Plot: The emperor demands fresh lychees for his birthday, but nobody can transport them from the source to the party without the fruit going bad. And so the baton is passed on until Li Shande accepts the job. He understands the task is virtually impossible, but that isn't going to stop him from trying.
Watches
July 25, 2025
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.