Dragon Heat (aka Dragon Squad/2006)
Picture: B-
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: C+
In one of the more ambitious action films of late, writer/director Daniel
Lee’s Dragon Heat (aka Dragon Squad/2006) pits Interpol agents
against Triad gangsters when one of their leaders due to go on trial
disappears. Sammo Hung, Michael Biehn,
Shawn Yue and Maggie Q are among the stars cast with the genre fans in
mind. Though the story can seem typical
at times, the fight sequences are some of the better choreographed in recent
films, if not up to Kill Bill.
Biehn’s
presence reminds one of the later films in the Spaghetti Western cycle called
on popular American actors to give the film extra appeal and added value to the
marquee. He fares better than expected
and better than in many U.S. productions to boot, but the script is strong
enough to be a better genre entry without the cast, so it all adds up to a good
film for fans who have had more than a few disappointments of late.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is not bad and Director of
Photography Tony Cheung manages some good camera angles and compositions, while
there are detail limits in this transfer but it is good for the format just the
same. Consistent color helps. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is mixed, with
surrounds not used as widely or effectively as would have been expected, but
the sound has a few good moments. However,
why it sounds as limited as it does is odd.
Extras include another solid audio commentary track by film expert Logan
Bey, making of featurette, two separate interviews (Biehn and Lawrence Chow)
and a deleted scene.
- Nicholas Sheffo
