It returns, like a phoenix from the ashes! Pulled from release at the last minute back in September of 2022, this fighter jet movie from China bares more than a passing resemblance to a certain Tom Cruise blockbuster.
Chinese netizens were brutal! Their feedback was harsh! So the movie was delayed and the special effects were re-worked into what we see below.
Check out the new trailer released today (23/3/2022) and then check out my reaction video and then join in the fun in the comments section! This is going to get brutal....ly funny!
Genre Action Drama Director Liu Xiaoshi Starring Yibo Wang, Hu Jun, Dongyu Zhou Original Title 长空之王 Country of Origin China Release Date 28 April 2023
A series of high profile murders occur where clan leader Kiu
Feng seems to be the main culprit. Desperate to clear his name and prove he is innocent,
he leaves his clan – well more like is he forced out of the position – and
comes across a face-changing thief called Zhu.
She gets critically injured while Kiu Feng is fighting, and
he vows to take her to a medical practitioner. At the same time he makes a
promise to her to reunite her with her family.
But the clans and masters keep hunting down Kiu Feng as they
discover his blood family are actual their mortal enemies, which leads to a
showdown with both the people who killed Kiu Feng’s parents and the people who
set him up.
MY THOUGHTS
To be honest I don’t know if I have captured the story
correctly as I’ve never seen the original movies or series, nor have I read the
book, so I went into this one completely fresh in the story department
But one thing I am is a fan of Donnie Yen movies –
especially more of his mid naughties content as that’s when I really got into
his movies with the first Ip Man movies.
I’ve missed a lot of his pre-Ip Man movies, which means I’ve
missed a lot of his more fantasy and wuxia style flicks.
However, I know a bad movie when I see it, and quite frankly
this one is terrible.
If I was to try and put my finger on what was bad,
unfortunately it all comes back to one thing – Donnie Yen.
Watch the video for my full review
DETAILS
Genre Wuxia Action Director Wai-Man Cheng, Donnie Yen Starring Donnie Yen, Cya Liu, Kara Hui Original Title 天龙八部之乔峰传 Alternative Title Demi Gods and Semi Devils Country of Origin Hong Kong Release Date January 19 2023 (Hong Kong), January 16 2023 (Malaysia)
As humanity faces the end of its existence due to the death of the sun, a plan is enacted that will save the planet – the Wandering Earth project, which involves moving the moon out of Earth gravitational pull and then, using 10,000 thrusters, push Earth out of orbit and into a new Solar System.
At the same time this project is occurring, an alternative metaverse project dubbed “The Digital Life” is being developed, in where all human consciousness is uploaded into a server where a digital instance of that person will live forever.
We follow three main story arcs – Liu Peiqiang from the first movie, who is an acclaimed astronaut working on the Wandering Earth project, Tu Hengyu played by Andy Lau who is a researcher for the Digital Life project who faces a moral dilemma in trying to preserve the memory of his dead daughter Yaya, and Zhou Zhezhi and his assistance Xiaoyi, who are the Chinese representatives in the United Earth Government forum who fight to ensure the success of the Wandering Earth project.
The movie follows the two or so decades before the commencement of the first movie, leading up to the construction of the Earth Engines, the development of the sophisticated AI that runs everything, the construction of the Underground cities and all the terrorist disasters that occur before the Wandering Earth project is enacted.
MY THOUGHTS
The first thing you’re going to want to know is if this is a good film? Well it is, but it does come with a few massive caveats. For full enjoyment, this movie should really be experienced in the cinema on a giant screen. Like the first film, watching at home on a TV – regardless of the size – won’t do any justice to the film.
The movie is an utter spectacle, make no mistake about that. Cohesion of the story line and quite a lot of logic are put on the back foot, as action set pieces, explosions and lots of quick science adjacent talk take place to bamboozle the audience.
This movie really does put the “fiction” in the genre “science fiction”. But then the idea of moving the Earth out of orbit using thrusters powered by a finite number for rocks for 2500 years would always borderline on the more fantastical part of science fiction. This is pure sci-fi, so if you’re a junkie for this style, then this movie has you covered.
If it could be likened to anything, perhaps shades of Day After Tomorrow and other big Hollywood environmental disaster blockbusters of the early naughties are the closest similarities. Since Hollywood stopped making movies like that, it good to see someone else take over.
Watch the video for my full review
DETAILS
Genre Sci-Fi Action Director Frant Gwo Starring Wu Jing, Andy Lau Original Title 流浪地球2 Country of Origin China Release Date January 22 2023 Alternative Title The Wandering Earth Ⅱ
Interested in what the top movies in Asian cinema were in 2022? Check out the three videos below - one for China, one for Korea and the other for Japan.
I love horror movies that are set in cinemas! Or use the cinema as a backdrop. Maybe I am weird - check out my video on the topic and let me know what you think
This is the pinnacle - the biggest budget Chinese monster movie ever made, and its an awesome Crocodile movie about a croc that swallows a bag of money!
Imagine, cruising in the ocean, sweeping up innocent fish living their lives so you can sell them for food, only to catch a MASSIVE F**KING SPIDER who then goes on to kill all the bad people on your boat?
Imagine that! I'm fine, I don't care about it, but it might be exciting for you!
The Chinese horror reviews are back! This time we take a look at a movie with three different titles, hoping to trick the unsuspecting person into watching it three times obviously!
AFF Link N/A
Douban Link https://movie.douban.com/subject/27054612/
Genre Chinese horror, it's not real horror
Director Andong Deng
Starring Jiaying Li, Lanhui Jiang
Original Title 笔仙咒怨
