Kiss of the Dragon Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Kiss of the Dragon" in 1080p/MPEG-2 codec unfortunately leaves much to be desired, failing to live up to the expected standards of high-definition video. Viewers will instantly notice a myriad of issues, including a persisting green sheen that pervasively affects the entire color palette, reducing explosions to dull yellow bursts and transforming skin tones into unnatural shades, reminiscent of poor quality prints from decades past. This is further compounded by an abundance of dirt, scratches, and white speckles that are distractingly evident across various scenes, notably during key moments such as the hotel assassination scene and wide shots of Paris. The overall visual quality is hampered by this layer of distortion, making for an underwhelming viewing experience.

Moreover, the video transfer suffers from several technical shortcomings that detract from the movie's visual appeal. Blacks are described as overly deep, obscuring necessary shadow details and contributing to the loss of image depth, rendering scenes flat and one-dimensional. Contrast inconsistency and brightness stability issues lead to a flickering effect, negatively impacting the viewing experience by causing scenes to appear unstable. The color rendition further exacerbates these problems, with washed-out colors and an unsatisfactory level of saturation that fails to convincingly portray elements as basic as blood, leaving them looking dull and almost black.

In summary, while Blu-ray typically offers an enhanced viewing experience, "Kiss of the Dragon" falls notably short. Between the unwelcome green tint affecting the entire film, the presence of physical blemishes on the print, and a host of technical deficiencies like fluctuating contrast levels, lack of detail, and washed-out colors, this transfer does little to justify its high-definition format. What should be a visual upgrade ends up compromising the movie’s action-packed aesthetics, making it a disappointing release for fans and collectors alike.

The audio presentation of "Kiss of the Dragon" on its Blu-Ray release, featuring a DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio track, impresses with its rich, lossless sound quality and meticulous use of the surround sound capabilities. The mix excels in delivering crisp sonic details across every inch of the sound field, effectively utilizing each speaker to envelop the audience in a cocoon of audio that enhances the viewing experience. However, it is not without its flaws. There is a noticeable lack of depth in the sound field, which tends to flatten the spatial dynamics of the mix. This issue is somewhat mitigated by the aggressive use of surround speakers that add a layer of immersion, though it's not enough to completely obscure the shortfall in creating a fully dimensional auditory space.

Dialogue, effects, and music are neatly separated, ensuring clarity and a well-rounded aural experience, but there's a tilt towards bass frequencies that muddies finer sonic details. High-impact scenes, such as those involving punches, kicks, and shattering glass, are clear but sometimes suffer from an overly bass-heavy mix that can drown out subtler sounds, leaving some effects feeling under-resolved. Channel panning is smooth and effective, offering a seamless transition across the soundscape that complements the on-screen action well.

Critiques extend to the film's soundtrack selection, with an ill-fitted array of rap and hip-hop tracks that seem incongruous with the film's tone. This choice detracts from what could have been an opportunity to elevate the film with more aptly chosen music. Additionally, volume inconsistencies between the main audio track and commentary tracks present a practical issue for viewers toggling between features. Despite these drawbacks, the audio presentation stands as a highlight of this release, demonstrating robust use of the 5.1 surround sound setup to create a compelling auditory experience, albeit one that could benefit from finer balance and integration of soundtrack choices.

The Blu Ray extra presentation of "Kiss of the Dragon" leaves much to be desired in terms of content volume and variety, echoing a sentiment of missed opportunities to enrich the home viewing experience. The centerpiece, an audio commentary with Chris Nahon, Jet Li, and Bridget Fonda, is a mixed bag. Nahon's limited contributions and the fragmented nature of the commentary detract from its potential value. However, Bridget Fonda and particularly Jet Li offer memorable insights, with Li delving deep into martial arts philosophy, character development, and cultural observations that will undoubtedly appeal to fans. Despite these highlights, the absence of additional features present in the DVD version, such as documentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes, cannot be overlooked. The inclusion of high-definition trailers of various Fox titles hardly compensates for this shortfall. This collection feels like a bare-bones release, primarily aimed at enthusiasts of the film or Jet Li's articulate discussion on martial arts.

Extras included in this disc:

Audio Commentary with Director Chris Nahon, Jet Li, and Bridget Fonda: A mixed commentary track where Jet Li shines with his insights.

Trailers: High definition trailers of various Fox titles.

"Kiss of the Dragon," starring Jet Li, arrives with great expectations for fans of martial arts cinema, aiming to blend the kinetic energy of Eastern fight choreography with a storyline accessible to Western audiences. However, despite its promising setup and well-intentioned execution, the film struggles to find its footing within the confines of its cultural compromises and genre clichés. Director Chris Nohan and Jet Li's quest for realism in combat scenes stands out, as they eschew overused CGI and extensive wire work for meticulously planned fight sequences. This approach pays dividends in creating some visually stunning moments that recall the raw power of Bruce Lee's classics. Yet, these moments of brilliance are overshadowed by a narrative that feels all too familiar and a casting that doesn't always hit the mark.

The film's plot, centered on Liu Jian's (Jet Li) mission in Paris and subsequent framing for murder, provides a backdrop for its action but suffers from predictability and logic gaps. Despite attempts to deepen the narrative with a contrived romance and a damsel-in-distress subplot, the characters fail to resonate, leaving the story feeling hollow. Bridget Fonda's portrayal of a prostitute lacks authenticity, further weakening an already tenuous emotional connection. Additionally, the antagonists, including Tcheky Karyo's corrupt inspector, come off as caricatures, diluting any semblance of tension. The movie's reliance on improbable martial arts prowess among its cast stretches believability to its limits.

Nonetheless, "Kiss of the Dragon" shines in its combat choreography. The decision to minimize digital effects in favor of real-time action injects a much-needed veracity into its fight scenes, highlighting Li's skill and presence. Particularly noteworthy are the inventive uses of acupuncture needles as weapons and the inclusion of unique adversaries, such as the albino twins, which offer moments of genuine thrill. These sequences serve as a reminder of the film's potential to bridge Eastern martial arts mastery with Western cinematic flair. Despite its shortcomings, fans of the genre may find enough to appreciate in the choreography and Li's performance, even if the film as a whole fails to deliver a knockout punch.

The Blu-ray release of "Kiss of the Dragon" elicits mixed emotions, particularly for aficionados of the martial arts genre. Despite Jet Li's commendable performance and the film's few spellbinding fight sequences, the overall package leaves much to be desired. Viewers have expressed disappointment with the film's narrative shortcomings, including a plot riddled with implausibility and subpar writing, which together overshadow the high-octane action scenes. Furthermore, the Blu-ray presentation is notably criticized for its inferior picture quality, surprisingly not up to par with its DVD counterpart, making the latter a recommended option for potential buyers.

Technical aspects of this release compound the frustrations. The Blu-ray edition's high definition video presentation has been described as one of the worst encountered by viewers, failing to surpass or even match the visual clarity found in the DVD version. Though Jet Li's audio commentary emerges as a rare highlight in the otherwise scant array of special features, it hardly compensates for the missing content that was once available in the standard-definition release. This lack of extra material significantly diminishes the value proposition of choosing this high-definition format over its DVD counterpart.

In conclusion, while "Kiss of the Dragon" might hold appeal for die-hard fans of martial arts films and of Jet Li, the Blu-ray presentation suffers from several critical drawbacks. These range from disappointing picture quality to a dearth of engaging extras, making it difficult to justify its purchase over the DVD version. For those considering adding this title to their collection, our recommendation leans towards opting for the DVD release, providing a better balance of content and quality. In sum, this Blu-ray edition fails to deliver a knockout punch for collectors and fans alike.