Long Quan
1979 / 97m - Hong Kong
Action
2.5*/5.0*
Dragon Fist poster

Watches

September 27, 2020

2.5*/5.0*

A decent Wei Lo/Jackie Chan combo, though it's clear there were more capable directors at the time, especially when it comes to highlighting the specific traits of Chan (Woo-Ping Yuen comes to mind). While Dragon Fist is a decent enough martial arts film, it feels like Lo didn't make the most of the talent he was handed.

There's nothing wrong with the action scenes. There's plenty of them, they're pretty dynamic and Chan is allowed to shine whenever he's featured. They're not quite as creative as Chan's best work, and they don't really set themselves apart for the Shaw Bros work, but the action was more than adequate.

The problem is that the filler in between is way too serious. Chan's known for combining action and comedy, but the plot is pretty grave and Lo has no time for comedic interludes. It drags the film down, as the actors aren't that capable and the plot is extremely thin. This should've been a lot more fun, it's a shame Lo didn't see that.