Friday, June 09, 2017

The Great Wall: Not the Finest Film, but a Fun Watch Worth Watching

Movie Review: The Great Wall (2016)
Version: Library Borrow

If you want action, if you want period costumes, if you want exotic locations, if you want creepy monsters, you really want to see The Great Wall.

This is the tale of two Europeans traveling ancient China looking for the secrets behind gunpowder. What they find instead is the secret behind The Great Wall of China: the defense of the united Chinese nation against the growing threat of dinosaur-like monsters who grow off human flesh fed to their queen. However, there seems to be nothing that can hold off these beasts, until William (played by Matt Damon) and Tovar (played by Pedro Pascal) give up their mercenary ways and join the huge Chinese army of elite warriors battling the nasty teethy enemy.

As with many films made in China these days, this story is presented in massive scale showcasing the skill and courage of Chinese warriors. The Westerner and Spaniard coming to their rescue seem both reluctant and timid in coming to their defense at first, so you might be forgiven for at first thinking this is one of those big-budget Chinese-focused films. But it is much more than that. The Great Wall is an interesting multi-dimensional film full of color and heroics and great stunt work, although, stunts nothing to the scale of a Jackie Chan or a Bruce Lee. Willam Defoe also makes an appearance as an Western warrior seeking to help stop the monsters. The star power, however, is Matt Damon, who gets to save the day, with a cast of thousands of fearless Chinese warriors.

The Great Wall isn't the finest film ever made, but it is a fun movie and worth a viewing. You can't go wrong when you're watching a mindless face full of razor-sharp teeth get pummeled, and this film is full of them. 

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