The Captain (2019) [Film Review]

The Captain; or, Into the Storm

     Attention passengers, I am the purser of this flight. The pilot and flight attendants are trained day to day, in order to ensure everyone's safety. That is our purpose on-board this aircraft. Please trust our captain. We will go home together.
After Operation Mekong (2016), Operation Red Sea (2018), and The Bravest (2019), the Chinese cinema industry continues on with the series of epic tales about infallible servicemen. Andrew Lau’s The Captain is such a movie and it was inspired by a true story of the Sichuan Airlines flight 3U8633 incident.

Release Info

Directed by: Andrew Lau Starring: Zhang Hanyu, Yuan Quan, Ou Hao, Du Jiang

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 中国机长 Runtime: 111 min

Synopsis

The story takes place on the 14th of May, 2018. Captain Liu Chuanjian (Zhang Hanyu) prepares for a standard flight from Chongquing to Lhasa together with his two co-pilots as well as the flight attendants supervised by a Chief Purser (Yuan Quan). Passengers board an Airbus A319 plane and everything seems to be in order. Forty minutes after take-off, on the altitude of 32,000 feet, the windshield blows out, sucking one of the co-pilots halfway out of the cockpit. The plane is now depressurized and with inoperative radio communication. To make matters worse, the flight is cut off on the Tibetan Plateau from the nearest emergency landing site because of the raging storm. The only hope for the survival of 119 passengers are Captain Liu Chuanjian and his crew.

 

Plane vs. Nature

The Captain is a fascinating disaster movie which, instead of descending into slow-paced American procedural dramas like Flight (2012) or Sully (2016), goes all action and throws callbacks to such memorable motion pictures like Airport (1970) and Miracle Landing (1990). Even though Zhang Hanyu dominates the screen with his charismatic presence, The Captain is not a one-man show because it strives to faithfully retell the tragedy of Sichuan Airlines flight. The movie goes to such an extent on this matter that it even pays a beautiful tribute to the real heroes in the end credits.

 

The movie’s primary assets are awesome visuals, evidently improved with decent CGI effects. In addition, elaborate action sequences will certainly keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. However, some should prepare for a little dose of clichés (flashbacks about loved ones, passengers having panic attacks) and pathos (trusting the crew) which are, in a way, obligatory for this kind of movie.

 

With regard to performances, Zhang Hanyu is obviously too cool for school as the captain saving the day. Second best performer, and a true highlight of this picture, is Yuan Quan as the Chief Purser. There are also some really good performances from the actors and actresses playing the passengers in distress.

 

Recommendations

If you have a chance, then get on board with The Captain, fasten your seat belts, and experience the worst case scenario with a miraculous ending. Apart from being an informative account of the crew’s heroism, it is also one gripping story. The Captain will keep you entertained from beginning to the end.

Overall score: 9/10

Operation Red Sea (2018) [Film Review]

Operation Red Sea; or, China for the Win!

     Our mission this time is to give a message to all terrorists that you can never harm a Chinese citizen.

If you thought that Operation Mekong (2016) was the definite representation of China’s power, then you clearly have not seen Operation Red Sea, Dante Lam’s yet another action war film which is currently the fifth-highest-grossing film ever in the Chinese box office. The movie was loosely inspired by the real-life evacuation of Chinese citizens during the Yemeni Civil War in 2015.

Release Info

Directed by: Dante Lam Starring: Zhang Yi, Hai Qing, Du Jiang, Huang Jingyu, Wang Yutian, Yin Fang, and Henry Prince Mak, Jiang Luxia, Zhang Hanyu

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 红海行动 Runtime: 139 min

 

Synopsis

The Chinese Navy is deployed to the country of Yewaire on the Arabian Peninsula. The orders of the Jiaolong Assault Team are to protect Chinese citizens and assist them in the evacuation. The country is in the middle of a civil war between the local government and a morbid terrorist organisation called Zaka. The terrorists kidnap a Western engineer who has the plans needed to make dirty bombs. When Zaka takes a Chinese citizen hostage, they demand from the Chinese Navy the release of the Yewairian President. In the meantime, the Jiaolong squad suffers heavy losses while escorting the Chinese consul as well as the Moroccan locals. Nevertheless, they make an attempt to infiltrate the terrorists’ den and save the hostages.

 

#ChinaFirst

If you could not stand the over-the-top craziness of Wolf Warrior 1 and 2, then Operation Red Sea is the perfect choice for you. It is a wonderfully executed war film with all the right ingredients to make it an enjoyable flick. Just as Operation Mekong was echoing 80s American action movies (*whispers* Delta Force (1986)), then Operation Red Sea provides a similar The Best of compilation of war classics.

 

As a result, we get to see the mash up of Platoon (1986), Sahara (1995), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Black Hawk Down (2001), and (yes) Seven Samurai (1954). Needless to say, the sheer awesomeness starts oozing from the screen right from the opening scene and the fast-paced action lets go only for a couple of exposition moments.

 

Allegedly, this film is considered to be China’s first “modern naval film,” but I think that this is debatable because 80% of the movie happens on land. Evidently, the Chinese Navy are the main good guys and they leave a scorching trail of glory along their path to save every single Chinese citizen in distress. In addition, I was quite surprised that the baddies were not Westerners, but, you know… actual terrorists from the Middle East.

 

What is more, apart from the visually beautiful action, there are some bombastic explosions, and quite realistic bloody stuff. The Chinese are really not bothered by something as petty as MPAA ratings. In fact, many of the scenes (be it shootouts, hand-to-hand-combats, or stealthy sneaking) were so intense that they really had me sitting on the edge of my seat! By far, my most favourite sequence is the “desert tank chase”. Yes, this movie has freaking tanks chasing each other and firing missiles!

 

With regard to performances, all of the actors playing the soldiers did a great job. Zhang Yi was the best as the team leader. The second lead, Hai Qing, also did well as the French-Chinese journalist who voluntarily helps out the squad. I also appreciated the memorable performances of Du Jiang, Huang Jingyu, Wang Yutian, Yin Fang, and Henry Prince Mak. However, the one that stood out the most for me was Jiang Luxia as Tong Li, the only female member of the squad. There was also a decent supporting part done by the ever-great Zhang Hanyu.

 

Recommendations

If you feel the need for some action-packed viewing experience, then Operation Red Sea is one of the best choices for you. Apart from providing an explosive spectacle, the film also communicates the educational message for modern viewers: “If you mess with China, then China will mess with you”. To sum up, you really do not want to make the Chinese Navy angry, because otherwise, they will blow up half of your country and hunt you down.

Overall score: 9/10