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"KISS OF THE DRAGON"
(2001) (Jet Li, Bridget Fonda) (R)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Heavy Extreme Extreme *Moderate Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Moderate Mild Extreme *Heavy Extreme
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Heavy Mild Mild Moderate Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Action/Adventure: Framed for a murder he didn't commit, a decorated Chinese agent tries to get to a corrupt French police official and retrieve an American hooker's young daughter, all while avoiding various attempts on his life.
PLOT:
Liu Jian (JET LI) is one of China's most decorated government agents who's been sent to Paris to assist Richard (TCHÉKY KARYO), a local police official, in some joint task force. Unbeknownst to Liu, however, Richard has decided to use the opportunity to kill their target and pin the murder on him. Escaping from Richard's various henchmen with videotaped surveillance footage that proves his innocence, Liu takes refuge with his Chinese contact, Uncle Tai (BURT KWOUK), where he hopes to figure out what to do next.

It's there that he happens to meet Jessica (BRIDGET FONDA), a hooker who's working a nearby street corner, is employed by Richard due to him holding her young daughter, Isabel (ISABELLE DUHAUVELLE), hostage, and happened to be at the pivotal murder scene. After he loses the videotape during a run-in with more of Richard's men and then protects Jessica from more of Richard's thugs, Liu and Jessica enter into an unlikely partnership.

Promising to retrieve Isabel if Jessica will steal back the videotape and be his eyewitness regarding his innocence, Liu takes on Richard's various thugs, including the muscular twins (CYRIL RAFFAELLI & DIDIER AZOULAY), his right-hand man, Max (JOHN FORGEHAM) and apparent pimp, Lupo (MAX RYAN), all while trying to clear his name.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're fans of Li or martial arts films in general, they probably will.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For strong violence, language, some sexuality and drug content.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • JET LI plays a Chinese government agent who finds himself framed for murder by a corrupt French police official and must then fight him and his various thugs all while trying to clear his name and rescue Jessica's daughter.
  • BRIDGET FONDA plays an American woman who's been forced into prostitution by Richard because he has her daughter. She uses some strong profanity.
  • TCHÉKY KARYO plays a corrupt French police official who kills or is responsible for ordering the murders of many people. He also uses strong profanity.
  • BURT KWOUK plays an older Asian man who's Liu's government contact in Paris.
  • CYRIL RAFFAELLI & DIDIER AZOULAY play two of Richard' henchmen who kill others and try to kill Liu.
  • JOHN FORGEHAM plays one of Richard's henchmen who tries to kill people, uses strong profanity and smokes.
  • MAX RYAN plays another thug who roughs up Jessica and tries to intimidate and then kill Liu.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a quick look at the content found in this R-rated action film. Profanity is listed as extreme due to the use of at least 27 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are used and some song lyrics include strong language. Some sexually related dialogue is present (with brief moments of it being explicit).

    A hooker grinds away (marginally clothed) on top of a client before killing him, while another man implies he'll feed a hostage in exchange for sexual favors (as he reads a porno magazine that briefly shows us quick views of a bare-breasted woman). That second woman (also a hooker) offers to give sex to the protagonist in exchange for food (he declines).

    Violence is listed as extreme due to many deaths, some of them rather brutal and others that have rather bloody results. All sorts of severe martial arts fighting occurs, with many people being injured or killed from punches, kicks, etc. Some are shot or knifed to death, and others are injured or killed by other means (such as an explosion or being impaled) and many attempts are made by many people to kill the protagonist. All sorts of property damage also occurs.

    Kids may want to imitate all of the fighting and various stunts, and some of those moments and others may be tense or unsettling to some viewers, while the perpetrators of such violence have extreme cases of bad attitudes. A few characters drink and smoke, while some do drunks or have drugs injected into them. Meanwhile, a prostitute worries about her daughter who's being held hostage by a corrupt police official.

    Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for anyone in your home, you may want to take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific information about what's present in and occurs during the film.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • A woman in a bar drinks a martini, while a pilot comes in and orders a beer (calling it a pre-take off, take-off).
  • The hooker working with Jessica asks her if she wants a "fix" (and shows her a pill she has in her mouth), but Jessica declines the offer. That hooker then snorts some cocaine.
  • We learn that Jessica is a former heroin junkie and then see Richard and Max hold her down as they shoot her up in an attempt to get her hooked again (and to keep her from talking to the authorities).
  • Jessica tells Richard that Liu drank a lot of beer after kidnapping her, but she's making up all of that.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • In the opening shot, we see a dead rabbit lying on the ground with matted fur that may be a little bloody.
  • We hear sounds of someone being beaten up and then see Richard punching a man in the face (there's a lot of blood on the victim's face and the floor where it's smeared as the man is dragged away a few feet).
  • We see Jessica vomiting in a toilet (from being nervous).
  • A hooker takes one of her long hair needles and repeatedly stabs a client in the chest, resulting in him being quite bloody.
  • After a grenade explodes, we see just the lower half of man's body fall to the floor.
  • We briefly see a black and white photo of a dead woman on the floor with a pool of blood next to her.
  • Jessica head-butts another hooker, possibly breaking the latter's nose as there's lots of blood on that woman's face and hand.
  • Jessica briefly squats down to urinate out in an alley, but doesn't as Liu allows her to come inside to use the bathroom (we later see her on the toilet, asleep or passed out, with her panties around her thighs, but don't see any nudity or biological functions).
  • Blood suddenly squirts out of a man as he's shot and killed.
  • We see some blood on Liu's arm after he's been cut or shot there.
  • Liu stabs/impales a man in the neck with chopsticks, killing him (we see some blood from where the wood enters the skin).
  • We see a lot of blood on a dead man's shirt (after he's been hit with machine gun fire).
  • We see a man's very bloody face after he's apparently been beaten/tortured by Richard's men.
  • Jessica has some blood on her shirt from where she's been shot.
  • A thug has blood on his face as he fights Liu.
  • Various parts of Liu and the man he's fighting are bloody after they encounter broken glass during their skirmish.
  • Liu puts a needle into a man's neck/spine, causing blood to accumulate in his head but not flow back out of it. As a result, the man starts to convulse and blood starts pouring from every opening in his head until he collapses to the floor and dies.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Richard has extreme cases of both as he's a corrupt police official who kills or has others killed, tries to frame Liu for some murders, forces Jessica into prostitution by holding her young daughter hostage, and forcibly injects heroin into her, knowing she's a former junkie. He even takes money from a dead man's wallet.
  • All of his henchmen obviously have extreme cases of both for following his orders and trying to kill Liu and roughing up Jessica.
  • Richard hypothetically asks what he's going to do with Jessica's young child, stating that she's too young to work for him (as a prostitute), but then adds that maybe she isn't.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" and/or "Blood/Gore" may also be tense or unsettling to some viewers, although that will depend on the viewer's age and tolerance for martial arts fighting and lethal and bloody action mayhem.
  • Jessica goes to see Richard and is quite nervous as he acts somewhat menacingly aloof. He then has Max cook up some heroin and they hold her down as they inject it into her arm (as she screams and struggles).
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns/Machine guns/Grenade/Knives/Rods: Used to threaten, wound or kill many people and cause a great deal of property damage. See "Violence" for details.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "F*cking cool it," "Get the f*ck out," "You f*cking animals," "F*ck off," "You c*cks*cking pig," "You piece of sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "I don't give a sh*t about them," "Bitch," "Shut up," "Little freak," "Skinny ass," "Bastard," "Screwed (nonsexual) and "Kiss my ass."
  • All of the fighting and martial arts moves may be enticing for some kids to imitate (including a scene where Liu uses hot laundry irons to attack his attackers).
  • We see that Liu, although a Chinese government agent, has smuggled a handgun into the country via a secret compartment in the bottom of his luggage.
  • Liu ties off a sheet and then jumps with one end of it, holding onto Jessica, from a window.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Blood suddenly squirts out of a man as he's shot and killed.
  • Liu suddenly surprises Jessica.
  • A person suddenly grabs Jessica.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • An extreme amount of ominous/suspenseful and action-oriented music plays during the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • A song has lyrics that went along the lines of "Shake ya ass" (that's said many times) and included uses of the "f" word.
  • Other songs have lyrics that couldn't be understood, thus offering the potential for additional possibly objectionable material in them.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 27 "f" words (some occurring in songs as does some of the other listed profanity, with 2 of them used with "mother" and 1 used sexually), 8 "s" words, 2 slang terms using male genitals (variations of "c*cks*cker"), 10 asses (most used in a song), 2 damns, 1 S.O.B., 5 uses of "Oh my God," 2 of "God" and 1 use of "Jesus" and "Oh God" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We see various hookers on the street, one of whom wears a bikini-like outfit (that shows cleavage) with thigh-high boots.
  • A hooker with Jessica shows cleavage as they go up to a hotel to "service" a client. Once there, this man runs his hand along the other hooker's fishnet stocking-covered legs and then decides to go upstairs to a room with both of them. Once there, we see just a small glimpse of the bottom of this woman's bare butt as her low-cut dress rides up on her. She then takes that off, displaying that same fishnet stocking material covering most of her butt along with her thong-like panties (as she wiggles her butt in this man's face). We then see this man on top of the woman on a table with her legs up around his shoulders. Moments later, we see the hooker riding on top of the man on the floor and he seems quite aroused/ready to climax (but we can't tell if they're having sex or if she's just grinding against him - still clothed as before -- as she asks if he's ready to go to Heaven and he anxiously states, "Take me to Heaven" as we hear some sexual sounds). She then kills him, so there's no more sex.
  • Jessica shows some cleavage in various scenes (as her shirt is unbuttoned and we see her black bra beneath it).
  • Jessica briefly squats down to urinate out in an alley (we see part of the side of her butt), but doesn't as Liu allows her to come inside to use the bathroom (we later see her on the toilet, asleep or passed out, with her panties around her thighs, but don't see any nudity or biological functions).
  • Knowing she can't pay back Liu for his food that she's eaten, Jessica implies that she could give him a freebie (sex), but he declines.
  • Jessica talks to Liu about either how much money or how many tricks prostitutes can do in a day (she mentions 25, but then states she's lucky if she can do 5 a week). She then asks if he's ever been with a hooker (he says no) and then if he's gay (he again says no). She then adds that people can be who they want to be and "do it with who they want to do it with."
  • One of Richard's thugs tells Liu (about Jessica), "I don't care if you f*ck her..."
  • After Jessica's been cuffed to a radiator, she asks the man watching her what she has to do to get some food. The man, who's reading a porno magazine, holds it up and shows it to her (we very briefly see what looks like a bare-breasted woman with a man). She gets the idea and agrees, causing the man to get up and start to undo his pants. She stops him, however, stating that she's not an idiot and that he'll get his "dessert" after he gets her some food. When he returns, she's gone.
  • SMOKING
  • Max smokes a few times, while some miscellaneous people also smoke.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • We learn that Richard has Jessica's daughter (which is why she's working as a hooker for him) and she's worried about her.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Prostitution and why women do that.
  • Drug addiction.
  • How most people wouldn't stand or survive one severe kick or punch to the head and/or body, let alone many as occurs here.
  • VIOLENCE
  • We hear sounds of someone being beaten up and then see Richard punching a man in the face (there's a lot of blood on the victim's face and the floor where it's smeared as the man is dragged away a few feet). One of Richard's thugs then delivers a kick to the man, presumably killing him.
  • A hooker takes one of her long hair needles and repeatedly stabs a client in the chest (with some views of the bloody penetration). Seeing this via surveillance camera, Liu races up and kicks, punches and fights with three bodyguards watching the door and, after done with them, tackles the woman to stop her from more stabbing.
  • Richard shoots and kills two people, and then shoots everywhere in the hotel room, trying to hit Liu who's suddenly disappeared. Richard then fires a machine gun from a balcony, trying to hit Liu somewhere below. Liu kicks open a door as he tries to make his escape and then kicks and knocks out several men.
  • We see a video playback of Richard shooting a man lying wounded on the floor.
  • Some of Richard's thugs shoot at Liu but miss, hitting and presumably killing others. They then riddle a locked door with gunfire to get inside and Richard shoots and kills one of his own men who hesitates to follow his order to go down a laundry shoot. He then kicks the next man (in the face) ordered to do the same, and then pours and lights some flammable liquid in the chute.
  • Liu kicks through that chute and hits Richard in the face. In turn, Richard takes a grenade and throws it into the chute. Liu then slides down the chute and throws the grenade back at him, but it goes down one of the thug's sleeves. Richard then pushes this man into the chute as the grenade explodes, causing a huge explosion (and we then see just the lower half of the man's body fall to the floor).
  • Liu fights with many more people with a great deal of brutal punching, kicking and hitting the others with various items (including hot laundry irons that he smashes against their faces and hands) as they shoot at him. In the end, he's injured or killed many people who tried to attack and/or kill him.
  • Back in the hotel lobby, a man fires two massive machine guns at Liu, blasting parts of the lobby to bits. Liu then kicks a billiards ball that strikes the man in the head, knocking him out, and then flees as Richard fires shots at him.
  • Richard hits one of his own men.
  • Liu quickly kicks two French cops to prevent them from arresting him.
  • Richard hits one of his own men on the head.
  • Richard and Max hold down Jessica as the later injects her with some heroin (as she screams and struggles).
  • Max throws Jessica out of a stopped car and against an alley wall.
  • An older hooker throws Jessica down onto the street. In turn, Jessica head-butts this woman, possibly breaking the latter's nose as there's lots of blood on that woman's face. A man then grabs Jessica by the hair and drags her away. Moments later, we see the motion of him kicking her (we don't see the actual impact).
  • Liu slaps Jessica to wake her up/rouse her from unconsciousness.
  • Blood suddenly squirts out of a man as he's shot and killed. French police then hold their guns on Liu, but just as they're going to cuff him, he knocks them aside (and one may have been shot). As other men then pursue Liu, one of them is shot in the crotch as others shoot at him and he fights with many of them (punches, kicks, etc. with the sound of some breaking bones). He then uses some furniture to break through a large glass window on a boat and more people fire at him. Others then try attacking him with knives and more martial arts mayhem ensues and one person is knocked into the river and another falls through some glass back down inside the boat.
  • Once off the boat, more people shoot at Liu.
  • An approaching car hits Liu, sending him crashing into the windshield and that car into another car. Richard then drives up and shoots at Liu, hitting some bystanders. During all of the above, Liu is somehow injured (a cut/gash on his arm).
  • One of Richard's thugs, Lupo, punches Jessica in the face, telling her to get back to work. He then hits her in the face again and prepares to do so once more, but Liu stops him and a fight breaks out between Liu, the thug and others (many brutal punches and kicks, etc.), including a very large and muscular man. As Liu takes care of the latter, Max sees all of the fighting, retrieves a massive machine gun and approaches the scene. He then opens fire, killing an older man and riddling his shop with bullets (causing an explosion).
  • Liu stabs/impales a man in the neck with chopsticks, killing him.
  • Richard pushes two men out of his way.
  • We see a flashback to the hooker stabbing a man with her hair needle.
  • We see a man's very bloody face after he's apparently been beaten/tortured by Richard's men.
  • Liu gets into a fight with various thugs (with more breaking bones sounds) as another holds Jessica off the ground, setting her up for another man to kick and kill her. Liu stops that and then fights the other men before jumping out the window via a tied-off sheet with Jessica as others shoot at them (hitting Jessica in the chest).
  • As Liu makes his way to encounter Richard, he takes out various guards/police officers in his way (through punches, kicks or using a flagpole to hit them).
  • Liu finds himself in a room with many martial arts students and ends up fighting all of them (with many punches and kicks, etc. and hitting with short sticks/rods). When he's done, we see all of them lying on the floor, rolling around in pain.
  • Some thugs shoot through a locked door to get inside.
  • Liu knocks another man unconscious and then gets into a prolonged fight with two of Richard's best fighters. As they throw many brutal punches and kicks, they also cause property damage inside an office.
  • Liu grabs a man in midair and causes him to land on his neck, breaking it and killing him.
  • Liu fights another man after both get bloody cuts from broken glass and then kicks him in the head/neck, breaking his neck and killing him.
  • Richard holds a gun on Jessica's daughter and then fires a shot at Liu.
  • Liu puts a needle into a man's neck/spine, causing blood to accumulate in his head but not flow back out of it. As a result, the man starts to convulse and blood starts pouring from every opening in his head until he collapses to the floor and dies.



  • Reviewed June 28, 2001 / Posted July 6, 2001

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