Review of Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010) by Aidan H — 13 Sep 2011

I really wanted to like this but, despite its action-packed trailer, mesmerising sets and spectacular special effects, DDatMotPF left me cold. Stodgy pacing, uninteresting characters and flouncy wire-fu conspire to topple more than just the giant statue at the centre of the tale.

There are moments where the sheer scale of the production defies belief but this sense of awe is dissipated by a pitifully weak score which prevents the undeniably epic story-telling from taking hold on the senses.

Disappointing. Stars for the CGI and production design only.