Jetli

In "Dragon Fight", one of his earliest and least-seen films, Jet Li is part of a Chinese team that comes to San Francisco for a martial-arts exhibition. However, after the show one of his partners (played by Dick Wei) decides that he doesn't want to go back to his country, and during his getaway he accidentally kills a cop. Jet is wrongly accused of the crime, gets arrested, escapes and finds refuge in the home of a guy who had seen and admired him in the show, while Dick becomes a well-paid assassin in the service of a gangster. Through a few too many coincidences, the paths of these two former friends cross again...

Because so few people have seen "Dragon Fight" (it hasn't even been released on DVD yet!), there is a temptation to say that it's a "hidden treasure" in Jet Li's filmography. Well, it isn't. It is a rather unremarkable movie. But what is remarkable about it is some of the fighting, which is refreshingly realistic (the word "refreshingly" goes for those who, like me, hate flying-fu). Jet Li is at his most youthful, handsome and likable, but "Dragon Fight" is almost as much Dick Wei's film as it is Jet's. This is the only time they worked together on a film, and their final showdown is definitely worth waiting for. (**1/2)