Dragon Tiger Gate

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Dragon Tiger Gate
The Hong Kong poster.
Directed by	Wilson Yip
Produced by	Nansun Shi Yu Dong Xu Pengle
Starring	Donnie Yen Nicholas Tse Shawn Yue
Distributed by	Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd.
Release date(s)	July 28, 2006 May 10, 2007
Running time	98 min.
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese
IMDb profile

Dragon Tiger Gate (traditional Chinese: 龍虎門; simplified Chinese: 龙虎门) is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts-action film directed by Wilson Yip and featuring fight choreography by Donnie Yen, who also stars. It is based on the popular Hong Kong manhua, Oriental Heroes, which bears the same Chinese name as the movie. The movie's release in all English-speaking territories is handled by The Weinstein Company. ^[1]

A punching bag constructed for the film, measuring about 8 feet high, 5 feet wide and weighing about 400 pounds was certified as the world's largest by Guinness World Records. ^[2]

The sequel of the movie was meant to appear by summer of 2007, but with the original cast working on various projects there has yet to be signs of any level of production or completion by the announced date.

1 Plot
2 Cast
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Plot

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Dragon Tiger Gate (龍虎門) is a martial arts academy established by two powerful martial artists (one specializing in attacks with the hands, and the other, attacks with the feet and legs) to stand up for righteousness, so that citizens of the city will no longer be bullied by the triad gangs. The school also acts as a haven for children who have become orphaned as a result of gang activities.

Wong Xiao-Long ("Little Dragon") and Wong Xiao-Fu ("Little Tiger") are the sons of one of school co-founder Wong Fu Hu, each from a different mother. Dragon's mother chose to leave the gate and live with her son. She gives him a jade amulet pendant, which has the character "dragon" written on it, and tells him that Tiger wears a matching half of the pendant, so that they will always know that they are brothers. She also tells Dragon not to be evil when he grows up and to achieve greatness. Dragon goes out to stroll around, thinking about what his mother meant only to find his home in flames. He is told that his mother had not emerged which prompts him to rush into the building in an attempt to save his mom. Ma Qwun, a triad boss working for Lousha Gate, a rival martial arts gang, prevents him from doing so, and in the process saves his life. Ma Qwun raises Dragon from that point on and eventually he becomes Ma Qwun's personal bodyguard.

Years later, Little Tiger and his "brothers" from the martial arts academy are dining at a floating restaurant on the same day that Ma Qwun receives the Lousha plaque which proves that he is top the Triad Boss in the Lousha Gate and second only to its leader, Shibumi. Tiger takes notice of a family being bullied by Ma Qwun's underlings. Meanwhile in an upstairs room, Ma Qwun and the leader of The White Lions gang are there arguing over the Lousha plaque. Little Tiger cannot take the bullying anymore and attacks the underlings with his high-flying kicks. He throws the underling boss into the ceiling and the impact causes the ceiling to break and the Lousha plaque falls through. One of Tiger's brothers picks up the medallion and sneaks it into his pocket. When the whole gang attacks Tiger, Tiger really lets his kicks fly, demolishing the gang and the restaurant. Suddenly, someone attacks Tiger and he is knocked back; it is Dragon. Unbeknownst to Tiger that they are brothers, they fight with Dragon showing he has superior fighting skills despite his holding back. But Ma Qwun, in order to keep the situation from escalating, calls the fight off.

Later that night, Tiger and his brothers eat at a Japanese restaurant, and Dragon comes to take the medallion back. Dragon and Tiger start to spar but Tiger is noticeably less adept than before and easily defeated. As he tries to gather himself, he and his companions collapse as a result of having been drugged by Scaly, another of Ma Qwun's retainers who is vying with Dragon to be the next in line to take over the triad. He mocks Dragon for only using his brawn and not his brains, and Dragon scoffs at his underhanded tactics. Scaly sees the opportunity to kick Tiger and his friends while they are down, but Dragon stops him. He orders his gang to attack Dragon as well, but that turns out to be a bad idea. Despite the fact that the underlings take out swords Dragon breaks or deflects them. Tiger and his brothers can only roll and evade the blows until Tiger gets sent through a wall. Shek Hak Long (literally "Stone Black Dragon", though he is referred to as "Turbo" in the movie) is...or was eating on the other side of that wall. A pair of red nunchaku hover in the air and Shek catches them, helping Tiger defeat the underlings. Eventually, the fight ends and Dragon walks over to Tiger and Shek, taking the medallion as promised. As Tiger and his friends leave they find Dragon's half of the Jade pendant that was dropped during the fight revealing to Tiger that Ma Qwun's bodyguard is in fact the older brother that he has not seen in years. Shek follows Tiger to Dragon Tiger Gate to learn martial arts, but is kicked out by Wong Jiang Long, the current leader of the Gate and Tiger's uncle for his obvious arrogance (claiming that he was "invincible in Chinatown"). Tiger also tells Master Wong of his encounter with his older brother, who advises that he find Dragon and bring him back to the Gate. Luckily he randomly met Ma Qwun's daughter, Xiaoling and they take a liking to one another despite the awkward nature of their meeting. She agrees to help Tiger reconnect with his brother as she views him as family as well.

Meanwhile, Shek has camped out at the Dragon Tiger Gate school until Master Wong agrees to teach him. In the meantime he still practices there, and due to his demeanor the children training there view him as a role model. When Master Wong sees his students using their slippers as nunchaku instead of their actual training he agrees to spar with Shek. Taking a pair of slippers as his weapon Wong easily defeats Shek. The shame of such a loss gives him perspective and Shek admits the true story behind his scar. He is then allowed in as a student after learning a little humility the hard way.

Elsewhere, Ma Qwun returns the Lousha plaque in hope of retiring to a life of safety with his family much to the approval of Xiaoling and Dragon. Xiaoling wishes for a simpler life, while Dragon hopes to truly reconnect with his roots and return to the Dragon Tiger Gate as he always planned. Seeing this as an insult, Shibumi sends his lead henchmen, the Double Devils as well as a small gang of thugs to kill Ma Qwun. He uses his subordinate, Rosa to lure Dragon away as the hit is performed. Dragon and Rosa have long flirted with the idea of a relationship since childhood, but as members of separate triads it is frowned upon. In spite of this they have feelings for each other, which leads her to tell Dragon of the plan to kill Ma Qwun. Unfortunately, the ambush succeeds as Dragon arrives too late to save him. Despondent over his failure to protect his surrogate father as well as suffering from injury Dragon leaves Xiaoling in Tiger's care, but does not return to the Gate himself. Meanwhile, Shibumi takes notice of Dragon's ability (and those of the Dragon Tiger Gate specifically) after he defeats the Double Devils during the ambush and goes to the Dragon Tiger Gate to find him...

Once he arrives Shibumi lays down a challenge to the school. Since Tiger is out at the moment searching for Dragon Shek takes the challenge, but is easily defeated. Shibumi then takes on Master Wong. Though he makes an attempt Wong is beaten and killed by the highly skilled triad lord as Tiger, who returns only to be defeated as well, watches powerless to stop him. Once Xiaoling discovers what has happened she takes Shek and Tiger to Master Qi as instructed by Master Wong. He heals the two martial artists and teaches them new techniques to use in their inevitable fight with Shibumi. Shek learns the "Golden Mask" technique, and Tiger learns the "Electric Dragon Drill". Meanwhile Rosa is given an elixir and an ultimatum. Shibumi gives her the means to heal Dragon's injuries, but strikes her fatally. Given the choice between his life and her own, she chooses to heal Dragon...

Tiger and Shek go to Shibumi's Black Pagoda to avenge the death of Master Wong. Though they both greatly improve, Shibumi fends them off until Dragon arrives to accept the challenge. He lures Shibumi into close-quarters combat and unleashes his technique, the Eighteen Dragon-Slaying Palms. In the end Dragon defeat Shibumi. Shibumi is still alive and ran way leaving his mask. Dragon then returns to the Dragon Tiger Gate with his younger brother and Shek at his side.