La vengeance des dragons verts

*What's the Hong Kong equivalent of Hollywood, eg "Bollywood" for India?

I read the story of the Green Dragons over 20 years ago, and have just recently heard of the movie adaptation. After watching this, I think this is another case of "the facts are more interesting than fiction". The original events were violent and raw. It ended with a sense of retribution. What the director did with the movie version was to partially "Hong Kong"ize the story. This really doesn't work unless you go all in and purposely try to suspend the audience's disbelief.

I don't mean to say Hong Kong action movies are bad, but they only fit in a style that shouldn't be done for non-fiction, even with a gangster movie. All the brooding, the slow moving gun mechanics, the improvised romance, etc. works great when the action is so gratuitous, you can shut your brain off and enjoy the flick for what it is. In Dragon, all the personalities, including the lead, just mesh into a stylized melodramatic comic character of their real counterparts. It's not the actor's fault, since their portrayals are closely reminiscent of Hong Kong action movies.

Again, I just think they should have gotten a more appropriate director and stay truer to the original events. For example, in Casino, I can believe it happened in real life as shown on the screen... not so much with Dragon.

That said, I enjoyed the movie, perhaps mostly because I enjoyed the story.

Sure it wasn't the greatest film of all time. But it sure as hell wasn't as bad as everybody says it is.

I enjoyed it, with its twists and turns. A lot of well shot scenes. And come on its a gangster movie how could you go wrong.

The ending was good and might have left you wanting a little more but overall I think it will make a good watch on a rainy night. Let me know what you think after watching it because I definitely recommend it. Especially since it is a Scorsese and has Ray Liota in it. The fact that it is based on a true story is a bonus.

You have to keep in mind that this as a movie that you need to watch to appreciate. Don't let the reviews fool you, perhaps people see Martin Scorsese's name and have different expectations.

Traveling across an ocean or desert and into a new country, one becomes subject to different rules, and vulnerable to thugs who know the system better. Those unable or unwilling to control their own destinies in this new climate, invite others to do it for them. "Captain leads, sailor sails," is the saying, and some unsavory, yet deceptively wholesome looking, captains appear at the helm. The American dream depends more on one's luck, resources and strength of character, than on equal opportunity, liberty or other tenuous threads. Based on actual events from the 1980s, the film follows the lives of Chinese immigrants to New York City who are pressured into gangs, menial labor and violence. The main characters are two boys who become part of the notorious Green Dragon gang. Despite shaky acting and disjointed transitions, it is an intriguing and insightful glimpse into the underworld of U.S. immigration. Many scenes are predictable, yet there were some twists and turns, especially at the end, that I did not see coming. Seen at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.

A collaboration between Wai-Keung Lau (Infernal Affairs trilogy) and Martin Scorsese (The Departed) about Chinese gangs in New York at the end of the 1980s. One would expect fireworks, right? Not so much. This movie is entertaining but misses a bigger impact. It's not surprising the film didn't get a wider release in the US... The rather conventional story is embellished with different kind of colorful gangs from the (Asian) underworld, some pretty gruesome torture scenes and an attempt to make a huge plot twist at the end, but finally fails due to ordinariness. It needed more "cool" and a more interesting angle storywise. Fans of Asian-centered mob movies should give it a try though.

The plot is good and the direction is also alright. But the weakest link of the movie are the actors of the main characters.

Justin is just too skinny and little to make a credible gangster. If he threatened me I think I woukd laugh. In reality is just difficult to picture it.

The film could be more darker, with more character development. For example, Steven is the crazy one, but sometimes he just doesn't seem that crazy, just plain retarded.

Sonny and Steven could have talked more to give the viewer the sense of bonding, instead the movie is just plain simple. The movie evolves way too fast and the all triad gets arrested too soon. It made them (gangsters) look careless.

It kind reminds you the senseless gang banger movies of Hong Kong