eat my brains header graphic
RSS  l  Facebook  l  Twitter  l  About Us  l  Contact Us  l  Link to Us    
    Home    News    Reviews    Features    Top Ten    Zombie Club    Competitions    Links        
latest reviews Back | Next   

Dragon Tiger Gate

Director
Wilson Yip

Cast
Donnie Yen
Nicholas Tse
Shawn Yue
Kuan Tai Chen
Jie Dong
Xiao Ran Li
Vincent Sze
Sheren Tang
Xiao Li Yuan
Wah Yuen

Rating



Runtime
94 mins

Genre
Cartoon martial arts

Available From

Amazon UK
Amazon US

Click on the icons above to purchase this title and support Eat My Brains!


Dragon Tiger Gate (2006)

14th Apr 07





Plot
Three young martial arts masters fight for justice on the streets of Hong Kong.

Review
Adapted from a very popular Hong Kong manga comic of the same name, Dragon Tiger Gate is the tale of three heroes fighting for justice in a modern coming of age tale of good versus bad, with a load of flashy video-game kung fu thrown in for good measure.

It’s essentially the story of two brothers, Dragon and Tiger Wong, who are separated when they are young by the chance death of their parents and are brought up individually by opposing factions. Dragon is raised by Kun, who works for a triad gang called Jiang Hu, while Tiger grows up at Dragon Tiger Gate, a peaceful martial arts organisation ran by Tiger’s uncle Master Wong. Both grow into skilled warriors under a strict moral code including Dragon who, despite working for the triads, does his best to distance himself from their criminal activities.

Anyway, a chance encounter in a restaurant brings the two brothers together over a fight with a rival triad gang, and also introduces the nunchaku wielding newcomer Turbo. He yearns to learn from Master Wong and so tries to join Dragon Tiger Gate. Meanwhile over at the Jiang Hu hideout Kun has decided to retire from the gang, which suits Dragon fine and Kun’s daughter Xiaoling, who’s struck up a friendship with Tiger. But it does not go down well at all with the Jiang Hu boss Shibumi, aka The Black Pagoda, who then decides to wage war on everyone with his own unique form of cape assisted power kung fu.

And that’s pretty much it as far as the plot is concerned. As you’d expect, the movie takes the well worn martial arts structure of heroes make friends, heroes train, heroes’ guardians are attacked while they’re away, heroes confront bad guy too early and get whipped. Then our heroes go away, lick their wounds, have a little training montage then pile back in to the villain’s HQ for the big fight finale. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as the pacing is right and the slow character building bits aren’t too ponderous, but sadly Dragon Tiger Gate is quite guilty of exactly that.

When the screen does burst into energetic fights they are quite thrilling though. Wilson Yip, the director who brought us the dizzying heights of Bio-Zombie and Skyline Cruisers has loads of fun whipping the camera around through the kung-fu melee, and in the restaurant battle early on in particular picks some beautiful overheard panning shots as the fight erupts from room to room. Similarly the martial arts choreography of the fights themselves is pretty decent in a very Street Fighter-esque exaggerated way (Eighteen Dragon Slaying Kick anyone?), being flashy and CG assisted but certainly not in a covering up for lack of skill way. But the main issue with this film is that, for a tale so simple and shallow, too much time is spent with characters starring into the skyline (with a wind machine out of shot blowing their hair around) pondering their futures, or sulking over doomed romances, with the odd flashback where necessary. If only they could have kept this stuff to a minimum and got the fights in a bit more regularly it would have helped the movie immensely.

Still, it’s always fun to see stuff like a cool blonde guy with an impossible flick playing wallie with a tennis ball and a nunchaku, and that golden bell nunchuka shield manoeuvre was pretty cool. So if like me you like pyrotechnic stylized kung-fu you will probably enjoy Dragon Tiger Gate more than your average film fan. Just get ready with the remote to fast forward through the dull bits…

Versions
Available on import DVD. Also having a cinema release in June, but premiering at the Fighting Spirit Film Festival at the Excel Centre in May.

Posted by
Jim



Return to Reviews Index

comments powered by Disqus
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer part 2

29th Aug 06
Maybe you're thinking, 'sounds a bit like the first movie.' You’re dead right. Hell, it even opens the same way...
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer part 2
Bubba Ho-Tep

27th Jul 04
Bruce Campbell is perfect as The King. His look, the accent – its all there. You can tell he’s loving it. He’s got some of the best lines I’ve ever heard in a movie. A vital part of this film experience...
Bubba Ho-Tep
The Intruder

2nd Jun 11
"Guy lost his head".
The Intruder
latest news
Review - You're Next
17th Feb 14

Review - World War Z
27th Sep 13

Review - Remains
26th Sep 13

Review - From Beyond
1st Sep 13

Feature - Prometheus: Your Questions Answered
16th Jul 13

Review - Knightriders
6th Jun 13
More...
latest Zombie Clubs
You're Next

17th Feb 14
I'm next? Shit, I'm outta here.

World War Z

27th Sep 13
The most expensive zombie movie ever isn't actually that bad.

Remains

26th Sep 13
Zombies attack a casino in Reno. Whatever next?

From Beyond

1st Sep 13
So there you are mucking about stimulating the pineal gland and the next thing you know your dead colleague returns from beyond.

Knightriders
6th Jun 13
Megan is Missing
29th May 13
latest top tens
Prometheus: Your Questions Answered
16th Jul 13
Prometheus, then. That was a bit confusing, wasn’t it? Worry not – we can explain everything. Kinda.

FrightFest Glasgow 2013 - Day Two
4th Mar 13
Dumb movies are a lot easier to have fun with when they drop the rape.

FrightFest Glasgow 2013 - Day One
3rd Mar 13
Another sunny, snowy February in Glasgow and another rollercoaster of a line-up from Frightfest team

Interview with The Revenant's David Anders
22nd Jun 12
We talk to David Anders about this absolute gem of a cult classic in the making

Film4 FrightFest Glasgow 2012 - Day Two
11th Mar 12
Film4 FrightFest Glasgow 2012 - Day One
3rd Mar 12
More Features...
    Home    News    Reviews    Features    Top Ten    Zombie Club    Competitions    Links        

Reviews

You're Next
World War Z
Remains
From Beyond
Knightriders
Megan is Missing
Friday the 13th Part 2
Bait 3D
Motel Hell
Delirium Photos of Goia
Friday the 13th
Lisa and the Devil
Piranha 3DD
Black Sunday (Blu Ray)
Zombie Apocalypse
Django, Prepare a Coffin
Zombie Flesh Eaters (Blu-Ray Steelbook)
Phenomena
The Return of the Living Dead
The Devil Rides Out


Features

Prometheus: Your Questions Answered
FrightFest Glasgow 2013 - Day Two
FrightFest Glasgow 2013 - Day One
Interview with The Revenant's David Anders
Film4 FrightFest Glasgow 2012 - Day Two
Film4 FrightFest Glasgow 2012 - Day One
Going off on one about Gremlins with Anthony OD
Glasgow FrightFest - February 2011
I SPIT ON YOUR COUNCIL: THE ROUGH GUIDE TO FRIGHTFEST 2010
Talking of Torment : In Conversation With Andrew Cull


Top Ten

Top Ten Films of 2011
Top Ten Essential Takashi Miike Works
Top Ten Great Moments from Overlooked 2010 Movies
Faking Fear: Top Ten Mockumentaries
Top Ten Alternatives to The Exorcist
Top Ten Nightmarish Moments on Elm Street
Top Ten 2009 Genre Movies You Might Not Have Seen But Really Should
Top Ten Movies to watch this Halloween
Top Ten Frightfest Moments
Top Ten Defining Friday the 13th Moments


Zombie Club

Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors
Vigilante Night
Deodato Night
Peter O'Brian Night
Strike Commando Dawn
George Kenne-Day
Ninja Ninja Ninja Night
Juan Piquer Simon Night
Panther Night
Klaus Kinski Sci-Fi Night
Revenge Night
Sergio Martino Night
Monsters and Dinosaurs Night
Trollogy Night
Italian Post-Apoc Night
Late Fulci Night
Warrior Women Day
Ozploitation Night
70s Kidnap Night
Chinese Super Ninja Night


              All written material © Copyright EMB 2003-2017       

Hundreds of reviews of both classic and more recent sci-fi movies and DVDs, plus articles, message boards, dozens of clips and trailers, downloadable scripts, upcoming movie previews and more.Bob Berdella, Kansas City's most notorious serial killer!
Putting in hours soaking up the bad blood so you won't have to...The premier source of rare, hard to find, uncut horror and cult motion pictures on Region Free DVDr, serving the alternative connoisseur since early 2000.