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Men on the Dragon
Movie

Men on the Dragon

2018 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

Four telecom employees begrudgingly join the company’s dragon boat team to help keep them immune from encroaching layoffs only to discover themselves.

Overall Series Review

Men on the Dragon is a Hong Kong sports comedy-drama that centers on the mid-life crises of four working-class men who join their company's dragon boat team to stave off layoffs. The narrative is deeply rooted in local Hong Kong culture and focuses on the male protagonists finding camaraderie, self-respect, and a renewed purpose through the traditional sport. The film’s primary themes are universal—the struggles of middle age, job insecurity, and maintaining family relationships—rather than political lecturing on identity or ideology. While the female characters, notably the tough young coach and the male protagonists' 'shrewish' partners, present a gender dynamic that depicts men as emasculated or hen-pecked, this conflict serves the men's emotional and heroic arc of self-improvement. The focus remains on individual character development and merit (the team's success in the race) over intersectional or political grievances. The movie is a life-affirming story that supports community, family, and personal virtue.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The movie is a Hong Kong local film focused on the working-class experiences of its predominantly East Asian cast. The conflict revolves around economic insecurity (company layoffs) and personal struggles (mid-life crises), not race or intersectional hierarchy. The characters' journey emphasizes meritocracy and effort through their training for the dragon boat race, placing the focus on universal themes of hard work and character development.

Oikophobia1/10

The narrative is a 'Pure Hong Kong Local Genre Film' that utilizes the 'unique Hong Kong look' and stands with the working-class people of Hong Kong. The central activity is dragon boat racing, a traditional cultural practice. The theme is one of *rekindling* a fighting spirit and overcoming internal despair within their own home, institution, and culture, indicating a sense of gratitude and respect for local heritage.

Feminism5/10

The movie introduces a strong female character, Coach Dorothy, who is a no-nonsense leader aiming to succeed in a male-dominated field, aligning with the 'Girl Boss' archetype. Furthermore, the male protagonists are repeatedly portrayed as emasculated, 'hen-pecked and belittled' by the women in their lives, including their wives, which can be interpreted as a trope of male incompetence. However, the overall story is a sympathetic look at the men's struggle and eventual triumph, which keeps the score from reaching the highest levels of male vilification.

LGBTQ+1/10

The plot's focus is on the heterosexual crises of the four male leads, involving their estranged wives, girlfriends, and relationships with a neighbor who is a single mother. The traditional male-female pairing is the normative structure of the relationships in the film, albeit relationships that are failing. There is no presence of queer theory, centering of alternative sexualities, or lecturing on gender identity.

Anti-Theism1/10

The plot centers on work, sports, and personal/domestic conflicts, with no mention of organized religion or hostility toward religious belief. The film's overall 'life-affirming' and 'inspiring' tone suggests an embrace of objective personal betterment and a transcendent moral purpose in finding one's lost spirit, avoiding moral relativism.