Skip over navigation

Help

Year Of The Dragon on DVD (1985)

Year Of The Dragon cover art
Play Year Of The Dragon trailer
Average rating: 60%
51020114
3.0
from 377 members
 
Starring: Mickey Rourke, John Lone, Ariane
Director: Michael Cimino
Studio: SANCTUARY VISUAL ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 127 mins
Certificate: 18
User collections: Judas' British, American and Asian Thug Most Wanted
Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller
Languages: English
Released: 31/05/2004

Brief synopsis of Year Of The Dragon

Michael Cimino's ultra-violent YEAR OF THE DRAGON boasts an Oliver Stone screenplay that mixes crime and action with gang warfare, and stars Mickey Rourke as Stanley White, a racist cop into whose lap the responsibility of policing Chinatown falls. Joey Tai (John Lone) is his nemesis, the kingpin of the Chinese Mafia in New York City and the film revolves around the lengths to which each character will go in order to preserve his side of the street.

Related

Critics Reviews

Rating of 2 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Few directors can claim the ups and downs of Michael Cimino's career. A brilliant debut with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, followed by the Oscar-winning classic The Deer Hunter, then the legendary studio-sinking flop Heaven's Gate. By comparison, this violent crime thriller is unexceptional in every respect, barring some accusations of inherent Asian racism. With a script co-written by Oliver Stone, this sour-tasting tale of highly decorated cop Mickey Rourke cleaning up corrupt Chinatown features some incredibly intense action and one of Rourke's more believable characterisations. Trouble is, there's not a likeable character in sight, the tone is absurdly melodramatic and it seems to go on forever.

Time Out

Cimino's heroes have always been insufferably self-righteous, and Captain Stanley White (Rourke) is no exception.... Read more on www.timeout.com

Halliwell's Film Guide

Extremely violent and convoluted thriller with an unpleasant hero.

See all 3 Critics Reviews »

Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 5 starsOVERLOOKED CIMINO CLASSIC - RENT!!!!!!

Adam Stocker from UK , 26/06/2004

I remember seeing Year of the Dragon on video back in 1985 and althoug a very young person was perplexed by Cimino trade mark wonderful direction and the amazing performace of a then up and coming Rourke.

An oliver stone script adds meat to the original novel whilst Cimino adds a French Connection-esque realism to the directing. The two combined along with the amazing casting of Rourke and John Lone provide a fluid, well timed, intelligent crime thriller with gritty realism and character exploration that you will be glad you watched the film for whilst also scratching your head wondering how this classic was overlooked upon its initial 1985 release.

If anything I would say I actually preferred this to Cimino' multi oscar winner The Deer Hunter.

  3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Report offending content.

Read all reviews

Rated - 3 starsTimes sure have changed

Melon from East Sussex , 31/07/2004

This has been unavailable for years due to it's falling foul of the political correctness lobby since the Eighties. Watching it again they may well have had a point as it is suprisingly sexist and racist, as the plot is filtered through Rourke's unreconstructed Viet vet supercop, who seems unable to distinguish between the Chinese he's arresting and the Vietnamese he fought in the jungle.

The film is far crasser than I remember it, but is still well worth a watch for Lone's slippery Triad boss double crossing all and sundry, and for Cimino's classy handling of the superb shootouts. Essesntially it's a western remade with Rourke's marshall pledging to clean up Chinatown, and is filled with all the cliches that description suggests.

This was a return to form for Cimino after the 'Heaven's Gate' debacle, revisiting 'The Deer Hunter' territory (Vietnam, Rourke's Polish background) and ripping himself off in places (the music is definitely derivative at times). Still, he deserves full marks for giving a potboiler cop story an excellently photographed epic spin (particularly with Lone's visit to Thailand and the grandiose crowd scenes).

  1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Report offending content.

Read all reviews

Rated - 2 starsYear of the Drongo

A customer from London, England , 08/01/2005

First watched this on its cinema release 20 years ago. Time has not been kind. Main problem is Mickey Rourke; his tough rule-bending cop comes over unintentionally camp, with a white shock of hair a la Gary Numan and an acting style just as charismatic. The film is way too long and none of the characters elict the audience's sympathy. Violence is hiliarously clumsy.

Report offending content.

Read all reviews

Rated - 2 starsbasic but good

A customer from berkshire best , 03/03/2005

An intresting film, the acting is good,but the directing is awful. An early Bruce Willis type action movie

  1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Report offending content.

Read all reviews

Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 2 starsYear of the Turkey part 2...

Duncan Brown from Bucks , 28/12/2004

I so didn't mean to give this movie 5 stars, forgive me.

  0 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Report offending content.

Read all highest rated reviews

Rated - 2 starsbasic but good

A customer from berkshire best , 03/03/2005

An intresting film, the acting is good,but the directing is awful. An early Bruce Willis type action movie

  1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Report offending content.

Read all highest rated reviews