Writer: Loong Wai Ting

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Watch this if you liked: "The Drummer", "Stomp The Yard"

Okay, here's the deal - how would a scar-bearing 'big sister' look like if she took a turn somewhere and transformed 180 degrees into something more beautiful and graceful? That was the case of Fann Wong who took up the challenge to be a dance instructor in "Dance Of The Dragon" (DOTD). Starring alongside were Korean heartthrob Jang Hyuk, and US-born actor Jason Scott Lee.

From samba to cha cha to slow waltz, prepare to be led away by beautifully choreographed dance routines.

Though labelled as an action-drama, truth be told it was more like a biography or an artistic kind of movie. All this thanks to director John Radel, who did a great job in combining both martial art and ballroom dancing. What would the audiences brought out with them was not the images of people dancing and many scenes from Singapore, but one particular line: "Only fools dare to dream."

In DOTD, both Korean and English were spoken throughout the movie. For those who do not understand a single word of Korean except "Kamsahamnida," there are subtitles to follow. Well, just a little piece of an advice: make sure you can read faster than the scene changes!

What makes DOTD so good was not because of its cast but the music score. Throughout the entire movie, audiences will be all ears listening to the great backdrop, all of which are mainly orchestral. What could be bad and frustrating to most audiences could be that during the final showdown that Enrique Iglesias song "Hero" played.

Thinking about the movie, perhaps more varieties of dance routines could be shown? There will be no qualms that fans of Fann Wong and Jang Hyuk will queue up for this movie. All in all, DOTD will definitely make you want to hit that dance floor with your partner and waltz the night away!

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008