The most expensive film ever made in China, “The Great Wall”
is meant to serve as a bridge between American and Asian audiences, a co-production
between Universal Pictures and the China Film Group as well as other
international corporations. Hollywood knows the secret to success where big
budget epics are concerned lie in foreign markets, as these audiences are the
ones that usually push these movies into the black. So, it makes sense to make inroads into these
territories by creating product more in tune with these cultures, their mores
and their history.
If for nothing else, this misguided epic from director Yimou
Zhang (“Hero”) will be remembered as one of the first salvos in the
globalization of Hollywood. Having
already grossed a quarter of a billion dollars in foreign markets, “Wall” seems
primed to conquer the North American box office, having seemingly overcome
early criticism surrounding the casting of a westerner in a key role. That would be Matt Damon, who plays William,
a European mercenary who, along with his reluctant partner Tovar (Pedro
Pascal), have come to China searching for gunpowder. Instead, they stumble upon a military-based
society embroiled in a fight against some mysterious creatures attempting to
breach the section of the Great Wall of China where they’re holed up.
While the tab for this feature was $150 million, there are
times when you’d be hard pressed to see where it was spent. To be sure, there are some wondrous shots of
the titular fortification and Zhang obviously has no problem spending money on
ornate costuming and an expansive cast.
However, there mustn’t have been much cash left for the special effects,
as the threat at hand is a horde of dragons the size of Mack Trucks, rendered
in such a cheap manner they look as though they were created by the same
animator who brought Jerry the Mouse to the big screen to dance with Gene
Kelly. While viewers are quite aware
that Damon isn’t sharing the screen with a large scaly creature, the best of
these kinds of movies at least put forth the illusion of reality. That isn’t the case here and the film suffers
as a result as the threat is seen as harmless, as Zhang and his crew fail to
create any sense of realism.
Surprisingly, the story plays rather well as Damon and
Pascal have an enjoyable antagonistic chemistry, while actress Tian Jing is
thoroughly convincing as Commander Lin Mae, a fierce warrior with an eye for
William. The love story between them
works though the third act is an utter failure, as the script becomes muddled
with too many subplots vying for closure, none of them coming to a convincing
end. In the end, “Wall” reveals itself
to be what it is, a product made to serve many masters that will only succeed
in satisfying a few of them.
This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2017.
