The Great Wall (2016) [Film Review]

The Great Wall; or, #MakeChinaGreatAgain

     Here? This army? Our flag? We fight for more than food or money. We give our lives to something more. Xin ren is our flag. Trust in each other. In all ways. At all times.

Two years ago, the Chinese brought Matt Damon from Mars. Now, it’s time to return the favour and stand together with an ensemble cast of great Chinese actors in the first line of the humanity’s last stand. In this “Legendary” China-US co-production by prominent director Yimou Zhang, Matt Damon has to save the world from a horde of dragon-like aliens!
Release Info

Directed by: Zhang Yimou Starring: Matt Damon, Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Andy Lau

Language: English, Mandarin Runtime: 103 min

 

Plot

William (Matt Damon) and his companion Tovar (Pedro Pascal) are European mercenaries on the search for the mythical Chinese “black powder”. Other members of their group are killed off during the raid on a desert. While escaping, William and Tovar discover the Great Wall and surrender themselves to the so-called Nameless Order. It turns out that the Order built the Wall and every 60 years the army prepares itself for the battle against the Tao Tei. These mythical creature came from space as a punishment for the Emperor’s vanity. Each time the Tao Tei grow more intelligent in their fight. William resolves to help Commander Lin (Jing Tian) and Strategist Wang (Andy Lau) in their struggle to stop the invasion of the Tao Tei and kill their queen.

 

Wishy-washy whitewashing

The Great Wall completely passed me by when it came out in December 2016. Apart from work and lack of time, I also wasn’t too keen on checking it out due to the supposed “white saviour narrative” (The Last Samurai (2003) seems the definite example). I’m convinced that Asian movies are so good that they don’t need Hollywood shoving in its all-American hero.

 

Thankfully, when I finally overcame my resentment and watched the film, I was pleasantly surprised. The Great Wall is nothing about white saviour and whitewashing. The screenplay convincingly justifies the presence of white characters in non-white environment and treats with respect Chinese culture. It is not Tom-Cruise-turning-Japanese all over again. Granted, Matt Damon is in the lead but he is not the white saviour. Rather than that, his character is an outsider who discovers the awe-inspiring epicness of China. I second Zhang’s statement against the libtard-y allegations:

In many ways The Great Wall is the opposite of what is being suggested. For the first time, a film deeply rooted in Chinese culture, with one of the largest Chinese casts ever assembled, is being made at tentpole scale for a world audience. I believe that is a trend that should be embraced by our industry. (source: Wikipedia)

 

Excluding racial concerns, The Great Wall is one huge rollercoaster of entertainment. We barely get to the 15th minute of the film and the spectacular assault on the wall ensues! Here I have to praise the special effects. Many shots were done purposely for IMAX 3D (greater shame that I missed it in the cinema!) and they look impressive even on standard FullHD TV. The CGI creatures are fairly well made. Their only flaw is probably not the digital execution but the creative design. I just feel they lack something distinguishing, even though they look good on screen. Additionally, the battle scenes and overview shots are simply great, because apart from CGI there’s a lot of real, tangible scenography (all in all, it is Zhang’s movie), which only perfects the visual effects. The music score composed by Ramin Djawadi neatly enhances the viewing experience. If I hadn’t known that he composed it, I could have sworn that the main theme was written by Klaus Badelt.

 

Focusing on performances, Matt Damon is more than believable as a stranger-in-a-strange-land (up until the point when he shaves off a beard...) Pedro Pascal is a wonderful addition as ruthless Tovar but he falls victim of lazy writing in the movie’s third act. Willem Dafoe is always a joy to watch, yet his character suffers the same fate as Pascal’s. Andy Lau does a better job in a supporting role. It is Jing Tian as Commander Lin who deserves the highest praise (A female in charge of an ancient Chinese army? Take that Hollywood!). She is determined, gracious, brave, and most importantly, treats Damon’s character as her equal, not as a love interest.

 

Recommendations

The Great Wall is a safe choice. It is an entertaining, 90 minutes long, break from reality into the world of fantasy. Great direction, awesome music score, wonderful cast, and harmless fun. Poor character development may be the film’s only flaw. Don’t be afraid of whitewashing issue and instead of Ghost in the Shell (2017) go ahead and check out The Great Wall (2016). This movie provides the ultimate proof why the walls are great! Go China!

Overall score: 8/10