out of after the disappointing romeo must die it great to see jet li back in as kick form in kiss of the dragon and a movie that feature a story that doesn not always make a whole lot of sense but feature martial art fight that rank among li best . the movie improve considerably on the mistake make in romeo and be a thrill ride that move at a consistently good pace . li play a chinese intelligence officer on a mission in paris . he be assign to work with a french officer name richard ( tcheky karyo ) and who obviously corrupt and also call li by john since he can not pronounce his real name . anyway and their assignment involve bust a drug kingpin and but everything go horribly wrong when the crime lord be kill and richard pin the fault on john . thus and john go on the run in a city he unfamiliar with while he have almost no ally and be be chase after by the police and richard countless crony . he meet a prostitute name jessica ( bridget fonda ) inside a restaurant and and a mutual friendship begin to develop between them . it also by chance he discover that she be a witness to the kingpin murder and can clear his name . but she reluctant to help him because richard have her daughter and which be the only reason she continue this demean job in the first place . a richard and his men begin to pin them down and john prepares to fight back with all his skill and strength and retrieve jessica daughter safely . from the get go and there a fault in the story . there simply no good explanation give a to why richard actually have the kingpin kill in the first place . my own assumption would be that they be work together and this lead to the possibility of his corruption be reveal . that as good a any guess and i suppose . luc besson script isn not particularly distinguish and but hey and at least it more comprehensible than the romeo must die plot and a move which i will probably refer to many time in this review . not only be that element improve upon from that film and but li be actually give a hell of a lot more screen time and the fact that everybody seem to be after him give the movie a more frenetic pace . that not to say that kiss of the dragon be a lightning pace film . after an exhilarate opening fight sequence inside a hotel that feature li use prop a la jackie chan style and the movie do slow down considerably . but to compensate for this pace be an interesting relationship that form when bridget fonda enter the picture . true and this isn not the most well write role the actress have have ( well and then again and she not really give many well write role in the first place and be she . ) but her performance be good and and the chemistry that click between her and li be strong and and even sometimes sweet and touch . some see the lack of an actual romance blossoming between them a another sign that hollywood isn not much for interracial couple ( much like in romeo must die ) but i think it well this way . plus and i be get tire of see the hero bed the heroine in an impulsive moment of passion . fonda and li quiet communication and tone down feeling be more effective than a kiss or love scene would be . of course and there be the obligatory moment of cheesy dialogue when she say to him that all he care about be himself and but the fight scene kick in before any of this can significantly hinder the film . speaking of the action scene and they be supremely exciting . i be not sure if director chris nahon be in charge of the choregraphy and but if he be and this be very impressive . first of all and there no wirework and or at least none that i notice and so there a feeling of authenticity in all the fight scene . the film best action sequence be li two on one fight with the blonde brother in the finale who and i must say and also display some very impressive martial art move ( can li even do flip like that one blonde guy do . ) . i have see several of li other film and these fight on par with his hong kong work and if not good than some . the only real complaint i have with the fight scene be that some of the camera movement be too quick and make it sometimes a little difficult to make out a couple of li impressive move . but it a problem that thankfully doesn not permeate the film . the action be also very bloody and graphically violent . an early scene with a man be literally blow in half by a grenade let u know that isn not a family friendly jackie chan film . when someone get hit and they bleed and they bleed a lot . ( minor spoiler here ) tcheky karyo death scene be perhaps the film bloody highlight while he bleed from every orifice on his face until he die in a frenzy of spasmatic twitching . what can be see a a flaw in the film be in some of it setting . those who think present day paris be nothing but a beautiful city will be unpleasantly surprise by kiss of the dragon and which almost exclusively focus on the grungy and seedy side of society in the city . see fonda in a mess of sweat and dirt in a filthy allieway isn not a fun sight . a i say before and fonda be good and and so be li and who can actually act and unlike so many big time action star around . the quiet intensity he display say more than any dialogue that spew out from steven seagal or jean claude van damme . tcheky karyo be so snaky and disgustingly vile in his role and everybody will cheer for his death ( well and that and the fact that some people in the audience couldn not stop proclaim how gross his death be ) . the actual kiss of the dragon the movie title refers to be a form of chinese acupuncture and a method that li use in the film can put people to sleep or give a very bloody death . it not mention a often in the film a i think it would and neither be it extremely significant to the plot and but who care . this film all about the action and i be certainly not complain when it come to that . it funny to see that from the so many lackluster blockbuster film of the past summer two of the best have it root in hong kong filmmaking ( the other such film be tsui hark time and tide ) .