Dragon Squad is one exciting action movie directed
by Daniel Lee.
Although not flawless, the film was interesting for its distinctive editing, a new approach to action and a mish-mash of local and international stars
(Michael Biehn from Terminator).
Producer Bey Logan talks about the initial plans, how they changed along the way and the final product. |
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Vaness Wu and Bey Logan on the Dragon Squad set
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According to plans |
 HKCinemagic : Dragon Squad' ambition is seemingly to gather the best of both worlds action-wise in a HK style action vehicle. Was it indeed the original intention?
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| Bey Logan : Absolutely. From the outset, Daniel told me he wanted to combine martial arts and gunplay with a whole new aesthetic, and he was involved with every step of the process. My feeling is that he wanted to recreate some of the epic style of his idol, Chang Cheh, in a modern setting, as John Woo had done previously. I remember when we screened for Michael Biehn the 'backstreet' gun battle, and even Michael was blown away by it. |
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| HKCinemagic : The same kind of concept was applied on a generational scale, with newcomers being coached by seasoned action actors. Did you intend this way to announce a new blood approved by the old generation?
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| B L : That was the plan. My feeling, in retrospect, is that we could have done with one major young hero on the good guy team. The old guys and the bad guys were so much more charismatic! We had some bad luck when Andy On, who was supposed to star, had to pull out because of a scheduling clash. I think he would have restored the balance a bit. |
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| HKCinemagic :
With so many characters in the story, were you concerned that there couldn't be enough character development for each?
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| B L : I was. It's interesting because, with certain actors, you don't need a lot of screen time for them to make an impact. I thought the scene between Sammo Hung and Simon Yam, where they refer to their past, was very powerful, and also Simon's death scene. I think the good guy team could have been pared down a bit, because it's unfair to expect new, young actors to have that same gravitas with limited scenes. |
Daniel Lee and Simon Yam on the Dragon Squad set
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| HKCinemagic : Was the actual casting your first intentions or were there any changes before production? |
| B L : I already mentioned Andy On, which was the biggest change. Otherwise, it pretty much came together as planned.
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