Arts & Life, Film & Television

‘The Great Wall’ blocks viewer enjoyment

The Great Wall – of China – is a fascinating construction of humanity’s creativity and willpower is one of the great wonders of the world. The film? Not so much.

Matt Damon plays William, a mercenary looking for the Chinese invention of explosive black powder. Along with his partner-in-crime, Tovor (Pedro Pascal of “Game of Thrones” fame), they both stumble upon a secret Chinese military group defending the world from monsters.

Before the review kicks off, there’s a problem about the elephant in the room: The casting of Matt Damon in a Chinese-made film, which raised controversy about whitewashing and having a white savior. The presumed views of his role as a “white savior” in the story was unwarranted since he portrays a selfish European mercenary who only comes to China to make a profit, and had no intention of fighting any monsters.

Moreover, the Chinese military ironically named “The Nameless Order” has efficiently held their own against the rampaging and intelligent beasts for centuries. William is indeed the hero who predictably saves the Chinese, but it was through the cooperation between him and the Chinese military that contradict the white savior claims.

Jing Tian, who will star in Legendary Entertainment’s upcoming “Kong: Skull Island” and “Pacific Rim: Uprising,” portrays Commander Lin Mae. She is the only prominent female character in the film, but serves more as a romantic interest and moral guidance to William.

Director Zhang Yimou is known for his visual fidelity when creating the Beijing Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, and in his martial art films “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers.” “Great Wall” showcases why he is still the best Chinese filmmaker in his country, but his talents were wasted on this film.

This was very much a film made for the Western audiences in mind, whereby Damon, Pascal and the upcomer Tian are put into the center, famous – and clearly more talented – Chinese actors are deregulated as side-characters. Tian in particular couldn’t match up to veteran Chinese actors like Andy Lau and Zhang Hanyu, both of whom play as fellow commanders with minor screen presence.

The focus on the Western audience also means that the plot suffers from weak character motivations and dialogue. Every character is dumbed down to a simplistic degree, to the point of their motives being unexplained. For example, William’s reason for transitioning from mercenary to fighter for the Nameless Order is lost without context.

William changes his mission from selfishly stealing black powder to helping the Nameless Order fight monsters for no apparent reason.

While the action was plentiful, there was nothing in particular that stood out as jaw-dropping other than the rich Chinese culturalism scattered throughout. There’s a slight sense of disbelief when terrible CGI is involved in what is touted as the highest-budgeted Chinese film yet.

In all of its ridiculousness with regards to the plot and the random banter between William and Tovor, “The Great Wall” takes itself too seriously. Lin Mae explains that the monsters arrived to Earth (yes, that happens) because of an Emperor’s greed. While it’s relatable to William’s and Tovor’s quest for black powder, it didn’t build-up upon their motivation. Instead, it’s just tossed aside and not explored any further.

The Chinese direction to the designs, cinematography, and wackiness, make “The Great Wall” stand out against other action films made in the U.S.. Like a typical summer blockbuster, there isn’t a whole lot of greatness with the plot or characters, and it lacks any standout scenes. However, it still remains enthralling throughout due to exciting set-pieces and visuals.

To quote British comedian Karl Pilkington, the film is “Not a Great Wall. It’s an Alright Wall. The Alright Wall of China.”

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