The Dragon Gate

"The Dragon Gate" is an under appreciated masterpiece which deserves to be recognized and preserved by a boutique Blu-Ray label. Written by Dan Coplan, the film fuses Buddhist philosophy and ancient archetypes to deliver a contemporary narrative filled with some of the best martial arts on screen. Directed by Mike Marvin of "The Wraith" and "Six Pack" fame, the movie delivers action packed scenes on a lower to medium size budget. Additionally, the film offers audiences the gift of seeding Academy Award winner Haing S. Ngor in one of his final film appearances. Ngor, Coplan and frequent Clint Eastwood collaborator, Geoffrey Lewis, each give phenomenal performances. I highly recommend you watch this film, now streaming on TUBI! And if you happen to work at Arrow Video or Vinegar Syndrome make this your next Blu-Ray release.

I admit, I didn't actually watch the whole movie (I fast-forwarded through a lot of it, it seemed so terrible), so I've refrained from actually giving it a rating. The whole time, I was trying to figure out if this movie was for real. I logged onto this site to make sure that I didn't dream the whole thing up. The movie is that odd. A low budget martial arts action movie that wants to show the viewer the path to enlightenment. What makes it so surreal is that, unlike most low-budget action movies, it skips the gratuitous nudity and actually seems to take itself seriously. At first I thought it was tongue in cheek, but after listening to the eastern mysticism voice-over at the end, I'm not so sure. What makes this terrible movie even sadder is the fact that it seems to be dedicated, with complete gravity and earnestness, to the dead wife of the star/writer. The creepiest part is, I found this movie lying around in my apartment, and I haven't a clue as to where it came from.

At last a true martial arts film! It touches both on the philosophy and action of martial arts! It has some the bloodiest fights scenes I've seen since Braveheart! It's a little slow and contemplative, but well worth watching. Some of the images keep haunting me, they're that powerful! Check this one out!

I applaud this film because it dares to be different. I'm tired of the high-concept low IQ drivel that Hollywood churns out. Who wants to go to a movie where you know the whole story and how its going to end after the first five minutes! The Dragon Gate with all its imperfections is still an engrossing cinematic ko'an. With each scene you're never sure what's going to happen next. Each obstacle that the hero encounters is symbolic of our modern life. In this sense the film resonates Joseph Campbell's mono-myth.

For those of you who found The Empire Strikes Back to have more meaning than Star Wars, The Return Of The Jedi, or The Phantom Menace, you will find much to enjoy about The Dragon Gate.

The photography is gorgeous. In fact the images are very imaginative, the film has a strong after-life, you just keep thinking about it!

If you're looking for a film that challenges you, I would recommend The Dragon Gate.