It’s hard for any film lover on the planet not to know who Donnie Yen is at this point.

The Ip Man franchise star and Rogue One alum is a martial arts maestro and beloved the world over. So Enter The Fat Dragon makes me ask why it was necessary to place him in a schlocky blockbuster action-comedy where the punchline is that he’s fat.

Director Kenji Tanigaki is skilled enough with set pieces and action to create a visually interesting film, but it just seems like an unnecessary endeavour. The problem here is the script writers, and it took three to write this, play into the genre tropes, and it’s unbecoming

Yen stars as Fallon Zhu, a determined cop whose dedication to his work costs him his fiance, and his own position on the force when he bungles an assignment. Stuck in the evidence locker as punishment, he eats his days away and gains an incredible amount of weight.

When he is assigned to escort a criminal to Japan, he must put himself — and his new, bigger body — to the test to keep the man safe.

It’s pretty standard issue, and the only thing of note is Donnie Yen, who could make pretty much anything work at this point. Come for Yen, endure everything else.

2.5/5 Stars