Action-Packed Weekend

A twenty-dollar bill threatened to burn a hole in my pocket this weekend, so I took the opportunity to go and see some mindless Hollywood actioners. The new Jet Li film, “Kiss of the Dragon,” is a competent facsimile of standard Hong Kong fare, and I got a kick out of Li’s kung fu mastery. In the final analysis though, it’s a squandered opportunity that never really rises above expectations — eerily similar to Chow Yun-Fat’s “The Replacement Killers.”

I had much lower expectations for director Dominic Sena’s “Swordfish,” if for no other reason than his “Gone in Sixty Seconds” was a pathetic waste of time and money. So I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be moderately entertaining. Though I think John Travolta needs a personal trainer and a year off to reconsider his approach to his craft, Hugh Jackman has the makings of a real star. No need to rush out to see either film; a Saturday night rental will serve you just as well, plus you get to hang on to a greater portion of your own twenty dollar bill.