Dragon Fist (1979)

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Lo Wei, director of Bruce Lee classics The Big Boss and Fist Of Fury saw potential in Jackie Chan and cast him in several kung fu flicks, including this great film, Dragon Fist. With Bruce Lee gone way too soon and martial arts movies being more popular than ever film makers from east and west scrambled to replace him. Jackie Chan is in rare form as an invincible Bruce Lee type of bad ass. He is on a mission of revenge once his teacher was killed and disgraced by a leader of a rival school. Things get complicated when Chan, his master's widow and daughter arrive at the rival school. I'm not going to give away too much of the plot, but things don't end up all that peachy and all of the violence contains consequences. During this period the market was flooded with similar kung fu films, so Chan found success later with Drunken Master and other lighthearted kung fu comedies. He did a great job here though I think. Jackie was awesome as indestructible, kung fu iron man that becomes fury incarnate at the film's conclusion. Lo Wei also made a well paced, solid chop sockey film with a good story serviced with the right amount of kung fu action. Great kung fu!

Interesting artifact for those who think that Jackie Chan's always been a "fall guy" for comedy. This one's about as straight-laced as they come, with some solid action and a storyline that keeps moving at a nice pace. Director Lo Wei oversaw at least TWO of the most important martial arts movies in history: THE BIG BOSS (FISTS OF FURY) and FIST OF FURY (THE Chinese CONNECTION); his reputation is therefore assured. DRAGON FIST boasts some nice cinematography to enhance the martial arts, but it's the choice of music I found most interesting: throughout the movie, we hear Jerry Goldsmith's score for the 1968 version of PLANET OF THE APES. It's sorta similar to hearing the unmistakable strains of the Isaac Hayes score for SHAFT throughout Wang Yu's classic fantasy, ONE-ARMED BOXER (or the theme from IRONSIDE in FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH, etc.)- and, like Wang Yu, Lo Wei's placement of the music is inspired. James Tien does a nice job as a turncoat, but this is definitely a Jackie Chan vehicle.

This is actually a well made film. because of that, I doubt very highly that it was directed by Lo Wei. My vote is that Chan, once allowed to choreograph the fight scenes, just went ahead and directed the film, much as what happened with Bruce Lee and The Chinese Connection, another film claimed by Lo Wei that he didn't actually direct. In fact that's pretty typical for Lo Wei - probably half the films he made were directed by the actors while he was off gambling, drinking, or sleeping it off.At any rate: Although the film is heavy handed and a little slow, the story is not without interest (this is one of the few 'fu films where we see a potential villain repent and become a good guy), and the performances are all above standard for this genre in the mid-'70s. I believe this film, I believe its characters. Certaily not a masterwork, but a worthwhile dramatic 'fu film.Oh, and the fight scenes are all pretty good.

this film is pretty boring especially the dubbed version, but jc does one of actions in his career at the end when he kills a man in 10 seconds flat with just his fists. 2 stars for overall movie 5 stars for action parts