Ariane Koizumi, Caroline Kava, Eddie Jones

A tough-talking New York City detective is set on bringing a powerful Chinatown crime lord to justice.

Flixster Users

62% liked it

4,435 ratings

R, 2 hrs. 14 min.

Directed by: Michael Cimino

Release Date: January 1, 1985

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 31, 2005

Stats: 182 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (182)


  • April 10, 2009
    Year of the Dragon is something of a little known masterpiece. It is well written by Oliver Stone, and directed by Cimino at a turning point in his career. The centre piece, however, is Rourkes performance, which was caught while he most likely was at the peak of his acting abili...( read more)ty's. You will be totally blown away by the realism of his acting, and it's even more noteworthy that the film was made while Rourke was youthful while making this and was made to look more senior (that grey hair is dye). A heartfelt performance from an actor playing a cop with "scar tissue on his soul", will never be forgotten once seen. While the main character is far from perfect, it is just that which makes him believable as well. Stanley White is on a crusade and would die for his principles, which effects all those involved with him. It is a complex film, often talky, which is punctuated throughout with explosive violence, well shot with use of excellent set pieces. Bloody in places and above all gritty and realistic, in parts it is even beautiful. The film works on many levels from it's slow burn beginnings with emphasis on conspiracy to the final pay off on the dock yards. Well drawn characters are everywhere in this film, and it never losses its hard edge. Rourke has seen a much needed and deserved return in recent years. He may have lost his handsome good looks due to boxing and due to too many face lifts, but the guy will never lose his acting ability. We, the true fans, never gave up on this chance. And now he's finally gaining popularity with a new generation, who need to see and experience The Year Of The Dragon, To believe the hype. Also check out his other classics Angel Heart and Barfly.
  • September 24, 2007
    Utterly entertaining film.
  • July 6, 2007
    The last good film directed by Michael Cimino. a violent thriller written by Oliver Stone and featuring a great cast with an evil John Lone and Mickey Rourke posing as a Bogart of the eighties.
  • March 26, 2007
    Mickey Rourke is the guy! He is a super dick, gets a lot of people killed and raped, appreciates no one along the way, and still comes out the lovable hero in the end. this is an entertaining movie though.
  • August 7, 2009
    This is the second film I?m watching in my exploration of the early career of Mickey Rourke, its also interesting as a major work in the career of the director Michael Cimino (another figure I need to catch up on). This is the first movie Cimino was allowed to make after the deb...( read more)acle of Heaven?s Gate, and its clear he was trying to prove that he could make a ?normal? movie. This is pretty much a standard, clichéd, Dirty Harry rip-off cop movie. It?s got every hallmark of the genre from the lonely grizzled cop to the moronic police chief. The hook that?s supposed to set this apart is that the villains are a Chinese Triad centered in Chinatown rather than Italians centered in Brooklyn. This choice resulted in a lot of controversy from the Asain community who believed the portrayal of Chinatown was stereotyped. I can see what they were offended by, there are elements of the film that seem to mitigate some of the less enlightened portrayals, but these politically correct elements feel like they were thrown in at the last minute in order to avoid controversy, I suspect that the original script was much less savory. Regardless of the racial overtones, this is a pretty lame and boring movie. Rourke is clearly trying, but he?s too young for his role and he?s give a really bad dye job. This probably didn?t deserve the five razzie nominations it got, but it?s still very unoriginal.
  • May 4, 2009
    SEEN THIS YEARS GO... IT A GOOD MOVIE ABOUT A COP WHO FALLS FOR THE TOP REPORTER WHO IS JAPAN AND WORK IN NY. SHE IS TOP REPORTER AND HE IS LEAD DETECTIVE. HE HAS TO TAKE DOWN SMALL TIME GANG MOFIA. THE ELDERS ARE NOT SO HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE YOUNG GENERATION IS DOING THINDS. T...( read more)HE REPORTER HATES THE DETECTIVE BUT NEEDS HIS PROTECTION DUE TO HER ALWAYS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE YOUTH GANGS.
  • May 27, 2008
    panned by many..but I think ariane is alluring and seductive in her first cinematic appearance and mickey rourke is relentless and believable in this role...this movie has an 'epic' feel to it..engrossing story, violent, highly entertaining tale from michael cimino (deer hunter, ...( read more)gates of heaven).
  • February 10, 2008
    Not quite bad thriller of an obsessed cop takes on the Chinese mafia, determined to reassert America's supremacy at home, having failed in the East. John Lone should become a major movie star. Mickey Rourke gives a good performance. Director Michael Cimino has talent to burn... h...( read more)is work is smashing.
  • January 19, 2008
    Stanley White is one of the all-time great cinema characters, played to a T by Rourke. Cimino cements his legitimacy as a director.
  • January 14, 2008
    mickey rourke in a great unpredictable crime thriller

Critic Reviews


No recent reviews.

Comments


This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Year of the Dragon" !

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Black Rain
    Black Rain (50%)
  • To Live and Die in L.A.
    To Live and Die in L.A. (50%)
  • Diner
    Diner (33%)
  • Johnny Handsome
    Johnny Handsome (50%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

Year of the Drago... : Watch Free on TV


Year of the Dragon Trivia


  • This film was originally going to be entitled "Red Dragon", the same name as the novel. However, when Year of the Dragon (1985) became a box office failure, Dino De Laurentiis decided to avoid a "dragon" title.  Answer »
  • In 1977, Star Wars was one of the best movies of the year. Disney also had a movie that was one of the best of 1977. Which Disney movie was it?  Answer »
  • 2002 film starring Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey and Gerald Butler where during Underground construction in London around the year 2008, a huge, hibernating dragon is discovered and springs to life.   Answer »
  • Which Kung Fu hero was born in 1940, the year of the Dragon?   Answer »

Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for Year of the Dragon. Want to create one?

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?