Thanks to Netflix, I have sampled Chinese cinema and television shows, and I have found them interesting enough that I keep my eyes open for new offerings that come on that streaming service. This particular one interested me, since they managed to wrangle a major Hollywood star (Michael Douglas) into appearing in it, even though it was only essentially a extended cameo.
I'll get to the point quickly as to what my thoughts were on the movie: extremely mixed. First, the good stuff. Technically the movie looks first rate, very slickly made with professional production values that could have been accomplished by Hollywood filmmakers. The movie is pretty fast paced, with a story that has some original touches I can't recall seeing in a movie before.
But while the script has some original touches, it also has its share of faults. The opening of the movie is quite confusing, feeling like it's a story starting at chapter two or three. And while the central story eventually starts to make sense, it struggles often to try and be compelling and interesting. The challenge in the movie - multiple paper/rock/scissor battles - just wasn't a grabber for me. The movie almost becomes genuinely boring at times. Also, what was the point of those scenes with the killer clown? They just seem to be both padding and a desperate attempt to add some action into the movie.
This is not the worst Chinese blockbuster I have seen, but it's also some distance from the best I've seen from the country. If you are considering seeing it, I would recommend that you first see some better Chinese blockbusters if you are a newbie to Chinese cinema. Otherwise, you might not want to sample more Chinese cinema afterwards.
I'll get to the point quickly as to what my thoughts were on the movie: extremely mixed. First, the good stuff. Technically the movie looks first rate, very slickly made with professional production values that could have been accomplished by Hollywood filmmakers. The movie is pretty fast paced, with a story that has some original touches I can't recall seeing in a movie before.
But while the script has some original touches, it also has its share of faults. The opening of the movie is quite confusing, feeling like it's a story starting at chapter two or three. And while the central story eventually starts to make sense, it struggles often to try and be compelling and interesting. The challenge in the movie - multiple paper/rock/scissor battles - just wasn't a grabber for me. The movie almost becomes genuinely boring at times. Also, what was the point of those scenes with the killer clown? They just seem to be both padding and a desperate attempt to add some action into the movie.
This is not the worst Chinese blockbuster I have seen, but it's also some distance from the best I've seen from the country. If you are considering seeing it, I would recommend that you first see some better Chinese blockbusters if you are a newbie to Chinese cinema. Otherwise, you might not want to sample more Chinese cinema afterwards.