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Huo An (Jackie Chan) and Lucius (John Cusack) in Dragon Blade. |
By John Esther
Gosh darn it. It is such a big production; it means so well; it stars Jackie Chan -- who is so cool; and it has two likable American actors: Adrien Brody and John Cusack. Yet Dragon Blade barely passes the entertainment muster.
Inspired by, yet hardly accurately based on, historical events, writer-director-production designer Daniel Lee's film sets itself in 50 B.C. along the Silk Road. A significant road for trade between the Occident and the Orient, the protection of the road is headed by Huo An (Chan). A passionate, reasonable, and preferably peaceful man, Huo and his troop protect the land through negotiation and equality -- only resorting to violence when all other means have been resisted by members of the 36 warring nations roaming and occupying the northwestern territory.
With so many belligerent people (primarily men) in the area, a peaceful dude like Huo is bound to be framed for a violent act committed by someone else. This setup leads him to the Wild Geese Gate.
A trading post in the middle of the desert, Wild Geese Gate is currently under construction. If the construction is not done on time, the slave labors, along with their masters, Captain (Xiao Yang) and Rat (Wang Taili), will be killed by the higher echelon.
As the construction completion deadline approaches, matters are complicated when Roman soldiers attack. Led by Lucius (Cusack), the Roman soldiers are in dire need of water. They are many. They are strong. Fortunately, Huo will teach their leader humility through martial arts superiority and generosity.
In return for the compassion the occupants of the trading post have shown the Romans, the Romans will teach the east how to build the post much sooner through the use of cement and newer construction techniques. This collaboration brings east and west together, furthering the film's message about the value, peace and, even self preservation, through multiculturalism. United (nations) we stand.
Naturally, this multiculturalism will be challenged by those who seek power at the expense of others. Divide and conquer.
Led by their ruthless leader, Tiberius (Brody), the Roman soldiers -- those who did not split and follow Lucius -- intend to take over the trading post and steal its treasure. While these Roman soldiers do not have the overall martial arts expertise of the current occupants of Wild Geese Gate, they are far greater in numbers.
A massive hit in China, and one of the most expensive films ever made there, Dragon Blade is indeed a grand production with thousands of soldiers fighting and dieing. The spectacle is quite impressive. People and horses seem to be forever charging ahead. Bodies upon bodies fall to the ground. Masses of men stain the desert with their demise.
On the smaller, more personal levels is where Dragon Blade suffers. Everyone speaks English (and their "native" language -- at least while singing), which was hardly the international language of the time. And the much of the dialogue does not necessarily serve the language well.
The acting is bit sub par for the likes of the main players, too, as if the weight of the spectacle makes any serious thespian effort futile in the grand scope of the film's things. Brody's accent seems to change over the course of the film. And I would mention the actor who plays Publius, but I am not sure his performance is his fault or Lee's. At any rate, I do not like to pick on children.
Having written that, Dragon Blade is still worth the experience. There is a lot going on here, and the glaring anti-xenophobic message of peace, cooperation and understanding is a potent antidote to the trumped up poisonous fears of our times.
