2
(nothing direct)
6
(violence and drug content)
5
(worth seeing but perhaps only if you like classic Kung Fu)
"Dragon Fist" is perhaps my favorite of Jackie Chan's old dramas. The fight sequences aren't his best ever, but the story is much more original than so many I've seen. It starts pretty typically; a student sets out to avenge his slain master. The twist: the murdered man is killed for other reasons than the common we're-from-different-clans-therefore-we-must-fight-unto-death storyline.
OK, maybe I'm generalizing a bit too much, not all old Kung Fu movies follow that, but the revenge thing is done so much that when almost any original twist is thrown in there's bound to be a positive impact.
But wait, there's more. Order now and we'll throw in some manipulation of the student sworn to revenge, a few traitors, and a drug lord to produce a result beyond what the typical Martial Arts movie of this era could manage. The biggest downfalls I can think of are the poor editing (several bad jump cuts) and the drawn-out fight scene at the end. It's a Martial Arts movie, it better have fighting, but this one gets too long.
Tang's (Jackie Chan) master has won a competition between schools. At his awards ceremony he is challenged and killed by a master that was not part of the regular competition. It turns out that the whole battle is because of a jealous grudge. The slain master and the wife of the killer had a thing at one time, and even though it was before either were married, the killer, Chung, can't stand it.
Feeling somewhat responsible and ashamed, Chung's wife kills herself. Her death makes Chung realize what he has done, and out of grief and shame he severs his own leg. Tang, his master's widow, and her daughter Su Ming set out to find Chung and get their revenge, but when she discovers what has transpired the widow doesn't feel revenge needs be taken out on a repentant, crippled man.
During this time, Chung has become a man of justice stopping criminals through the power of his school's Kung Fu abilities. His students come across several murders, and when they find an eye-witness, they set out to stop the villain. The leader of the murderous clan is a drug lord and all-around bad guy. His students cause trouble in town and get a taste of Tang's skills as a result.
The leaders of the clan want that skill for themselves and instigate a plan to make that happen. They poison Tang's master's widow and lead Tang to think she's just fallen ill. They have something that will help her and give it to Tang in small enough doses to keep her alive but still sick enough that they can blackmail Tang into helping them.
Chung's school is lured into a battle that could cost the lives of every one of them, and Tang is blackmailed into joining forces against the righteous. It will take the ultimate sacrifice to break Tang free of the evil that chains him, and it will be his skill that determines the outcome of the struggle.
I do take a small issue with the ending. The drug clan comes clean about what they have been doing which seems like a stupid move to me. If I reveal I've been manipulating you into doing my bidding, I'm not going to reveal the depths of my deceit at the very moment that I need you to save my butt from a rival. Doing so and expecting Tang to not turn against them just seems unreasonable to me. That's not to mention the person who drops dead evidently out of sheer willpower. That's too hard to believe.
Morality
I don’t think this has an actual rating, but I would say PG at worst. There’s some violence (being a Martial Arts movie and all) including suicide, but it's not graphic, gory, or disturbing. There is some drug-related content, but the drug lords are shown to be evil people so I would say it's not at all glamorized. There is nothing sexual or revealing and no strong language.
Spirituality
While not directly spiritual I like the themes of redemption, honor, and justice. Despite the dark path Tang has taken he is not beyond repentance and forgiveness. His master's widow displays a willingness to forgive the man who murdered her husband and later a willingness to lay down her life so that Tang can be free of that which binds him. She will not have Tang doing evil even out of concern for her wellbeing yet takes a sacrificial approach to the situation.
I'm bothered a little by the suicides. I'm sure it goes along with Chinese culture at the time, an honorable death and all that, but it doesn't sit well with me. One death can be attributed to a person laying down a life to bring another person out of his evil ways (a Christ-like notion), but the others are more about guilt and shame. Please don't let guilt or shame lead you to kill yourself.
Final Thoughts
Any fan of Jackie Chan or older Chinese movies should definitely check this out. This is deeper than a movie with fight scenes even though it has its faults.
Buying Guide
"Dragon Fist" has fewer DVD options than I expected, and none are what I would consider a definitive version.
Basically you have pan-&-scan and widescreen options with some other notable differences.
Beverly Wilshire offers a DVD that unfortunately gives too few details to be exactly sure of what it offers. Is it uncut? Possibly. It does list a 90 minute run time which is supposedly the length of the uncut version. Is it widescreen? I can't say for sure. You might get something worth having in this release, and you might not. You'll have to take a gamble.
A few different reviewers mention a Hong Kong Legends release. I have yet to find a copy of this available but it is said to be uncut with the original language track and original aspect ratio. It is out of print and hard to find.
Final Recommendation:
I can't say I've been disappointed with my Columbia Tristar DVD (detailed below), but I would certainly be far more satisfied with an unedited version. I can't think of any acceptable reason to remove nearly 20 minutes of the movie. I am tempted to check out the Beverly Wilshire DVD in hopes that I can get the full thing, but without knowing for sure what it offers I can't really recommend it unless you find it for a price that makes it a low-risk gamble. The Hong Kong Legends release sounds like your best bet if you can find it.
The Columbia Tristar (Sony) DVD is a single disc release.
Video
2.35:
It's quite trashy as well as soft and blurry. At least it's widescreen.
Audio
2.0 Dolby:
It sounds like a mono mix to me. Distorted and slightly muddled with a weak mix but all dialogue is easy to hear. The Cantonese track has a slightly better mix than the English but still has some white noise in the background.
The original Cantonese is offered as well as an English dub that's not too bad.
Packaging
The case is standard plastic.
An insert offers the cover art again and a list of chapters.
The interface is a simple static image.
The downfall of this print is that it is edited. As much as 18 minutes have been cut. While I haven't seen the uncut version for myself what I've read suggests that there are some significant moments missing. The run time is 1:17
Extras
-Previews: A few are offered in a menu.