If not, let me elaborate. Fire Dragon is a bright, colourful period kung-fu movie, blending intricate and visually stunning wire-work kung fu sequences with gentle slapstick comedy. It isn't Ping's best, and it sees the director working with a lower budget than he had on the previous year's Iron Monkey, but it's a spirited adventure with some breathtaking action sequences.
Personally, I enjoyed Fire Dragon a lot, but as a genre movie, not necessarily because it was a standout film. As the genre goes, Fire Dragon is a solid exciting entry that I can see myself watching again, but it doesn't quite bridge the gap from a fun genre flick to full accessibility, meaning that this movie will be great for kung-fu buffs like me but not necessarily much fun for the uninitiated. As an example, Fire Dragon reveals it's age and intentions in it's pacing, putting all the fights in the first and third acts and spending most of the time in the middle on the knockabout comedy that the HK audience and most of us Kung-fu fans are used to, which is fine, but will probably alienate people who wanted a full on action movie.
Still, despite typical Hong-Kong cinema pacing and the fact that it needs viewers to be tuned in to the genre to gain full enjoyment from it, don't think Fire Dragon has nothing to offer to casual viewers. The sheer visual spectacle of the fight sequences (remember, Ping masterminded the action in the Matrix and Kill Bill series' as well) will probably be enough to keep yer bum on your seat, as they're highly infectious and full of pyrotechnics, plus Brigitte Lin is fantastic as the titular assassin.
It's worth checking out. If you're a Ping fan, you'll dig this movie, and if not, well, it might peak your interest :).
Personally, I enjoyed Fire Dragon a lot, but as a genre movie, not necessarily because it was a standout film. As the genre goes, Fire Dragon is a solid exciting entry that I can see myself watching again, but it doesn't quite bridge the gap from a fun genre flick to full accessibility, meaning that this movie will be great for kung-fu buffs like me but not necessarily much fun for the uninitiated. As an example, Fire Dragon reveals it's age and intentions in it's pacing, putting all the fights in the first and third acts and spending most of the time in the middle on the knockabout comedy that the HK audience and most of us Kung-fu fans are used to, which is fine, but will probably alienate people who wanted a full on action movie.
Still, despite typical Hong-Kong cinema pacing and the fact that it needs viewers to be tuned in to the genre to gain full enjoyment from it, don't think Fire Dragon has nothing to offer to casual viewers. The sheer visual spectacle of the fight sequences (remember, Ping masterminded the action in the Matrix and Kill Bill series' as well) will probably be enough to keep yer bum on your seat, as they're highly infectious and full of pyrotechnics, plus Brigitte Lin is fantastic as the titular assassin.
It's worth checking out. If you're a Ping fan, you'll dig this movie, and if not, well, it might peak your interest :).