Review of The Great Wall (2016) by Dave C — 07 Mar 2017

The Great Wall is, as I understand it, the first big collaboration between a major Chinese studio and American Hollywood filmmakers. The big story of course is the budget, and I believe it is the biggest film produced in the English language to emerge from a Chinese studio. In this sense, The Great Wall reflects an interesting discussion surrounding the future of Hollywood type productions and the role of China in becoming more of a front runner with blockbuster films.

I know the film has had more than a few detractors and critics since it released, but I have to admit, it won me over. It travels a line between a good, old fashioned monster flick, and a serious and effective story. It takes us behind the Great Wall by engaging one of the popular legends that surrounds it, a legend that includes a mass of lizard like creatures that seem to multiply at will.

What I definitely appreciated about the film is the scope. There are more than a number of scenes and sequences that were absolutely worth seeing on the big screen, and the choreography of the early battle scenes is really quite breathtaking as it moves us over and under the wall and into its nooks and crannies. The filmmakers show a talent for using the shadows to make the Wall really come alive, almost like a character in the film.

The other part I appreciated was that it really does shed a light on the Chinese culture. Much of the film is in subtitles, and the film itself showcases some recognizable stars from the Chinese film culture. There was some question about the choice to cast Matt Damon as a sort of white washing, but the Chinese studio really does assume a dominant presence here, and Damon simply accentuates what is a rather heavy, non-American cast. The film as a whole really does do justice to the Chinese culture and setting as the film uses the over arching legend to explore the relationship between East and West, with much love given to the Eastern customs (the funeral for the commander on the top of the wall was absolutely breathtaking).

But speaking of Damon, I will agree that he is an interesting cast. Almost miscast, but kind of fun regardless. He plays a bit of the comedy relief (hitting the right marks along the way), and it's even kind of fun to laugh at his efforts to hold a really spotty Irish (I think) accent for the duration of the film (which he completely fails at). Damon simply exudes charm, and that charm overshadows any of the shortcomings of this casting choice.

Overall the film manages to stay on the right side of the line between cheesy and effective. While the cinematography is definitely its strength, I would also argue that it is a confident film, confident enough to take itself seriously, but also have a bit of fun while doing so. And I think it has every right to take itself seriously. It is definitely not a bad film, by any stretch, and I was happy to go along for the ride, and even to have it exceed my expectations.