The Great Wall (2017)

“The Great Wall” stars Matt Damon, Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, and Andy Lau.  Released in China on December 15, 2016, followed by a United States release on February 17, 2017, the film is about a European mercenary who teams up with a group of Chinese soldiers to defend the Great Wall of China from a ferocious army of monsters.​

The film is directed by Zhang Yimou, who is best known for directing Hero and House of Flying Daggers.  It is the first English-language film to be directed by Zhang after directing several Chinese films.  What was the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear a premise such as this?  Dumb?  Epic?  A mixture between the two?  To me, the first thing that came to my mind was, “Wow”.  Based on what I saw from the trailers, it looked like it’s trying to impress its audience with its visual style while also delivering an action-packed story that takes place in China during the Song Dynasty.  While I haven’t seen any of the films that Zhang directed, I was interested in seeing how he handles a big-budget action film like this.  The film’s concept alone was enough for me to go check it out, but will it be able to offer more than that?

Pros:
Good performances from the cast, including Matt Damon and Jing Tian.

The visuals were impressive.

Zhang’s direction was decent.

Offers plenty of entertainment value.

Cons:
The story was a mixed bag.  It was simple and well-told, but during some parts, it comes off as generic.

The first act felt a bit rushed.

Final thoughts: While the story wasn’t as grand as its style, “The Great Wall” is a thrilling visual experience that’s worth seeing on the big screen.  The film knows exactly what it is, and Zhang Yimou did his best to take advantage of it.  At first, I was a bit skeptical on how it’ll turn out when I saw the beginning, but in the end, I was able to have a good time watching it.  If you’re in a mood for a visual treat, then it’s worth checking out.

B-