Criticisms pointed at George Nolfi's #BirthOfTheDragon have been invariably harsh. Rightfully so, it seems, in the instance of #BruceLee loyalists wishing for a more solemn incarnation of the story that led to his mysterious test of martial wills with #WongJackMan. That the film delivered on more perfunctory, simplistic terms points to how great this film could have been, which leads me to my next point - inspired by an quote inspired by a friend who opined herself on a film seperate from this one, and I feel it applies here: "If you're not going to be a great film, be a fun film." As great as this movie could have been, its more folkloric tropes are more fun than some critics may have overlooked. As a martial arts action movie, watching Phillip Ng cut loose as the iconic burgeoning young movie star and founder-to-be of Jeet Kune Do was wholly exciting at times, and even some of the more profound and philosophical moments amid the brewing rivalry between his role and that of Wong, played convincingly and handsomely well by Xia Yu, were amply entertaining. And if I may say so myself, as trite and silly as Billy Magnussen's role of "Steve McKee" was, I wouldn't mind seeing him in another fight thriller. He's a fine actor and with the right training and direction, he moves pretty darn well. Birth Of The Dragon is certainly not a great film, but it's definitely a fun way to kill time, and moreso, an awesome reminder to support Phillip Ng in his endeavors. He's a talent that needn't be overlooked, and any producer, in my view, would be a fool to do so.
