

The formula still works, and I hope Wong Jin will find new talents that will brighten the screen as this movie does.

I believe Jet Li to be a terrific martial artist. However, I thought this movie was probably the worst I have seen him do. Legend of Red Dragon is about a man whose family was murdered by people related to the government, because he was a bandit. His friend ratted out on him for money and it ended in a fight to the death for the friend. Little did Jet Li's character know that the man would come back as an evil creature on revenge. The only survivor was his own son, and now the two team journey on their own. Eight years after the tragic event, their past comes back to them.

On a side story, five little Shaolin monk children were tattooed a piece of a map that would lead to a valuable item: The Red Dragon. The "Friend" from eight years ago and the government team together to find the kids and get the map. As they try to get children, they stumble upon the father and son. Now them and the five children, along with a few other characters try to put a stop to the government from getting a hold of the Red Dragon.

What makes this a disappointment was how it was directed, as well as the storyline. You were able to see strings from most of the flying scenes, you could tell that most of the scenes were taken in a studio. Secondly, the Red Dragon was never found and it pretty much died out when Jet Li's character had a bounty on his head. Personally, I think it could have been better. Stick with the storyline, and work on the strings.