Movies
The big Da Peng show. Not just directing and writer credits for the man, but he also takes on the lead role. And sure enough, it's a pretty agreeable blockbuster film, but it's also relatively basic and by the numbers. A 2-hour-long adventure that is predictable in outcome and morality, China cranks these out at a comfortable pace nowadays. It was nice seeing Andy Lau in a villainous role, there are some fine action sequences, and the presentation is pretty lush, but two hours is a bit long for a film that holds no surprises. A little too sentimental in places, with some lessons that are too on the nose. But if you can ignore all that, there's still a lot of fun to be had.Read all
A pretty typical Chinese blockbuster comedy. Jian Bing Man is glossy, high-energy and sporting a wealth of cameos. There aren't too many explicit jokes, instead a somewhat wacky plot and light-hearted characters are meant to provide some giggles throughout. It's doing a pretty decent job too, but the lack of risk taking makes it difficult to stand out from the crowd. The film looks pretty slick for a comedy, there are some rather big names in the cast (who don't mind poking some fun at their own persona) and the pacing is solid, even though the runtime is a bit excessive. It's very easy filler and there isn't a lot to actively dislike, it's just that it's all a bit too formulaic and predictable, and thus not very memorable.Read all