Cube Critic: 'Dragon Blade'
by Euan Kerr
September 04, 2015
Cube Critic Euan Kerr joins Jill Riley and Sean McPherson to talk about a new film that was a smash-hit in China and now is making its premiere in the U.S. Dragon Blade stars Jackie Chan, John Cusack and Adrian Brody.
In a story set in 50 B.C.E., Chan plays the leader of a group called the Silk Road Protection Squad. One day, a Roman legion, led by John Cusack, turns up and announces it is going to take over the Silk Road. Naturally, the locals are unhappy about this. "We begin the obligatory Jackie Chan duel with the incoming bad guy, John Cusack," Euan says. "Lots of swordplay."
The story gets more complicated when it becomes known that the Cusack-led legion of Roman soldiers is actually on the run from the rest of the Roman army, which is led by a Machiavellian Brody.
"It's a huge Chinese epic, a cast of thousands, army upon army upon army facing off in the dusts of the desert," Euan says. "There are moments of brilliance in this film. This is a film, if you're going to see it, it should be seen on the big screen because it's just luscious. And then every once in a while you go, 'What???'"
Click the audio player above to hear the full review.
Dragon Blade is rated R and is showing at the Theatres at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.
MPR's Cube Critics, Stephanie Curtis and Euan Kerr, join The Current's Morning Show to talk about films every Friday at 8:30 a.m.