Meng long guojiang opens with Lee in Rome, the first ten minutes being a comedic culture clash, as he cannot speak Italian and has to use mime. The joke was stifled somewhat on one version that had both Lee and the Italians dubbed into English, meaning the joke literally lost something in translation.
Production for this one is a step back from Jing wu men with the film stock poor and the overdubs (not a fault of the original version, of course) once again mismatched. The incidental music also seems designed specifically to get on your nerves. Lee's direction isn't awful, but it's far from exceptional, with garishly unsubtle usage of the location, except for canny utilisation of a coliseum at the climax. And I loved the pussycat meow that initiates that final battle.
Tang Lung, Lee's dopiest character, continues to be embroiled in fairly amusing comic setpieces, the plot not kicking in until the half-hour mark. Lung eventually finds himself fending off a protection racket from his uncle's restaurant, becoming embroiled in gang warfare. There's even an unexpected twist during the final third, perhaps something you wouldn't expect from this type of movie.
There are some funny moments, such as Ping-Ao Wei as a stereotyped homosexual, though at times the screenplay is a little too flabby to satisfy its medium. Often impressive, though often unfocused, this is a worthwhile, though only semi-successful attempt at a lighter vehicle for the star.
Production for this one is a step back from Jing wu men with the film stock poor and the overdubs (not a fault of the original version, of course) once again mismatched. The incidental music also seems designed specifically to get on your nerves. Lee's direction isn't awful, but it's far from exceptional, with garishly unsubtle usage of the location, except for canny utilisation of a coliseum at the climax. And I loved the pussycat meow that initiates that final battle.
Tang Lung, Lee's dopiest character, continues to be embroiled in fairly amusing comic setpieces, the plot not kicking in until the half-hour mark. Lung eventually finds himself fending off a protection racket from his uncle's restaurant, becoming embroiled in gang warfare. There's even an unexpected twist during the final third, perhaps something you wouldn't expect from this type of movie.
There are some funny moments, such as Ping-Ao Wei as a stereotyped homosexual, though at times the screenplay is a little too flabby to satisfy its medium. Often impressive, though often unfocused, this is a worthwhile, though only semi-successful attempt at a lighter vehicle for the star.