Naked Dragon

Naked Dragon [2014] is a more than pleasant directorial debut by G.A. Houser, who was also author, co-screen writer and executive producer. It is a police procedural drama with a large dash of romance set in unspecified modern times in Los Angeles. Davon Williams plays a rookie police officer (Dave Harris) who is, from the opening scenes, competent and confidant. Jesse Seann Atkinson plays a psychic FBI Agent (Robbie Taylor) assigned especially because of the gruesome nature of a mega-serial killer's multi-state rampage. As a drama, I give this film a B-. The story is compelling and played with enough enthusiasm by all the actors involved. As a police procedural, I give it a B+ with interplay between LAPD and FBI, the biggest fault being the action taking place off-screen and we pick up with the aftermath and the FBI guys being wooden (doh) until the last 10 minutes. But as a romance, I give Naked Dragon an A. Williams and Atkinson make a very attractive and believable couple. Williams' shy awkwardness is well-balanced by Atkinson's "knowing." The kisses are actually credible. The intimacy scenes are mostly shrouded in shadow but without holding back. All-in-all, it was a good and well-developed plot played believably by competent actors who, as it happens, were not afraid to kiss each other. That makes for an excellent LGBT film in my book.