Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Heart of Dragon is one of the most unique Jackie Chan movies for the simple fact that it’s not a Martial Arts movie. It has a little bit of action particularly at the end but not enough that I would actually consider this an action movie.

Sammo Hung, who is also the director, is Jackie’s mentally retarded brother. He has the mind of a child and is constantly getting into trouble because he simply doesn’t know any better. The enormous responsibility of taking care of such a person is taking its toll on Jackie. He’s had to give up on his dreams, and though he would never abandon his brother, he is looking for a way out. When Sammo commits a robbery, without knowing what he’s doing, the police want him, and a gang of criminals kidnaps him. Though Jackie could use this as his way out he realizes the depths of his love and is willing to risk everything to save his brother.

It is a touching story with a heartwarming end. There are some emotional moments earlier on as well. Heartwarming, yes, heartwrenching, no. The impact isn’t such that I get tears in my eyes or even a lump in my throat. There are several things that weaken the mood: cultural differences making some comments and actions feel out of place, acting that is not terrible but not strong enough to drive the performances home, and a less than stirring score.

Usually what carries a Jackie Chan movie is the combat. Beautifully choreographed hand-to-hand fights with stunning feats of agility, light-hearted comedy, and unexpected odd weapons can carry even the weakest JC movie for a fan like me. Heart of Dragon contains none of what I expect to see. Except for a few minutes at the very beginning the first hour has very little action at all. The excitement picks up near the end, but it’s mostly guns and knives – standard, in other words, rather than classic Jackie.

What makes the lack of combat interesting is that there are several renowned Martial Artists that don’t do anything. Sammo is the most notable since he is the most widely known after Jackie and holds the co-starring role. He doesn’t do much more than kick a chair although he does use his agility to execute a terrific fall and tumble. James Tien, the crimelord, has faced off against Jackie in older movies, but doesn’t so much as throw a punch here. I kind of expected him to be the final challenge for Jackie, but not so.

I commend Jackie and Sammo for wanting to make a touching, dramatic movie, but it’s not what they’re best at. Maybe it worked for its time and or culture, but it doesn’t hit home with me. It’s not so bad that I say steer clear of it, it is worth seeing, but if you’re looking for action you will probably be disappointed.

Content:
The R rating is for violence. There’s another oddity of the movie. Despite the lack of action, it’s more lethal than the average JC movie. Jackie buries a machete in a villain’s neck, for example. It’s still nothing compared to most R rated American action blockbusters and is closer to PG13 than R. The language is PG13. It’s pretty bad, but not R material. There is a little bit of nudity with Sammo bearing his butt in the tub, but because of his character it’s like watching a child running around naked. It’s nothing at all sexual. I think the R rating is unfair so sensitive viewers can use my description as a better guide.

DVD:
I think there may be at least 2 DVD releases of this movie. The one I have is the best one I’ve seen and is therefore the one I recommend (unless, of course, another one is released later on).

It offers English and Chinese soundtracks, 5.1 and DTS for Surround sound, and English subtitles. I doubt you will ever find a better quality reproduction of the movie.

Extras:
There are a few extras which is rare for Jackie’s non-American movies, at least the older ones. The most notable are the two deleted fight scenes. Both are lengthy, edited together with music and no dialogue. It’s not Jackie’s best work but is fun to see nonetheless.

The original trailer is interesting. It’s essentially a trailer, a behind the scenes feature, and a music video rolled into one. It has no English, though, neither audio nor subtitles. The new trailer is a more standard English trailer.

There are a few trailers for other movies if you’re looking for other movies from this culture. One of them, City Hunter, is a movie I’ve already reviewed should it spark your interest.

Final thoughts:
I want all the Jackie Chan movies, so even though this isn’t my favorite I gladly keep it in my collection. If you’re of like mind you will definitely want it. If you aren’t that devoted a collector but do like Jackie you might be better off renting rather than buying. If you like Hong Kong drama from the 㣴’s you might want to check it out. It’s really a 2* movie for lack of dramatic impact and lack of Martial Arts action. I bump it up because it does have heart, it does have Jackie Chan, and the DVD creators went to a little trouble to provide some rare related video to go with it.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older