Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
This film is a glimpse into the life, love and the unconquerable spirit of the legendary Bruce Lee. From a childhood of rigorous martial arts training, Lee realizes his dream of opening his own kung-fu school in America. Before long, he is discovered by a Hollywood producer and begins a meteoric rise to fame and an all too short reign as one the most charismatic action heroes in cinema history.
Dragon is a respectful and entertaining biopic that covers Bruce Lee's life with genuine warmth and energy. Jason Scott Lee's physical performance is compelling and the film captures the spirit of its subject well. The plot follows a fairly conventional biopic structure — rags to stardom, personal struggle, triumphant moments — without digging deeply into the more complex or controversial aspects of Lee's life. Cinematography is functional but unremarkable for the era. The recurring nightmare/demon sequences add a mythic dimension that gives the film some distinctiveness over a standard Hollywood biopic. The ending, shaped by the tragic reality of Lee's early death, carries emotional weight but is handled with a somewhat muted touch that avoids full dramatic payoff.