Dragon Tiger Gate

Dragon Tiger Gate

Dir: Wilson Yip Wai-shun
Orig Story: Tong Wong Yuk-long
Scr: Edmond Wong
Prod Cos: Mandarin, Beijing PolyBona, Shanghai Film Group
Cast: Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Dong Jie, Li Xiaoran
2006 | Colour | DCP | Cantonese | Chi & Eng Subtitles | 95min

This is the first time Wilson Yip Wai-shun and Donnie Yen have worked together since SPL (2005). They adapted Tony Wong Yuk-long's most popular long-running comic series Dragon Tiger Gate for the screen. The script was simplified and focused on the fight between Dragon Tiger Gate and Luosha Gate as well as the meeting of Dragon Wong (Donnie Yen) and Tiger Wong (Nicholas Tse) and the discovery that they are brothers. The costumes, character stylings and sets were a fusion of period fashion and science fiction: the main characters sport long hair in loose styles, and dress in flared pants. This typical 1970s get-up matches perfectly with the heavy-metal stylings of the Luosha Fortress that they break into–in the same way that Wilson Yip's specialty of family love works perfectly together with Donnie Yen's action choreography.

Donnie Yen's Dragon Wong is the main character here, a change from the norm where Tiger Wong is the lead. But all the well-known martial arts moves so dear to the readers' hearts are faithfully reproduced from the beloved comics. The still hand-drawn frames are linked up into vicious, smooth moves, fully showing the thoughtfulness behind each detail. Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen concentrate on the design of every action scene, including the fight at the Japanese restaurant, the assassination of Ma Kun (Chan Koon-tai) and Shibumi (Yu Kang)'s duel with Dragon Wong. The fighting genre of the original work is preserved in the film. Even Tony Wong plays a cameo role as Master Qi, making that scene a highlight in the film.


Date Time Rescheduled Date and Time Venue
2/9/2023 (Sat) # 7:00pm Rescheduled to
12/11/2023 (Sun) (7pm) #
[Limited tickets available at URBTIX from 18/10/2023 (Wed)]
Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

# Post-screening talk with Wilson Yip Wai-shun & Thomas Shin



The contents of the programme do not represent the views of the presenter. The presenter reserves the right to change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.