The Great Wall
Director: Zhang Yimou
Screenwriter: Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, Tony Gilroy
Cast: Matt Damon, Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Rated PG-13 | 104 Minutes
Release Date: February 17, 2017
One would expect something like The Great Wall to live up to its title. History tells us that The Great Wall of China was constructed with the purpose of defense, border control, and trade regulation. In Zhang Yimou‘s film, we learn that it had another purpose: to protect the nation of China from the Tao Tei, giant green scaly beasts that have ravaged the country for ages. This would not be the first time that a film has depicted history and mix it with myth and monsters.
Of course, one of the biggest concerns surrounding The Great Wall is the blatant whitewashing that has been a part of the marketing campaign since the very beginning. Matt Damon has been the face of this film. Despite the film’s majority Chinese cast, Chinese director, and Chinese financiers, the film still believed it needed to have a big name in order to be a big seller.
But putting all of that aside, there is some entertainment value in the film. Just don’t expect much of it. Check out my full review below.
...continue reading »