A Flawed Movie but a Great 4K!
Summary
Heart of Dragon doesn’t hold up so well at times but it makes up for it with some cracking action in the last 30 minutes making it worth the rather slow middle section. The 4K looks and sounds great with plenty of special features to keep fans entertained.
Plot: World-famous for their action and derring-do, old friends Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung teamed up for a film that shows there’s much more to them than brawling.
Jackie plays a good-hearted cop looking after his learning-disabled brother Danny, played by Sammo, but doesn’t always succeed in keeping him out of trouble. When Danny is taken as a hostage, his brother will risk everything – his career and even his life –-to rescue him, throwing it down as only Jackie Chan can. Made the same year as Police Story, Heart of Dragon was a change of pace for the great action artists, giving them a chance to show of their acting chops as well as their stunt skills – even if they don’t ignore the latter! 88 Films are proud to present this Worldwide 4K premiere of a Hong Kong classic.
Review: After starring in several action comedies, Jackie Chan wanted to test his acting chops in Heart of Dragon with mixed results. He gives one of his best performances as a CID officer who has dreamt of becoming a sailor and travelling the world. Unfortunately, he has to look after his mentally challenged brother, Danny (Sammo Hung) which at times comes across as painful to watch. I find the first half of the film difficult to sit through as Danny is bullied by everyone for his mental impairment and despite Hung’s dedication to the role it is a bit cartoonish at times.
After an awesome opening scene there isn’t much in the way of action for the first half, but it’s when the final 30 minutes kick in that the action goes into overdrive.
Jackie doesn’t fight until the end, and you can feel his frustration with the world as he must sacrifice his own happiness for his brother. It’s something I’m sure plenty of people can relate to and it is surprisingly moving at times. He punches, kicks, shoots and stabs his way through endless goons who have kidnapped his brother and it’s really the finale that makes the rest of the movie worth the buildup. The car chase is also spectacular with some incredible stuntwork.
There is no slapstick humour or goofing around here despite a few moments from Sammo, but Jackie is straight as an arrow and his character is quite selfish at first as he sees his dreams in the rear-view mirror with bitterness towards his brother.
Although not one of my favourite Jackie/Sammo movies, Heart of Dragon is a welcome change of pace with solid performances and the final 20 minutes have some barnstorming action to make up for several excruciating moments.
LIMITED EDITION FEATURES:
RIGID SLIPCASE WITH BRAND-NEW ARTWORK BY SEAN LONGMORE
DOUBLE-SIDED FOLDOUT POSTER
6 REPLICA LOBBY CARDS
80-PAGE FULLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK FEATURING ARTICLES BY C.J. LINES, MATTHEW EDWARDS, FRASER ELLIOTT
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BRAND NEW 4K Remaster from the original negatives presented in Ultra High Definition (2160P) in 1.85:1 aspect ratio
Presented in Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR10 compatible)
High Definition (1080P) Blu-Ray(TM) in 1.85:1 aspect ratio also included
2 Versions of the film – Hong Kong Cut Cut [91 Mins] and Japanese Extended Cut [99 Mins] [Hong Kong Version]
Cantonese Mono with newly remastered English subtitles
Classic English Mono Dub
[Japanese Extended Version]
Cantonese Japanese Soundtrack
Cantonese HK theatrical Soundtrack
Cantonese HK theatrical Soundtrack with Japanese Soundtrack for parking lot fight scene
Cantonese with HK soundtrack & the Japanese songs
Classic English dub hybrid with Cantonese for the extra Japanese scenes
Audio Commentary by David West
The First Mission – Making of Special [48:41 mins]
The First Mission – Behind the Scenes – Special video for the pre-release event
[Archive] Interview with Jackie Chan
[Archive] Interview with Rocky Lai
[Archive] Interview with Sammo Hung
[Archive] Interview with Sammo Hung 2
[Archive] Interview with Arthur Wong
Hong Kong Trailer
English ‘Raging Force’ Trailer
Fortune Star Trailer
Japanese Teaser Trailer #1
Japanese Teaser Trailer #2
Japanese Theatrical Trailer
88 Films never disappoint and Heart of Dragon is no different with two alternate cuts of the film and hours’ worth of special features. The 4K picture and sound are faultless so if you’re a fan of this movie then this is well worth picking up.
Overall, Heart of Dragon is a mixed bag as there isn’t much in the way of action until the final 30 minutes, but Hung and Chan give excellent performances even if at times Hung feels more like a caricature. It is quite moving and a true tale of self-sacrifice while also giving action junkies what we want for the finale. The 4K from 88 films is fantastic and worth picking up if you’re a fan of this film.