Dolph Lundgren's martial arts fantasy movie - Dolph Lundgren played heroic, leading roles in a long list of direct-to-video action movies, many of which were films that received very little attention. The vast majority of these releases were modern-day action thrillers, not unlike the ones made by other icons of the genre, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. But like those actors, Lundgren too has been known to go against that formula on occasion.
In fact, Lundgren's first starring role was in a fantasy film, 1987's Masters of the Universe. After the live-action adaptation of the Mattel action figure toyline was a box office flop, Lundgren transitioned to sci-fi films and more traditional action movie roles, like Joshua Tree and Men of War. In 1999, the actor returned to the fantasy movie genre with Bridge of Dragons, a movie that's currently streaming on Prime Video.
Dolph Lundgren Plays A Heroic Warrior Trying To Save A Princess' Kingdom In Bridge Of Dragons
Dolph Lundgren Plays A Career Mercenary Known As Warchild
Bridge of Dragons functions as a unique spin on the standard fantasy movie plot, adding a fun, post-apocalyptic twist to it. In the 1999 film, Dolph Lundgren plays Warchild, a mercenary who gets caught up in a princess' conflict with an evil warlord over the fate of her kingdom. Warchild is sent by the movie's villain (Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa's General Ruecheng) to capture the runaway princess (Valerie Chow's Halo) and bring her back so that they can be wed. Things take a turn when Warchild and Halo begin to develop romantic feelings for one another, with Warchild ultimately realizing that he's on the wrong side of the fight.
A warrior saving a princess from an unwanted marriage to the main villain may sound like an average fantasy movie, but Bridges of Dragons mixes things up through its choice of setting. It takes place centuries into the future, after modern civilization has fallen and been replaced with a more archaic way of life and power structure. By heading in this direction, Bridge of Dragons is able to put guns on the table, meaning the action isn't limited to just swords and bows.
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Martial arts is thrown into the equation as well, with both Lundgren and Tagawa getting multiple opportunities for close-combat situations in the film. Its heavy use of martial arts is ed by its approach to the conflict between the hero and the villain, which draws upon one of the best martial arts movie tropes. Ultimately, Bridge of Dragons is a story where the student must sur the master. Warchild was trained by General Ruecheng, and now he must use the skills he learned from his mentor to best him in combat.
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As a martial arts movie set in a fantasy setting, Bridge of Dragons is a rare entry in Dolph Lundgren's filmography. ittedly, he hasn't made many films at all in the genre. Most recently, he's appeared in both Aquaman movies, with his ing role as King Neerus leaning heavily into fantasy territory, even though the movies themselves are technically superhero films.
Masters of the Universe stands out as the most noteworthy fantasy movie to feature Lundgren in the lead role, even if it's not one with a great reputation. Although Dolph Lundgren certainly had the look for He-Man, the movie was a poorly-received take on the property, due in part to its effort to bring fantasy characters into a real-life setting, where they never really belonged. Oddly enough, this same tactic was used again via Lundgren's next foray into the fantasy genre - In The Name of the King 2: Two Worlds.
Based on the hack'n'slash fantasy RPG video game series Dungeon Siege, the movie was a sequel to In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, which was headlined by Jason Statham.
Based on the hack'n'slash fantasy RPG video game series Dungeon Siege, the movie was a sequel to In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, which was headlined by Jason Statham. Two Worlds replaced Statham with Lundgren as the star. The movie oddly blends real-life with the Dungeon Siege universe, sending an ex-Special Forces soldier (Lundgren) back through time for an adventure to save the Kingdom of Ehb by defeating an evil warlord and a powerful witch. It wasn't accurate to Dungeon Siege's lore, nor has it been viewed in high regard as a fantasy movie, as evidenced by its 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Popcornmeter.
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Of the Dolph Lundgren-led fantasy films in existence, Bridge of Dragons is the only one not based on any existing material. And while it may not be the most famous of the three, since Masters of the Universe is clearly the movie that holds that distinction, it's arguably the one with the least amount of problems. With a great antagonist in Cary Heroyuki-Takagawa, a thrilling showdown at the end, and an entertaining story about a romance between a mercenary and a princess.
Bridge of Dragons
- Release Date
- September 28, 1999
- Runtime
- 92 minutes
- Director
- Isaac Florentine
- Writers
- Carlton Holder
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