The Great Wall
(2016)1700 years to build. 5500 miles long. What were they trying to keep out?
From the director of 2002's Hero comes this fantasy-action blockbuster, an alternate history twist on why China built The Great Wall - and what elite forces were trying to keep out. Stars Oscar-winner Matt Damon, Jing Tian (Special ID), Pedro Pascal (TV's Games of Thrones), Willem Dafoe (The Grand Budapest Hotel), and Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers).
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Directed by Yimou Zhang ('Hero', 'House of Flying Daggers', 'Curse of the Golden Flower')
Starring Matt Damon, Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau, Hanyu Zhang, Eddie Peng, Kenny Lin
Written by Tony Gilroy, Marshall Herskovitz, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, Max Brooks
Out Now (On-Demand,
DVD or Blu-Ray)
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 9 providers
Flicks Review
BY Daniel Rutledge Flicks Writer
If you want to see Matt Damon fighting an army of mythical reptilian beasts in feudal-era China, The Great Wall shouldn't disappoint. It's a remarkably straight-ahead genre piece with no delusions of grandeur, and at no risk of punching above its dramatic weight by keeping its goals nice and low. I probably won't reach for this Blu-ray in a few years from now over director Yimou Zhang's previous Hero or House of Flying Daggers; but I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun I had with it on the big screen.... More
Outrage over Damon's role turned out to be unfounded. He's a European dude who ends up helping out the Chinese imperial army defend against the demonic hordes, but it's not a white-washed or white saviour role. He's a good fighter and a big help, yes, but it's Tian Jing and Andy Lau's characters who prove more decisive than the white men in overcoming evil. Genuine outrage may be directed at Damon's accent, however, which is a hodge-podge of weirdness and wrong.
Visually, this fantasy film is both gorgeous and ugly. The Chinese army is spectacularly resplendent in colour-coded armour denoting which corps each soldier belongs to, videogame-style. Long, panoramic sweeping shots also make for nice eye candy.
Crappy CGI, however, ends up fouling up a lot of The Great Wall's aesthetics, ruining almost every single shot the evil beasts are in and a few others too. Even with the poor visual effects work, the impressive diversity in the action sequences kept me well engaged throughout, with occasional stylistic flourishes that were rousing.
With its very simple defeat-the-monsters narrative, this isn't an epic East-meets-West triumph that the increasingly big-budget Hollywood/China co-productions are sure to deliver regularly soon. But it may be an indication of greatness to come.Hide
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The Press Reviews
Zhang Yimou capably gives ... "The Great Wall" the look and feel of a Hollywood blockbuster, but his signature visual dazzle, his gift for depicting delicate relationships and throbbing passions are trampled by dead-serious epic aspirations. Full Review
The Great Wall is easily the least interesting and involving blockbuster of the respective careers of both its director and star. Full Review
Simultaneously futuristic and historic, the visual spectacle carries the film, while Zhang manages to include plenty of promised "Chinese elements", including a beautiful shot of traditional sky lanterns at one character's funeral. Full Review
There are plenty of fun CGI monster-skewering scenes, but a clunky plot, rigid script and equally stiff acting make this a crumbling disappointment, if not quite a disaster. Full Review
If you were entertained by the trailers then it's a safe bet you'll enjoy this as a Sunday afternoon movie. Just don't expect too much. Full Review
The Great Wall plays like The Last Samurai crossed with Jurassic Park, The Two Towers, Reign of Fire and one of those episodes of Thrones... Full Review
The whole thing plays out as if it had been thought up by someone who, while watching "Game of Thrones" and smoking a bowl, started riffing on walls, China and production money. Full Review
Damon is good value, his avuncular charm adding intimacy to what could have been an empty spectacle. Full Review
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