Directed by Daniel Lee, Dragon Blade is a fine example of the materialization of the growing motion picture market in China.
The industry is so dominant in Asia that Western stars are appearing in Chinese productions. Like Dragon Blade, the movies are cultural dramas on a grand scale of historical epics. Lee’s movie has been a moneymaker, grossing over $120 million in China.
The storyline is unique and pleasurable with Jackie Chan, John Cusack, and Adrien Brody. Cusack and Brody appear out of place in the empire of men swinging swords and wearing sandals, whereas Chan does a fine job of martial arts and plays a familiar role.
The movie transports the story back to 48 B.C., where Huo An, played by Chan, is a well-intended and compassionate leader of the Silk Road Protection Squad. His squad comes across as a dedicated group. Huo protects and fights altruistically to maintain harmony for the sanctioned Road.
Thereupon, Huo and his men are framed for gold smuggling and are banished to Wild Goose Gate. They are required to rebuild an entire city in two weeks or be put to death. Clearly an impossible task, something miraculous happens, and they connect up with a lost Roman army. Commanded by General Lucius, played by Cusack, is a scoundrel. He immediately picks a fight with Huo. After the brawl, they became fast friends with singing, parades, and drinking. Lucius confesses he is trying to avoid capture by the Romans and that he has a sick boy, Publius, played by Joey Jozef. The boy is the lawful heir to the Roman throne, and his evil brother, Tiberius, played by Brody, is out to assassinate him. He recently murdered their father, so we know he is serious. With that in mind, Lucius’ men and other local tribes, along with Huo, turn the city into a symbol of peace. Something Huo has desired for most of his life.
The visuals are not only majestic but also ambiguous. Seeing Chan in a sword fight with Cusack is conflicting. We are in Asia, and here is a Westerner. It is intriguing but unreal for an epic. The $65 million budget funded gigantic spectacles in which Lee effectively created a war-torn China during the Han Dynasty.
This is purely fictional with no regard for historical authenticity. True. The Romans and Asians shared commerce and the Silk Road, but nothing more. The many battle scenes are exceptional, with the combination of Roman fighting techniques and traditional Chinese martial arts. The movie is invigorating to watch as a friendship develops between Huo and Lucius.
Overall, Dragon Blade is a movie worth seeing, with Chan outshining his Western co-stars.
