- Dragon Tiger Gate
-
Dragon Tiger Gate 
The Hong Kong posterTraditional 龍虎門 Simplified 龙虎门 Mandarin Lóng Hǔ Mén Cantonese Lung4 Fu2 Mun4 Directed by Wilson Yip Produced by Nansun Shi
Raymond Wong
Yu Dong
Xu PengleScreenplay by Edmond Wong Story by Wong Yuk-long Starring Donnie Yen
Nicholas Tse
Shawn YueMusic by Kenji Kawai Cinematography Ko Chiu-lam
Cheung Man-poEditing by Cheung Ka-fai Distributed by Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd. Release date(s) 28 July 2006 (Hong Kong)
10 May 2007 (South Korea)Running time 96 minutes Country Hong Kong Language Cantonese Gross revenue HK $12,108,465 Dragon Tiger Gate is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Wilson Yip and featuring fight choreography by Donnie Yen, who also stars in the film. The film is based on the manhua Oriental Heroes, which bears the same Chinese title as the film. The film's release in all English-speaking territories is handled by The Weinstein Company.[1]
A punching bag constructed for the film, measuring about 8 feet (2.4 m) high, 5 feet (1.5 m) wide and weighing about 400 pounds was certified as the world's largest by Guinness World Records.[2]
Contents
Plot
Dragon Tiger Gate is a martial arts academy established by two powerful martial artists. The academy aims to train and equip students with martial arts in order to uphold justice and combat the threat of the triads in a seemingly lawless world. The academy is also a haven for children who had been orphaned as a result of triad activities.
The story begins with the two sons, who were born to different mothers, of Wong, one of the founders of the academy. The older son is named Dragon and the younger one is named Tiger. When the boys were still young, Dragon's mother left the academy and gave Dragon half of a jade amulet pendant and told him that his half-brother Tiger has the other half of the pendant. When Dragon's mother was killed in a fire, Dragon was taken into the care of triad boss named Ma Kun and he grew up to become Ma's bodyguard. Ma Kun's gang is a subject of the evil Luocha Cult.
Several years later, Tiger and his friends are dining in a restaurant and encounter Ma Kun and his men, who are receiving the Luocha Plaque. The plaque is a symbol of authority within the Luocha Cult and indicates that the holder is second only to the cult's leader Shibumi. Ma Kun and the leader of the White Lions Gang were arguing over the plaque when Tiger interrupts and starts a fight with the gangsters. They manage to seize the plaque. Just then, Dragon appears and fights with Tiger, whom he does not recognise to be his half-brother. Ma Kun calls for Dragon to pull back.
Later that night, Dragon confronts Tiger and his friends at a Japanese restaurant to take back the plaque. Tiger and his friends have been drugged by Scaly, another of Ma Kun's lackeys, who also wanted to seize back the plaque to prove to his boss that he is the better man. Scaly and his followers fight Dragon over possession of the plaque. Turbo Shek, another diner at the restaurant, is aroused by the commotion and he joins in the fight on Dragon's side. Dragon and Turbo defeat Scaly and his men and Dragon takes back the plaque from Tiger. Just then, Tiger discovers that Dragon has the other half of the jade amulet pendant and realises that Dragon is actually his half-brother.
Turbo follows Tiger back to Dragon Tiger Gate and wants to be enrolled into the academy to improve his martial arts. He is refused by the current leader of the academy, Master Wong, for his arrogance. Dismayed, Turbo waits outside the academy and promises not to leave unless he is accepted in as student. Master Wong agrees to spar with Turbo and defeats Turbo easily. Turbo is humbled and accepted by Master Wong as a student.
Meanwhile, Ma Kun returns the Luocha Plaque to signify his retirement. He is supported by Dragon, who wants to return to Dragon Tiger Gate, and his daughter Ma Xiaoling, who wants a simple life. Shibumi sees this as an insult and sends his henchmen, the Double Devils, to kill Ma Kun. He uses his subordinate Luocha to lure Dragon away while his minions kill Ma Kun. Dragon realises that he had been tricked and return to rescue Ma Kun but it is too late. Dragon slays the Double Devils after a vicious fight and leaves Ma Xiaoling in his brother's care before leaving.
Shibumi was impressed with Dragon for defeating his henchmen and goes to Dragon Tiger Gate to issue a challenge. With Dragon not present, Master Wong, Tiger and Turbo takes on Shibumi's challenge but were utterly defeated. Master Wong is killed by Shibumi while Tiger and Turbo are severely wounded. Ma Xiaoling brings Tiger and Turbo to Mount Baiyun to seek help from Master Qi. Master Qi heals the wounded Tiger and Turbo, and teaches them new martial arts techniques to fight Shibumi.
Tiger and Turbo storm into Shibumi's Black Pagoda to stop him from committing evil acts once and for all. Although their martial arts abilities have greatly improved since the last time they fought, they are still not Shibumi's match. At the critical moment, Dragon appears and fights Shibumi, eventually defeating him. Before the film ends, Dragon returns to Dragon Tiger Gate together with Tiger and Turbo.
Cast
- Donnie Yen as Dragon Wong
- Howard Sit as young Dragon
- Nicholas Tse as Tiger Wong
- Tam Chun-ho as young Tiger
- Shawn Yue as Turbo Shek
- Dong Jie as Ma Xiaoling
- Isabella Leong as Ma Xiaoling (voice)
- Chen Kuan-tai as Ma Kun
- Yu Kang as Shibumi
- Louis Koo as Shibumi (voice)
- Li Xiaoran as Luosha
- Ella Koon as Luosha (voice)
- Chan Kwan-king as young Luosha
- Yuen Wah as Master Wong
- Wong Yuk-long as Master Qi
- Vincent Sze as Scaly
- Tommy Yuen as Xing
- Sam Chan as Ming
- Alan Lam as Patch
- Nick Lam as Hei
- Xing Yu as Fan
- Yan Hua as Stick
- Sheren Tang as Dragon's mother
Sequel
In a Hong Kong interview with the production crew, it was quoted that the cast and crew intends to create a sequel to expand the story on screen by summer of 2007. However, with the original cast committed to a long list of other projects, there has yet to be signs of any level of production or completion by the announced date. As of 2010, there has been no further mention of a sequel and suggestively, the sequel had been quietly scrapped.
References
- ^ Weinstein Watch: Dragon Tiger Gate, Twitchfilm.net, 11 April 2006 (retrieved 26 July 2006).
- ^ Dragon Tiger Gate Enters Guinness World Records, CRIENGLISH.com, 9 July 2006 (retrieved 26 July 2006).
External links
- Dragon Tiger Gate at the Internet Movie Database
- Dragon Tiger Gate at AllRovi
- Dragon Tiger Gate at the Hong Kong Movie Database
- Dragon Tiger Gate on LoveAsianFilm.com
- Dragon Tiger Gate plot synopsis on donnieyen.com
- Dragon Tiger Gate film review
Categories:- Hong Kong films
- 2006 films
- Films based on comics
- 2000s action films
- Cantonese-language films
- Martial arts films
- Kung fu films
- Donnie Yen as Dragon Wong
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
