There is no way to decorate this simple statement: 'The Great Wall' is a monstrous disaster. The largest China-Hollywood collaboration yet, and the first blockbuster movie to be filmed entirely in China, it hasn't set the bar very high for future international releases from the East and doesn't deserve to stand as any form of landmark for this type of production.
For a film about a 5,500 mile-long wall with the aforementioned derivements, it is only natural that worldwide audiences were optimistic about 'The Great Wall'. But even the very foundations of the film are flimsy: following the mercenary soldier William (Matt Damon) and his partner Tovar (Pedro Pascal), the "whitewashed" duo encounter an army of Power Rangers protecting a wall from a mass of 'The Lord of the Rings' Wargs Version 2.0 with the overarching "end of the world" threat.
The visuals, one of 'The Great Wall's main selling points, fluctuate consistently from scrappy to clean cut, and this can be very distracting. Some battle scenes are indeed pleasing to watch, notably the bungee jumping warriors who sweep down the wall to kill as many of the monsters below as they can. Yet this in no way makes up for the horrific contrast between the plastic, cheap-looking armour of the army and the unpolished special effects throughout the film, nor the unconvincing surrounding landscapes, that piece together incoherently to form this untidy, chaotic concoction of terrible movie-making.
However, it is the script and the story that is its most catastrophic downfall. Constantly using weak plot devices and action movie clichés that we've seen countless times before (e.g. the reluctant hero earning redemption, a mindless army with a classic vulnerability and communication method etc.), then juxtaposed by stereotypes of Chinese culture that are arguably more controversial than the "whitewashing" scenario. It is unintelligent popcorn fodder, failing to keep, let alone grasp the attention of the viewers.
"You can write this s**t, but you sure as hell can't say it." – Harrison Ford
This statement from Ford is dismally prevalent here; Matt Damon cannot decide on an accent or tone for his monotonous character, delivering lines with cringe-worthy dullness, he barely hides how little he wants to be there. Jing Tian (as the Commander of the army, Lin Mei) is so detached from the film she may as well have been CGI as well, and Willem Dafoe (as Ballard) plays an empty character who serves only to explain why Mei can speak English. The writing is abysmal, and talent is surely wasted here, only adding to the pile of missed opportunities in 'The Great Wall'.
For a film about a 5,500 mile-long wall with the aforementioned derivements, it is only natural that worldwide audiences were optimistic about 'The Great Wall'. But even the very foundations of the film are flimsy: following the mercenary soldier William (Matt Damon) and his partner Tovar (Pedro Pascal), the "whitewashed" duo encounter an army of Power Rangers protecting a wall from a mass of 'The Lord of the Rings' Wargs Version 2.0 with the overarching "end of the world" threat.
The visuals, one of 'The Great Wall's main selling points, fluctuate consistently from scrappy to clean cut, and this can be very distracting. Some battle scenes are indeed pleasing to watch, notably the bungee jumping warriors who sweep down the wall to kill as many of the monsters below as they can. Yet this in no way makes up for the horrific contrast between the plastic, cheap-looking armour of the army and the unpolished special effects throughout the film, nor the unconvincing surrounding landscapes, that piece together incoherently to form this untidy, chaotic concoction of terrible movie-making.
However, it is the script and the story that is its most catastrophic downfall. Constantly using weak plot devices and action movie clichés that we've seen countless times before (e.g. the reluctant hero earning redemption, a mindless army with a classic vulnerability and communication method etc.), then juxtaposed by stereotypes of Chinese culture that are arguably more controversial than the "whitewashing" scenario. It is unintelligent popcorn fodder, failing to keep, let alone grasp the attention of the viewers.
"You can write this s**t, but you sure as hell can't say it." – Harrison Ford
This statement from Ford is dismally prevalent here; Matt Damon cannot decide on an accent or tone for his monotonous character, delivering lines with cringe-worthy dullness, he barely hides how little he wants to be there. Jing Tian (as the Commander of the army, Lin Mei) is so detached from the film she may as well have been CGI as well, and Willem Dafoe (as Ballard) plays an empty character who serves only to explain why Mei can speak English. The writing is abysmal, and talent is surely wasted here, only adding to the pile of missed opportunities in 'The Great Wall'.