Avoid
Summary
Despite a few entertaining action beats Invincible Dragon is every bit as bad as I had heard; Anderson Silva is woefully miscast never convincing with any of his dialogue. Die hard fans of Max Zhang may find something to enjoy but it’s so ludicrous that it’s hard to recommend it.
Plot: When a brilliant but trigger-happy detective (played by martial arts powerhouse Max Zhang) is outsmarted by a serial killer, he pays a high price for his momentary lapse in judgment. Robbed of both his fiancée and his job, he soon spirals out of control and goes back to what he knows best: fighting. Unbeknownst to him, a serendipitous reunion with an old rival (Brazilian mixed martial artist Anderson Silva) may be the key to unlocking the truth about his fiancee’s disappearance—and to apprehending the killer.
Review: I’d heard some pretty terrible reviews for Invincible Dragon from various sources and I can confirm that they were not lying; I’d go as far as to say this is easily the worst film of the year and I’m pretty sure there won’t be anything else as bad as this for the rest of 2020 (although judging by the year so far nothing would surprise me).
Max Zhang can improve a movie with his mere presence and he clearly has the talent but I would like to see him do more fight scenes without wirework however, that is the least of this film’s problems.
It starts off promisingly enough with Kowloon (Zhang) captured by a drug dealer, then freeing himself and taking out the trash; it’s an attention-grabbing opener but then the rest of the movie never quite lives up to it.
We discover a killer is on the loose who is murdering policewomen and it’s up to Kowloon to find the culprit; he’s under pressure from up top but even he can’t be prepared for what is to come. Tragedy strikes and Kowloon leaves the force but when the killings begin again a year later he is asked back to help stop the killer once and for all.
It’s from this point where it lost me; the story is all over the place and I’d be lying if I said I totally got what was going on, but it really didn’t matter as this was genuinely painful to sit through.
Anderson Silva may be a good fighter, but he sure isn’t an actor with terrible line delivery and obvious dubbing in parts; he has a few nearly coherent fights with Zhang and that’s really the only reason you would want to watch this movie.
The music is godawful and annoying feeling like it belongs in something else entirely; the tone is all over the place with some bizarre “humour” which is never actually funny making this a baffling 98-minute ordeal.
JuJu Chan is always a welcome addition to any cast and she does the best she’s given but even she can’t save this mess of a film.
The dialogue and several performances are questionable at best especially the English language scenes which feel awkward.
I read a review which described the movie as “ludicrous and childish” and that’s the perfect description although I believe even children would struggle to find enjoyment from it.
The visual effects are also dire so I think director Fruit Chan should probably avoid the action genre in the future as this movie fails on nearly every level.
Overall, invincible Dragon may be worth watching for sheer curiosity, but it really is every bit as bad as people have said so do yourself a favour and don’t waste your time. If you’re a fan of Max Zhang like I am then maybe watch The Brink instead.