at the end of dragon heat and all i could think of be why i bother sit through the whole thing . the film premise be interesting and that as well a maggie q be what attract me to the film in the first place . but be i ever disappointed . writer director daniel lee can not hold a candle to the like of john woo and ringo lam and corey yuen . this have to be one of the most annoyingly directed film i have ever see . lee be so wrapped up in his visual style and i use that phrase incredibly loosely that he fill the film with completely needless black and white still and freeze frame and slow motion and fast motion and other visual nonsense . i suppose he do all that to make up for the lack of a good story or dialogue . the action scene be nothing special and play out like some hop up music video more than anything else . there be little to care about any of the character include two supposedly professional sniper who couldn not hit the broad side of a barn from the inside . who be then laden with some of the cheesy dialogue i have see in one of these hong kong actioners . the plot be devoid of any twist and turn from the initial set up and everything unfolds in predictable fashion and lee feel the need to keep remind u of the character back story in case we do not get it the first several time . this be awfully amateurish writing and film making and waste the talent of sammo hung and michael biehn and maggie q. though and to be frank and i be hard press to remember biehn be in any good film that be not direct by james cameron . if you really be in the mood for a great hong kong actioner and you be much good off stick to some of the staple john woo the killer ( 1989 ) and hard boil ( 1992 ) and ringo lam city on fire ( 1987 ) which quentin tarantino stole for reservoir dog ( 1992 ) or his point blank ( 1967 ) remake and full contact ( 1992 ) . or and even check out yuen so close ( 2002 ) and a supremely entertaining and yet preposterous and popcorn flick . and there always the terrific french police actioner and the nest ( 2002 ) . true and most and if not all and be a bit over the top and but they be film that remain exciting and thrilling and even suspenseful . they have character we care about and mind blow action sequence . dragon heat and on the other hand and be just terribly mediocre . the trouble be that lee have not make a bad action film and he have make a dull one .