Alice Oscura – Featured Writer
Enter the Fat Dragon stars martial arts superstar Donnie Yen (Blade 2, Rogue One). The film is a remake of Sammo Hung’s 1978 movie of the same name, which itself was a parody of Bruce Lee’s The Way of the Dragon (1972). The title is also a reference to Lee’s 1973 film Enter the Dragon, which sadly ended up being his final film before his death that year.
Yen stars as Fallon Zhu, a Hong Kong police officer that becomes overweight after the double blow of being demoted to the evidence room and suffering a traumatic break up with his fiancé, TV Actress Chloe (Niki Chow). Being a cop is in his blood and he gets the opportunity to redeem himself when he is sent on a mission to Japan. But things do not go as planned, and he finds himself butting heads with the Yakuza as well as the corrupted Japanese police. The situation gets even more complicated when his ex-fiancé is hired by the gangsters to make an appearance at a special event. Fallon is driven by a relentless sense of justice but does not necessarily always goes about executing it the right way.
This foray into action-comedy by Yen is a big jump from his recent dramatic Ip Man franchise. Was he successful in this new venture? I would say definitely yes! Not only is his character charming and funny, but it shows the audience that he is capable and ready to diversify his portfolio. He shows a humour and spontaneity that are a far cry from his usual dramatic action films. The slapstick-inspired comedy sequences are going to have you bursting at the seams with laughter. The romance can sometimes just lightly tap on the serious notes and can turn into downright ridiculousness at other moments.
It is also a very respectful homage to Bruce Lee as Yen is shown binge watching his movies and making a brief reference to Lee’s metaphor for water. The action and fighting sequences are deliciously over the top, reminiscent of the old kung fu kick ups that we would watch back in the day. I think he also channeled a bit of Jackie Chan too, who we know is the Master at the acrobatics needed for this type of comedy-action mix.
I found myself thoroughly captivated and amused while watching Yen punch and kick his way all over the screen with his plump cheeks and round belly. Yen handles the moves effortlessly despite the fat suit and the entire cast looks like they had a blast making this film. The action sequences come one after the other from start to finish and there is never a dull moment.
I must say that I was not really liking Chloe’s character in the earlier part of the movie because I found her to be a bit annoying, but thankfully she redeems herself in my book before the end of the movie. The onscreen chemistry between the leads is quite good and the villain is over the top crazy, but he is the perfect ingredient to the mix. The cinematography and skyline for the final fight scene reminded me of a giant Christmas tree. So many lights…extremely pleasing to the eye!
Yen sure does not disappoint and my advice to you guys would be not to take it too seriously and just enjoy it for what it is – a super fun and entertaining film that can fill your hour and half with a barrel of laughs.
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Rating: 7.5/10
Dark Alice has an old soul and a curious mind. I believe that anyone can be a hero and that the good guys should always win! I dislike cruelty to animals and think that they have far superior qualities to humans. My motto is there is no future without the past. I also have a weird penchant for Paranormal TV shows even though the slightest sound makes me jump.
I enjoy writing reviews and throwing in fun facts to pique the readers’ curiosity. My ultimate goal in life would be to become a published writer one day. You can find me as Dark Alice Reviews on Facebook, my Instagram is alice_oscura and my Twitter handle is @lise_veliz2. For more on me you can click here.