The Dragon from Russia is a 1990 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Clarence Fok and based on the Japanese manga Crying Freeman and written by Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami, and also produced by Dean Shek, and starring Sam Hui, Maggie Cheung, Nina Li Chi, Carrie Ng, Loletta Lee and guest starring Shek in his second-to-last film appearance before retiring from acting in two years later.[1][2]

Dragon from Russia
DVD front cover
Traditional Chinese紅場飛龍
Simplified Chinese红场飞龙
Hanyu PinyinHóng Chǎng Fēi Lóng
JyutpingHung4 Ceong4 Fei1 Lung4
Directed byClarence Fok
Screenplay byElla Chan
Based onCrying Freeman
by Ryoichi Ikegami and Kazuo Koike
Produced byDean Shek
StarringSam Hui
Maggie Cheung
Nina Li Chi
Carrie Ng
Loletta Lee
Dean Shek
CinematographyPeter Ngor
Edited byWong Ming-lam
Music byViolet Lam
Sam Hui
Production
company
Distributed byGolden Princess Amusement
Release date
  • 3 August 1990 (1990-08-03) (Hong Kong)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
Box officeHK$11,634,700

Plot

Yao Lung and May Yip are orphans who live in Russia with their adoptive family. Through the years, the two fall in love and promise that they will be together forever. One fateful day, Yao witnesses a murder being committed by a mysterious assassin. Shortly after this, he is captured and brainwashed by a mysterious cult of assassins that call themselves "800 Dragons". After losing his memory of his past, he is forced to take very strict martial arts training to become the perfect assassin for the 800 Dragons.

During one of his missions, Yao is seen by May, his past lover who is still looking for him. The code of the 800 Dragons is that anyone who sees an assassin during their mission needs to be killed. But Yao begin to remember his past when May talks to him about their past relationship. Yao decides to follow his heart instead of the strict code of the assassin by not killing May. Now Yao and May must run for their lives. Knowing that Yao fails to follow the order, the 800 Dragons are now trying to kill both of them.

Cast

DVD release

On 24 February 2003, the movie was released by Hong Kong Legends in Europe as a Region 2 DVD.

Ten months later, Hong Kong Legends DVD were released on 29 December 2003 in a 3 disc set Manga in Motion including two other martial arts films: Story of Ricky and City Hunter.

References

  1. ^ Stanway, Glen (16 June 2018). "Dragon from Russia (1990)". Kung Fu Kingdom. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  2. ^ Haflidason, Almar (24 February 2003). "Dragon from Russia (1990)". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2019.