Kiss of the Dragon 2001

Liu Siu-jian, portrayed by Jet Li, is a dedicated Chinese intelligence agent dispatched to Paris on a critical mission to capture the notorious Chinese mob boss, Mr. Big, played by Ric Young, who is deeply entrenched in the heroin trafficking scene. Upon arriving, Liu meets Inspector Jean-Pierre Richard, depicted by Tchéky Karyo, an unscrupulous and brutal French detective at a hotel. In a devious twist, Richard deceives Liu into believing that he’s merely surveying a meeting involving Mr. Big.

As events unfold, the situation takes an unexpected turn when Mr. Big is introduced to two prostitutes, one being Jessica Kamen, a character brought to life by Bridget Fonda, an American woman who leads him to his room. From a surveillance room, Liu and his team watch as Mr. Big dismisses everyone in the room, leaving only the two prostitutes behind. In a shocking moment, one of the prostitutes attempts to assassinate Mr. Big, and Liu rushes to intervene. Yet, chaos ensues when Richard arrives on the scene and shoots both Mr. Big and the prostitute using Liu’s police-issued gun, subsequently framing Liu for the heinous crime.

Realizing he has been set up, Liu narrowly escapes the hotel with a crucial piece of evidence: a surveillance tape that captures Richard’s betrayal. Chinese officials, sent to France to investigate following the incident, are initially skeptical of Richard’s fabricated story implicating Liu. Desperate to clear his name, Liu contacts one of the liaisons to share the damning tape. However, the meeting is tragically intercepted by the French police, leading to the liaison’s assassination amidst the ensuing chaos and forcing Liu to go underground.

While hiding out, Liu encounters Jessica, who reveals that her daughter, Isabel, has been abducted by Richard, who aims to coerce her into prostitution. Liu learns that Jessica was the second prostitute from that fateful night, and realizes she could be the key to proving his innocence. However, Jessica refuses to co-operate without first rescuing her daughter. Determined, Liu decides the tape is essential evidence and sends Jessica to steal it from Richard’s office.

In a daring move, Jessica successfully retrieves the tape, and together they head to an orphanage where Isabel is being held. Unbeknownst to them, Richard has anticipated their plan and sets a trap at the orphanage. During their escape, Jessica suffers a grave injury, being shot in the chest. Liu rushes her to the hospital, fueled by a relentless determination to save her daughter.

The climax arrives when Liu storms the police station where Richard is holding Isabel hostage. He battles through Richard’s henchmen to reach the office, where he eventually rescues Isabel but sustains a gunshot wound in the process. In a dramatic showdown, Liu uses an acupuncture needle to enact a lethal technique known as the “kiss of the dragon” on Richard, resulting in his painful demise. With the dust settling, Liu survives his injuries and triumphantly returns Isabel to her grateful mother, Jessica.