Bridge of Dragons
1999
Director: Isaac Florentine
Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Cary Tagawa, Valerie Chow*
Before you look at the rating and wonder what I've been smoking, keep in mind that (in my opinion) even though Dolph Lundgren has done enough bad movies for two actors (at least), he has done some good work with movies like The Punisher and Universal Soldier, and Bridge of Dragons is another good effort from him. It ultimately can't rise above its' B-movie heritage, but as a mindless action flick, Bridge of Dragons does its' job.
Taking place in an alternate future where the Axis won World War II and the world is ruled by kings, Dolph plays a soldier named Warchild who is sent by his general (Cary Tagawa) to find his bride (Valerie Chow), a princess who has run off because she doesn't trust the general. Dolph eventually finds the princess, along with a group of revolutionaries, and decides to help the princess take down the general.
Yeah, so the plot's not mind-blowing, but it's a lot better than the "crooked cop" or "drug lord" stuff usually found in B-movies, and the production looks like it has more than two cents to it, so it can actually support the strange look the plot calls for. The acting, as you might expect, isn't the greatest either (in fact, Valerie Chow's voice seems to have been dubbed over), but it's not nearly as bad as some B-movie fodder like your usual Don Wilson movie, and Cary Tagawa puts in another solid performance as a villain (is he ever a good guy?).
What really sets Bridge of Dragons apart from similar movies are the action sequences. They are really very well done, with a good mix of gun and fist-based shenanigans. More importantly, it looks as if the crew actually knew how to shoot and edit these parts so they didn't turn into the usual "MTV style" junk all too present in many new action movies. Some bigger productions could take a few tips from a film like this, and concentrate on the basics, instead of trying to overwhelm the audience with too many pyrotechnics and "fancy" camerawork.
RATING: 7
(*credited as "Rachael Shane")