Year of the Dragon | | Cast : | Mickey Rourke, John Lone | | Director : | Michael Cimino | | Studio : | Warner Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | August 16, 1985 | | DVD Released Date : | May 31, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 08, 2005 | | Summary | Whatever happened to Michael Cimino? | Content
 | Controversial film that was panned by critics when first released in 1985. Yes the acting by Ariane is really really bad and Mickey Rourke's hair dye job looks absurd and downright stupid, and the film is racist if you are the type of person who believes that the waiter in your favorite Chinese restaurant is a thief and a murderer and the restaurant owner is the boss of an international smuggling cartel. Otherwise its just a story that sheds no light on the real Chinatown. Cimino entertains us with tall tales and alot ot violence but he has zero insight into the realities of life in Chinatown other than alot of sterotyped ideas. Mickey Rourke saves the film by spewing such classic lines as "C'mon we're going to watch the rice boil in Chinatown". The DVD quality is very good.
Five years layer in 1990 Rourke and Cimino teamed up again for the Bogart remake of Desperate Hours with Kelly Lynch who was fresh off of her stint in Roadhouse from 1988. For a great film go out and buy the DVD special edition of the King of New York with Chris Walken from 1990. King of NY is much better than Year of the Dragon. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 06, 2005 | | Summary | Whatever Happened to John Lone? | Content
| "Year of the Dragon" though consistently engaging is a highly uneven film. While it purports to be about the Chinese underworld I don't think I knew any more on the topic than before I watched this film. I attribute this to the script by director Michael Cimino and Oliver Stone which has more than it's share of bloated rhetoric. Mickey Rourke, not helped by the silver dye job, does the best he can with the dialogue he's forced to spew as Stanley White, returning Vietnam vet turned police captain who has a personal vendetta in cleaning up Chinatown that remains vague to me. Arianne, who plays the TV reporter whom Rourke beds, has to be one of the worst actresses this side of "Showgirls". The film is elevated by the performance of John Lone as Joey Tai, ruthlessly ambitious crimelord. Lone is so coolly suave that you wish that more of the film had dedicated itself to his character instead of Rourke's. I do admire Cimino as a director, however. He's from the old school of seventies filmmakers whose most flawed work is as interesting as more successfully commercial product. As a screenwriter that's another story. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 01, 2005 | | Summary | Whatever happened to Ariane? | Content
| Anyone know? By the way this disc is worth picking up just for the commentary by Michael Cimino...I always thought he was semi-reclusive, so it's pretty entertaining to listen to him ramble on in a pretty stream of consciousness kind of way...As for the movie, I'd say it's pretty harsh, and probably politically incorrect, but I still find it damn entertaining, and it's nice to finally have it in widescreen with remastered sound. It's well worth the price and very underrated. After Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, this is my favorite Cimino film, and it's very re-watchable....which I think is essential to owning DVD's. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 18, 2005 | | Summary | The Good ole days!!! | Content
| This movie sure brings back memories. If you get easily upset over racial slurs this might not be the movie for you. However action packed from start to finish.
I only wish John Lone were in more movies now!!! He always plays such a great villian and Mickey Rourke plays his role of the do things my way cop so well. I'm glad to see this is coming out on DVD so I won't have to purchase an overseas copy.
One of my top favorites of all time. Also if you liked this one check out The Hunted (1995) version starring Christopher Lambert and John Lone. Another Classic!!! |
| Rating | | | Date | March 23, 2005 | | Summary | Highly Unappealing | Content
| I feel compelled to write this review in light of the glowing commentary provided by some other customers. I found this movie unpleasant to say the least. Though it had some interesting ideas, there was not a single appealing character in the film. While some might call this "realism," to me this was just poor scripting. I've seen films that made unpleasant people who are still appealing characters (such as the Usual Suspects or Resevoir Dogs) but this movie couldn't even make a "tough policeman" type appealing. I cannot deny that the up-in-arms attitude of many Asian American groups towards this film are uncalled for, but at the same time I found it self indulgent, dull, and, as my title says, highly unappealing. Though I'm apparently in the minority in this view (judging by the other customer reviews) I feel obliged to make it known, and to mention that everyone who I watched this with agreed with me. I guess I'm trying to say that this movie isn't for every one. :) |
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