Jean-Pierre Richard

Jean-Pierre Richard is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the 2001 action-thriller movie Kiss of the Dragon.

History
Initially perceived to be the best of the police force in France for 'masterfully' solving the problem in Tehran incident, Richard is revealed to be a corrupt and violent French police detective whom a Chinese intelligence agent named Liu Jian meets in a hotel in Paris when Richard was busy pummeling a hapless Chinese man to a bloody pulp. Liu is led to believe that he is providing reconnaissance of a meeting involving a Chinese mobster named Mr. Big, but while Mr. Big is in a room with two prostitutes, one of them tries to murder him. As Liu rushes to stop her, Richard appears and shoots both Mr. Big and the prostitute dead with Liu's handgun. Richard reveals his intentions to frame Liu for the murders, but Liu manages to obtain the surveillance footage proving that Richard is the true killer. Richard and his henchmen pursue Liu throughout the hotel, attempting to kill him, but Liu proves to be too elusive for them to keep up as the lone Chinese agent fights his way out of hotel.

Later, Richard tries to convince Chinese liaisons who have arrived in France that Liu is the primary suspect, though they are unconvinced. Here it is revealed that Liu Jian's task was to arrest Mr. Big and find out who Mr. Big's French connection is; it turns out that Mr. Big's connection was - none other than Richard himself. Richard, fearing that his corruption would be exposed, killed Mr. Big and the hooker who stabbed Mr. Big to keep his criminal activity in secret. Liu later meets up with one of the liaison and gives him the tape, but Richard already had his cronies following the two Chinese. Liu's meeting was spotted, and one of Richard's men kills Liu's liaison personnel and recovers the tape. Once again Liu is forced to fight his way out against not only Richard and his thugs, but also G.I.G.N units (deployed at the request of Richard to ensure Liu's demise). Although wounded, Liu once more manages to elude his pursuers. Despite failing to kill Liu, Richard was content that the evidence tape is back in his hands. Afterwards, Liu meets a prostitute named Jessica who tells him that Richard had previously kidnapped her daughter, Isabel, in order to force her into the job. They do not have more time to know each other better though, as Liu's hideout was soon discovered by one of Richard's goons. Liu immediately kills the goon, but not before the goon destroys Liu's hideout, forcing Liu and Jessica on the run. Once again an encounter with Liu that ended with his henchman being bagged and his attempt to kill Liu getting evermore complicated, Richard verbally lashes out at the two Chinese liaison personnel who accompanied him to survey the murder scene.

When Liu realizes that she had been the second prostitute present in Mr. Big's room when he was murdered, he strikes the deal with her: if she goes to Richard's office to get the tape back and succeeds, Liu in turn will reclaim Isabel and return the child to Jessica. Richard has her tied up in his office while he's gone, but she manages to break free and escape with the tape and with Richard's pet turtle, which Jessica subsequently frees. Liu tries to convince Jessica that it would be easier and better if they go to Chinese embassy to submit the tape first, but Jessica demands Liu that he keep the end of his bargain. The pair then travel to the orphanage where Isabel is but are ambushed by Richard's men, as he had guessed where they would be heading next. While Liu manages to escape unscathed, Jessica gets shot and Liu is forced to take her to the hospital, vowing to rescue Isabel from Richard and reunite her with her mother.

Liu goes to the police station and phones Richard, telling him to come to the window. As he does so, Liu pinpoints his location and fights his way through swarms of henchmen using his superior martial arts skills. Once again as happened in the hotel, Richard's henchmen are unable to keep up with Liu's phantom-like elusiveness. After dispatching of Richard's security and henchmen, Liu confronts Richard himself - while the latter is holding Isabel hostage. Richard shoots Liu and prepares to kill him, but Liu manages to stick an acupuncture needle into the back of Richard's neck - finally subduing him. A puzzled Richard asks Liu what he has just done to him, and Liu reveals that the needle has punctured a forbidden location of the body known as the 'kiss of the dragon' - which stimulates all the body's blood to travel to the head, the result of which will cause it's victim to endure a very graphic and painful death. At first Richard disbelieves Liu, telling him "You really are a smart guy aren't you Johnny Boy". Unfortunately, from the subsequent moment where Liu corrects Richard upon stating that his name isn't "Johnny", he realizes too late that the former's words were true just as Liu exits the building with Isabel - though not after bidding Richard goodbye. Richard then starts shivering uncontrollably as blood begins to seep out of all the orifices in his head, including his eyes, ears, mouth and nostrils. Ultimately, Richard collapses on the floor and dies painfully of a brain aneurysm.

Prior to his death, Richard was left unaware that Liu had submitted the tape that contained the evidence of Richard murdering Mr. Big to the Chinese embassy prior to the assault on the police department. As Richard faced off Liu while holding Isabel hostage, his police department was swarming with French tactical police unit (called R.A.I.D) - who were on their way to arrest Richard: if Liu didn't kill him, Richard would have been apprehended for his crimes. His fate either way, was sealed.