Organnall Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

OllieSuave-007 This is a movie directed by Jackie Chan that is some sort of a variation of Frank Capra's "A Pocketful of Miracles," where Chan plays country boy Cheng Wah Kuo, who accidentally becomes the head of a gang and purchases a lucky rose from lady Madam Kao (Ya-Lei Kuei) everyday for good luck. While battling a rival gang, Kuo tries to do a good deed for Madao Kao during her daughter's visit.This film is great for its all-star cast and luscious 1930s setting, and while the story starts off with an exciting rival gang battle, the rest of the movie really drags on and on, with really nothing too suspenseful or eye-catching. All the hype about hiring singer Luming Yang (Anita Mui) to build up business for Kuo's nightclub to the gang concocting plans to help Madam Kao connecting with her daughter Belle (Gloria Yip) is just a bunch of all-talk and running around, not much substance or excitement to the plot.I maybe got a few chuckles out of the movie - for everything else, I was just bored to tears. The movie was just too long and it appears that much of the film's elements including the huge cast were thrown in for, as one reviewer puts it, window dressing. The action scenes were limited and the final battle was pretty boring. If you want to watch an exciting and captivating Hong Kong movie with an all-star cast, go with 1986's Shanghai Express" or 1991's The Banquet rather than this.Grade D

wfgwilliams I wanted to see this film based on a trailer for it on a kung-fu DVD. This film looked very different from anything else Jackie Chan has done and from everything else that I've seen of Chinese films. It took some time to track the DVD down.Black Dragon is based on Frank Capra's Pocketfull of Miracles (1961). From the way Black Dragon has been made it is apparent that Jackie Chan intended it only for Chinese audiences. On the DVD the language choices are Cantonese or Mandarin. The characterizations, plot situations, conflicts and resolutions do not use western story structure.The male characters tend to fill several types for this kind of film while the female roles seem to break from those traditions. This comment is based on commentaries to several other Chinese films, where these types are described.I found that the film lacked depth and the plot fell short of being cohesive.Analysis aside, this film is very entertaining. It is upbeat, zippy and likable. One of the high points, for me came with the singing of the title song by Anita Mui early in the film. The song involves a montage of developmental incidents along with several costume and setting changes for the singer and chorus, which deftly indicated passage of time.The fight sequences, while entertaining, really do not advance the story in any way and are more of a show case for Jackie Chan's acrobatic and martial arts talent. Beyond that they don't really add to the film. What I'm trying to say here is with or without the fight scenes what you have here is a pretty good film.I recommend that you see this film if you get the chance and I would say that it would be suitable for children from around seven years and up.

Don Bendell "Most Hong Kong film fans know how influenced Jackie Chan is by films from Hollywood's "golden age." Some elements from these movies have crept into many of Chan's own, such as Project A and its' sequel. This movie, however, is not just inspired by those films from years gone by, and perhaps that is why it tends to divide Jackie Chan fans so much.The movie's plot (most of which is derived from a Frank Capra film called Lady for a Day, which was remade in the 1960's as Pocket Full of Miracles) centers around Chan, who plays a immigrant coming to Hong Kong. He meets up with a kindly old flower seller and decides to buy one -- and just narrowly misses being hit by a car. The car is full of gangsters and Chan helps fight off a rival gang. The gang's leader mistakenly makes Chan his successor and the story is off and running. Chan tries to make the gang go legit by opening a club and things seem to be going well, until Chan learns that the flower seller (whose wares have seemed to always bring him good luck) is facing a crisis. Chan enlists the aid of his gangster buddies to hatch a plan to save the day.I will admit this movie has its' share of faults -- a somewhat overlong running time, hammy acting, a cheesy music score, a script too convoluted for its own good, a few too many characters in the mix, and a sugary-sweet ending. However, I found quite a number of good things in the film as well. The movie, for the most part, is fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously and that feeling rubs off on its audience. There's also a nice bit of outright comedy, mostly coming from Richard Ng as a bumbling policeman. Anita Mui delivers a wonderful, almost Bubsy Berkely-esquire song-and-dance number. The action (even though there is not as much of it as in most other Chan movies) is done quite well. Some of the cinematography is quite good for a Jackie Chan movie; supposedly a crane shot of Anita Mui entering a hotel room cost more to shoot than many of Chan's early films. Lastly, it was nice to see such a wide range of stars in the film -- everyone from old-school stars like Mars to more contemporary people like Yuen Biao and Amy Yip.This isn't the usual Jackie Chan fare, but if you're willing to try something a little different, give this film a chance. Despite the bad word of mouth this movie has gotten, you may just be pleasantly surprised.(As a side note, this is Jackie Chan's favorite film of his.)"

udeaasykle I first saw this movie when i was young and now as an adult i saw it again. Fist off, i am a huge Jackie Chan fan. He is in my opinion the best action star on the planet. And the action in this movie is breathtaking. With that said i think, and this is just my personal view, that the movie is a little too long. Over two hours for this kind of movie is too long. But this movie is still very good. The scenes are big and gorgeously made, this is a beautiful picture and when you have that, then add Jackie Chan and a couple of the best fight scenes ever you got yourself a pretty good deal. Everybody know that the fight scenes with Jackie is always good, but in this movie they are really really spectacular. Jackie Chan himself says that this is his favorite directorial effort. Although you think the movie is a little boring at parts the action itself is absolutely worth it. I rate this movie 7/10