Year of the Dragon [Blu-ray]

Overview

Best known for his 1978 film The Deer Hunter or perhaps the less-successful Heaven's Gate, director Michael Cimino turned to this fast-paced actioner set in an authentic (back lot) Chinatown. This thriller stars a rogue Polish-American cop (Mickey Rourke) out to not only keep Chinatown safe for the local consumers, but to dismantle its deep-rooted crime and drug cartels as well. No one backs the crusading cop in the latter objective, and as he faces a suave and wily crime boss (John Lone of The Last Emperor) and a libidinous newscaster (Ariane), he may be taking on more than he can handle. At least his wife thinks so, and the guys at City Hall think so -- but mayhem and murder will strew the streets with corpses before the smoke clears and the dust settles, and a vague, unresolved future sets in.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/19/2019
UPC:	0888574770686
Original Release:	1985
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:14:00
Sales rank:	14,816

Special Features

Commentary by director Michael Cimino; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Mickey Rourke	Stanley White
John Lone	Joey Tai
Ariane	Tracy Tzu
Leonard Termo	Angelo Rizzo
Raymond J. Barry	Louis Bukowski,Louis Bukowski
Caroline Kava	Connie White
Eddie Jones	William McKenna
Joey Chin	Ronnie Chang,Southwind Waiter
Victor Wong	Harry Yung,Dragon King Girl,Mrs. Harry Yung,Tina
K. Dock Yip	Milton Bin,Old General
Pao Han Lin	Fred Hung
Way Dong Woo	Elder,Mrs. Wong
Jimmy Sun	Elder
Daniel Davin	Francis Kearney
Mark Hammer	Commissioner
Dennis Dun	Herbert Kwong
Jack Kehler	Alan Perez
Steven Chen	Tony Ho,Shanghai Palace Singer
Paul Scaglione	Teddy Tedesco
Joseph Bonaventura	Lagnese
Jilly Rizzo	Schiro
Tony Lip	Lenny Carranza
Fabia Drake	Nun
Tisa Chang	Nun,Dragon King Girl,Jade Cobra Boy
Gerald Orange	Bear Siku,Bear Siku
Fan Mui Sang	White Powder Ma
Yukio Yamamoto	Ban Sung
Doreen Chan	Red Hair,Jade Cobra Boy
Dermot McNamara	Scappy Peck
Vallo Benjamin	DEA Man
Chin Feng	Dragon King Boy
Yuk Fan Yiu	Dragon King Boy
Richie Hsiu	Dragon King Boy
Jack Lee	Dragon King Boy,Dragon King Girl,Pei Brother,Jackie Wong,Jackie Wong's Son,Shanghai Palace Hostess,Dragon King Boy,Jade Cobra Girl,Jackie Wong's Son
Irene Jung	Dragon King Girl
Chi Moy	Dragon King Girl
Johnny Shia	Chia
Gardell Tung	Jade Cobra Boy,Southwind Waiter
Jeff Khowong	Jade Cobra Boy
Aileen Ho	Jade Cobra Girl
Keenan Leung	Pei Brother
James Scales	Connie's Assassin
Kader Ma	Jackie Wong's Assassin
Manny Fung	Jackie Wong's 2nd Son
Roza Ng	Laura Wong Tai
Gloria Au	Joey Tai's Daughter
Lin Ngan Ng	Chinese Widow
Bruno Millotti	Italian Waiter
Lucille D'Agnillo	Mrs. Bukowski
Julian Szumilo	Roman Catholic Priest
Cecelia Pei	Harry Yung's Secretary
Quan Eng	Mortician
George Kodish	Police Sergeant
Bruce Kennedy	Surveillance Technician
Pat Fuji	Shanghai Palace Hostess
Kuni Mikami	Shanghai Palace Musician
Billy Asai	Shanghai Palace Musician
Chi On Soo Hoo	Shanghai Palace Musician
John Sparks	Tracy's TV Cameraman
Hon-Lam Pau	Actor
Joanna Merlin	Actor
George Kodisch	Police Sergeant
Carmine Venezia	Funeral Musician
Anthony Parrillo	Funeral Musician
Matthew Castiglione	Funeral Musician
Steve Hanson	Funeral Musician
Raymond Gardner	Funeral Musician
Michael Acampora	Funeral Musician
David Mansfield	Composer
Lucia Hwong	Composer

Technical Credits

Michael Cimino

Oliver Stone

Stanley Mann

Michael Cimino	Director,Screenwriter
Dino De Laurentiis	Producer
Oliver Stone	Screenwriter
Debby Porter	Stunts
Stanley Mann	Screenwriter
Fred Caruso	Producer

Editorial Reviews

A fast-paced thriller that brims with bloody action, this 1985 film certainly wasn’t quite the epic that director Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter) imagined, but despite its self-importance, Year of the Dragon delivers the goods. Mickey Rourke plays the movie’s flawed hero, a Vietnam veteran-turned-cop whose violent tendencies make him an ideal choice to battle ruthless drug smugglers headed by Chinatown’s crime czar (John Lone). What begins as a fairly routine investigation of murderous youth gangs mushrooms into an epic struggle between Rourke’s character -- a classic lone wolf who dispenses vigilante-style justice -- and a secretive criminal system with roots going back thousands of years. Cimino rather overplays his hand in trying to stress Chinese history and culture; the story succeeds on a purely pulpy level, and the attempts to legitimize it are unnecessary and distracting. From a production standpoint, it’s hard to fault Dragon. Cimino had New York’s Chinatown replicated in uncanny detail in the South Carolina studio of producer Dino De Laurentiis, and the action scenes are imaginatively staged on a large scale. Brimming with authenticity of setting and style, this vivid and exhilarating action film holds up a lot better than many of its era.

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse

This urban crime epic has style to burn but is ultimately unsatisfying; this is unfortunate because director Michael Cimino has the visual touch Year of the Dragon needs. He films the story's events in a sweeping and sumptuous style and brings a real kinetic flair to the film's action sequences. Unfortunately, the script leaves the viewer with precious few reasons to become emotionally invested: the character of Stanley White is as selfish as he is irresponsible and the film's two major female characters are portrayed as icy, overbearing caricatures. There's also a relentlessly shrill tone to the film; characters never have real conversations, they either trade insults or shout at each other. Thankfully, there are a few good performances to reward the patient viewer: Mickey Rourke puts the full weight of his charisma behind Stanley White and manages to make him compelling if not likeable, while John Lone is the epitome of sly evil as his Chinatown nemesis. Their battle of wills generates real dramatic sparks, it's just a shame the film they're in doesn't offer them a better vehicle.

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