Birth of the Dragon

The fight sequences are slick, but this is a soulless slog.

Sorely lacks supreme enlightenment.

It doesn't offer much enjoyable action, and doesn't convince in any way as a picture of what Lee's life was really like.

The actors clearly know their moves.

It's the usual trope-iary of stunts and oriental wisdoms, redeemed by stellar work in the main roles.

Almost certainly the second worst thing to happen to Bruce Lee, this toothless and tame movie doesn't even come close to capturing the great man's dangerous charisma.

The story may descend into feel-good fantasy by the finish, but Corey Yuen's exciting fight choreography gives this unashamedly mainstream entertainment some convincing action chops.

The key to a strong punch is the force and willingness to follow through, but Birth of the Dragon is so limp that it crumples on impact.

Alas, this inspired-by-fact tale does little to inspire or enlighten and only very occasionally enlivens. A squandered opportunity.

Overall, while Birth of a Dragon showcases Ng and Yu's talents and great action scenes that are sure to win over martial arts fans, having a Caucasian drive a story about two Asian martial artists just feels like a cinematic cop-out.