Review of Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010) by Mayank F — 19 Jul 2012

A giant Buddha statue, erected to celebrate the coronation of China's incoming empress, is plagued by a series of spontaneous combustions. Despite being imprisoned for opposing the new regime, Detective Dee (Andy Lau) is asked to crack the case.

This leads him on a chaotic trail of intrique, conspiracy, and lots of people getting kicked in the head. This wuxia film aims for the visual splendor of Zhang Yimou's period films, but it's hampered by an overabundance of charmless and unconvincing CGI.

Still, the charisma of Andy Lau, the engaging fight choreography, and the interesting set pieces make Detective Dee's exploits a moderately entertaining action yarn.