Birth of the Dragon Reviews
Jamie Healy Radio Times
The story may descend into feel-good fantasy by the finish, but Corey Yuen's exciting fight choreography gives this unashamedly mainstream entertainment some convincing action chops.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 9, 2024
Leigh Monson Substream Magazine
The key to a strong punch is the force and willingness to follow through, but Birth of the Dragon is so limp that it crumples on impact.
Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Sep 25, 2020
Andrew Gaudion THN
Alas, this inspired-by-fact tale does little to inspire or enlighten and only very occasionally enlivens. A squandered opportunity.
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 30, 2020
Katie Smith-Wong Flick Feast
Overall, while Birth of a Dragon showcases Ng and Yu's talents and great action scenes that are sure to win over martial arts fans, having a Caucasian drive a story about two Asian martial artists just feels like a cinematic cop-out.
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 11, 2019
Panos Kotzathanasis Asian Movie Pulse
Bruce Lee is presented as too full of himself, condescending, occasionally superficial, and in general, immature
Full Review | Oct 20, 2019
Frank Ochieng The Critical Movie Critics
Sadly, Birth of the Dragon does not shed any considerable revelations on the aura of Bruce Lee . There is simply no excuse for any full feature vehicle that aims to echo the magnetism of the boisterous Bruce Lee to come off as flat and flavorless
Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Feb 11, 2019
Allen Adams The Maine Edge
Birth of the Dragon seems like nothing so much as a missed opportunity.
Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Feb 11, 2019
Bob Chipman Geek
So, our main character in the "Bruce Lee Origin Movie" (really!) is... some fictional guy named Steve.
Full Review | Original Score: 1 | Oct 31, 2018
Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia)
This cheaply produced and oddly unfocused drama is underwhelming in the extreme.
Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jun 29, 2018
Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall
Has enough energy and spark to hold the audience's interest. But the script's focus on a caucasian character throws the central story off balance.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 24, 2018
Andrew Pollard Starburst
Not only does Birth of the Dragon struggle to correctly handle its main character, Lee is also often positioned as a mere supporting character in an overplayed, overdone romance between McKee and Jingjing Qu's Xiulan.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Feb 28, 2018
Edward Porter Sunday Times (UK)
I sometimes felt more like I was watching the pilot episode of a 1980s TV show -- a cheap action-adventure series in which the cheerful kung-fu teacher Bruce Lee would come to the aid of someone pestered by bad guys.
Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Feb 26, 2018
Allan Hunter Daily Express (UK)
The film comes alive during the energetic fight sequences.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 25, 2018
Wendy Ide Observer (UK)
The fight sequences are slick, but this is a soulless slog.
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 25, 2018
Jason Best Movie Talk
The film's lively inventions pay off, however, when we reach the epic showdown and Lee's fists of fury come up against Wong's serene Shaolin artistry. Even if this isn't how things happened, it is certainly rousing on screen.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 23, 2018
Joel Down Little White Lies
Sorely lacks supreme enlightenment.
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 23, 2018
Peter Bradshaw Guardian
It doesn't offer much enjoyable action, and doesn't convince in any way as a picture of what Lee's life was really like.
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 23, 2018
Geoffrey Macnab Independent (UK)
The actors clearly know their moves.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 21, 2018
Nigel Andrews Financial Times
It's the usual trope-iary of stunts and oriental wisdoms, redeemed by stellar work in the main roles.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 21, 2018
Tim Coleman Total Film
What could have been a fascinating insight into street versus classical martial arts instead becomes a generic fight flick, with a script so heavy-handed it feels like it was bashed out with knuckle-dusters.
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 21, 2018