Birth of the Dragon
4 stars
Director: George Nolfi
Stars: Billy Magnussen, Yu Xia, Philip Ng
Duration: 95 mins
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd

In San Francisco in the 1960s, a legendary fight took place between Bruce Lee – then an aspiring actor and kung fu teacher – and Shaolin monk and kung fu master Wong Jack Man. 

It occurred in front of a  small number of witnesses, none of whom could agree on what actually happened during the fight, how long it lasted and who ultimately emerged the victor.  But it changed the history of martial arts.

So we are told, and Birth of the Dragon is a film that claims to be ‘inspired’ by the events leading up to and beyond that fight.

Kung fu expert Lee (Philip Ng) is trying to make it big in the movies, earning a living as a martial arts master. He is teaching his personal style of kung fu to a group of students, including his friend Steve McKee, played by Billy Magnusson (a character based undoubtedly on actor Steve McQueen, who studied and worked with Lee, but with little of his charisma). Lee learns that the legendary Wong (Xia Yu) is coming to San Francisco.  He fears that Wong will be an obstacle to his ambitions, knowing instinctively that Wong would not only disapprove of his kung fu methods but also that he teaches the art to white people.

Comes across as clunky and shallow

Lee challenges Wong to a fight, to establish who is the better master; but Wong will have none of it. However, when McKee falls in love with Xiulan (Jingjing Qu), a waitress working under the brutal employ of a Chinese organised crime ring led by the wonderfully-named Auntie Blossom (Jin Xing), he uses his newly-minted friendship with Wong to get the two kung fu masters to fight.

There is a mish-mash of plots in Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson’s script. There’s the origin story of one of America’s enduring cult figures, the philosophy behind martial arts, the breaking down of the mystery surrounding the legendary fight, a love story and the examination of the ruthless gangsters that ruled over San Francisco’s Chinatown. Yet, they struggle to come together, making it difficult for the audience to engage with the movie as a whole.

The love story subplot is completely superfluous. The chemistry between Magnusson and Qu is rather strained; as strained as the notion that it is the threat to their developing relationship that brings Lee and Wong to the fight. Auntie Blossom and her cohorts are little more than shallow stereotypes and, where director George Nolfi aims for gravitas and depth, it comes across as clunky and shallow, the tone never quite moving beyond that of many cheesy ‘chopsocky’ movies of the era it is trying so hard not to be.

Furthermore, Lee’s character is almost secondary to Wong’s and Ng can do little with the one-dimensional characterisation and stilted dialogue he is given. So wooden is he that he comes across as totally unlikeable disrespectful, self-involved and obnoxious.

It is no wonder we root unequivocally for Wong, who is played by Xia with the reserve and gravitas the part calls for. If his storyline stretches credulity somewhat – his stay in San Francisco, living in a crappy apartment and working as a dish-washer in a restaurant is self- imposed punishment for physically injuring an opponent in a fight back in China – the actor effortlessly draws some empathy out of the audience.

The film does earn points for highlighting the different approaches to kung fu of its protagonists. Lee is shown to prefer to move away from the traditional martial arts teachings to a more aggressive style he believes works on the streets.

Wong is steadfast in his belief in the more internal and traditional approach to the class, discipline and skill required of the art. It gives rise to some scenes of expertly-choreographed kung fu action, especially when the two antagonists band together to take down a cadre of Auntie Blossom’s henchmen. Yet, ultimately very little of dramatic interest happens in between.