Dragon Squad (a.k.a.
Dragon Heat) is film that was released with lofty expectations in 2005 and failed to generate a lot of buzz. I'm not sure why, as I think this even blend of martial arts mayhem and gunfire is a thrilling feature. The pacing is a bit off-kilter, but the plot is pretty straightforward and the movie is easy to follow. Sure, some of the stylish tricks Daniel Lee pulls out of his bag are duds, but I can't fault the guy for swinging for the fences, and in doing so he also produces some really cool moments and a hell of a lot of excitement. Most of the hand-to-hand combat comes courtesy of
Sammo Hung and Huh Joon Ho, who square off in a pair of excellent battles, the second of which is probably the highlight of Dragon Squad. The gunfights are riveting, and there are car chases, foot chases, and even a sniper duel to keep things popping. Michael Biehn is on hand to play the lead villain, and he's one cold but charismatic dude. I thought he brought a lot to the picture and I genuinely enjoyed this action-packed movie that underperformed when it was originally released in Hong Kong. Maybe many were hoping for standard kung fu fare or a straight up shoot 'em up, or perhaps the director's creativity and flair were a bit too much for most audiences. I'm not sure, but I have no qualms about recommending Dragon Squad.
Final Grade: B
 |
| Stylish and energetic, Dragon Squad is a solid action film. |
No comments:
Post a Comment