Birth of the Dragon (2017)

User Review

• 

  TheReelBurke

  4 / 10

  The action sequences were expert choreographed and shot bringing the classic feel of Hong-Kong action films like Police Story or Enter the Dragon. Philip Ng was startling in his portrayal of Bruce Lee. The way he captured his mannerisms and personality it almost felt as if you were watching Bruce Lee himself in a new film. Xia Yu was also great as Wong Jack Man. The way he was able to oppose Philip Ng's portrayal of Lee, without being a character you immediately hate made all of their interactions the most enjoyable parts of the film.
  
  Now for the negatives. This film should have been about and is advertised as being about the confrontation between Lee and Man. It was a total bait and switch. The majority of this film focuses on a student of Lee named Steve. This wouldn't be a problem since this is a fictional story but Steve is bland and boring. Every time the film gains some momentum in the confrontation with Lee and Man, insert Steve to stall the progression. Also, while I loved the action sequences they were a bit stationary consisting mostly of wides.
  
  This film should have been epic. It had everything you needed to make a new exciting kung-fu action film. Great performances from the lead, a good director, and well-executed stunts and fight choreography but that doesn't make up for the bland and unfocused story.

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