Movies
The kind of film I love to love, with a strong belief in its themes and structure. An exciting trip into a world that isn't quite our own, blending different genres and styles into one chaotic whole.
Slightly more action-packed and a bit more stylish compared to its US counterparts, but The Wandering Earth is everything you'd expect from a big budget blockbuster. The action is impressive, the sci-fi setting elaborate and the effects are grand. Plot and characters are second in line, but most importantly they don't get in the way of the fun.
The inevitable sequel. The first film was China's biggest sci-fi film ever, so of course a second one would follow. What could and should've been a massive blockbuster, turned into a somewhat bloated and drama-heavy follow-up. The middle part in particular really holds up the film. Humankind is trying to escape the dying sun, its best bet is moving the Earth out of our galaxy. Not everyone agrees as a huge part of the world has more faith in a digital continuation of our species' existence. The construction of 10.000 engines !s essential for humankind's survival, but the project becomes the target of the rebels. The first hour is pretty spectacular, and so is the final one. If this had been a 2-hour film it would've been perfect blockbuster material. Sadly, there's a middle part that is mostly bad drama and sentiment. It's nice to see Andy Lau make an appearance, but he really wasn't needed here. Sci-fi and special effects are what this series is all about, and only 2/3th of the film delivers that.Read all
It seems China has discovered the perks of war cinema. It's a match made in heaven really, as it allows them to be over-the-top nationalistic without straying too far from accepted genre expectations. Let that be one of the main reasons why I'm not such a big fan of the genre, even when some well-respected directors take a shot at it. The Sacrifice focuses on one minor event in the Korean War and makes it the centerpiece of the entire war. The Chinese are trying to cross a bridge which the Americans keeps bombing to smithereens. Cue some very heroic actions and yes, sacrifices. And guess who comes out the winner in the end ... It's all way too blasé for my liking, but at least Frant Gwo, Hu Guan and Yang Lu know how to produce a big spectacle. There's a little timeline wizardry going on and the battles are pretty intense, which makes it at least entertaining enough to watch. But looking at the talent involved, this is still somewhat of a disappointment.Read all