Raise The Red Lantern - 1991 - China

Raise The Red Lantern - 1991 - 7/10
AKA - 大紅燈籠高高掛

 
Songlian is sent by her financially ruined to be wife #4 of a wealthy man.
Treated lavishly at first, she soon realizes her “husband” is capricious.
The various wives are untrustworthy, as are the servants.
Pressure is tremendous, security assured only if a wife gets pregnant – and bears a son.
Beautiful film, as are most of Zhang Yimou’s, yet the tension never lets up.
None of the video releases I have watched since cannot match the vibrant colors I saw in the arthouse theater.

Killer Shark - 2021 - China

Killer Shark - 2021 - 5/10
AKA - 夺命巨鲨

 
Happy-go-lucky shark has plenty to feel cheerful about.
The Pacific teems with screaming, squealing, tasty humans.
Once it starts chomping, it can’t stop at just one.  Or two, or four.
Six affluent (or wannabee affluent) youths crash their yacht and are stranded.
One bleeds heavily, attracting the voracious predator.
Borrows from The Reef, although most know this going in.
Laughably bad subtitles.  Meals are whiny beyond belief – root for the shark!

Talking Bones (Gu Yu) - 2018 - China

Talking Bones - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - Gu Yu  // 骨语

 
Forensic examiner Xia Ying is assigned to the Special Crimes Unit.
Acceptance is grudging as she is taking over from an established elder.  Her mentor, actually.
Over the course of this C-drama, cases involve a copycat killer (Black Dahlia), mass murder of a family, a promiscuous female, child selling, serial killer, acupuncture assassin …
The team “grows” in this, building expertise, members given more responsibilities.
This was obviously shot without audio, the looping is spotty and there are vast stretches of piano music, even during pursuits and fights.
Subtitles are some of the worst (so bad, they're good) I’ve seen since the heyday of Hong Kong films.
Example: A character looks up an old girlfriend, before assaulting her.
Explanation to officers.  "She had makeup and perfume, and wore a provocative dress.  She looked like a leprechaun!"

Hanging Mirrors - 2025 - China

Hanging Mirrors - 2025 - 7/10
AKA - Xuan Jing // 悬镜

 
The first body was found by accident.
Make that body parts.  Incomplete, missing the torso.
This ignites the old guy (Simon Yam) who toils in records, recalling an unsolved case.
He teams with the younger lead, mixing styles of procedural and classic mythology.
More killings follow, none are random.  Ancient practice is being followed.
Bodies placed according to Yin and Yang.

 
Nasty thriller that delves into archeology, history, tomb robbing, dismemberment.
Misses greatness as producers short-changed the final two minutes (hoping for Season 2).
If intrigued, go into this stone cold.   Synopses in both IMDB and DramaList contain spoilers.

We All Lie - 2024 - China

We All Lie - 2024 - 6/10
AKA - Hun Yin Gong Lue // 婚姻攻略

 
Top drama writer Su Li and actor husband Shuheng have a picture perfect marriage.
Except he is romping the sheets with Yingying, an earthier, more carnal oriented female.
Of course, the wronged wife finds out and quickly plots revenge, financial and career wise.
Whereupon the adulterous pair work to get even.
C-drama of deception, vengeance, and scheming bounces along for awhile.
Until the narrative loses momentum and a mushy sidetrack enters.
Then, all downhill into soap opera weeping and flowers.
I suspect the Chinese morality police took the punch bowl away.

Zhou Yu’s Train - 2002 - China

Zhou Yu’s Train - 2002 - 7/10
AKA - Zhou Yu de Huo Che  // 周漁的火車

 
Zhou works as a painter in a porcelain factory.
Her boyfriend, Chen, she met by chance and she travels weekly to see.
While he has a government job, he wants to be a poet, a riskier career.
Their relationship is turbulent and uneasy; she is the dominant partner.
On the train journey, she meets another male, Zhang, a rural vet, who imposes himself.
Zhou is attracted to different qualities in each, and, like Madame Bovary, has difficulty deciding.
The chronology is non-linear, and much of this is dreamlike.
At times, I wondered how much was her imagination.
Arthouse fare, demands full attention, perhaps multiple views.

Warriors Of The Future - 2022 - China

Warriors Of The Future - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Ming yat zin gei // 明日战记

 
Earth reels from wars, environmental devastation, toxic air.
A giant meteorite slams into B-16 (Asia somewhere), and a giant, water hungry plant emerges.
Heavy rains are forecast, humanity is at stake, who do you call?
Yes, the marines, or Air Combat Unit.
Mix of tropes here.  From shooter games, to Aliens (even a Newt), to the bug hunt.
Conspiracy stuff, too.
If you want A-C-T-I-O-N, this boasts lots of full screen splatter and it does not overstay.
Veggie brain fun, although it appears Beijing heavily censored this one.

The Wandering Earth 2 - 2023 - China

The Wandering Earth 2 - 2023 - 6/10
AKA - Liu Lang di Qiu 2  //  流浪地球2

 
Messy and excessive prequel to 2019’s W E 1.
Whereas the first was juvenile and mindless, this has more reach, and more flaws.
Our sun is going supernova.  Earth first, then the entire solar system.
Two solutions:  move the entire planet – or transfer humanity to computer files.
Terrorism erupts when leaders decide to cancel the Digital Life Project.
Visual eye-candy is tremendous, and the action is go-go-go.
The propaganda is overt.  Those from the West complain, whine, quit.
Only China perseveres, finds solutions, saves humanity.
Three hours.  Important Easter egg in credits.

The Wandering Earth - 2019 - China

The Wandering Earth - 2019 - 6/10
AKA - Liu Lang di Qiu

 
Earth is doomed!  Again.  This time, it ain’t us, it ain’t alien invaders.  Nope, our Sun is going supernova.
What to do?  What to do?  How about build 10,000 thrusters and shuttle the whole planet 4 light years distant?
Science majors, quit rolling your eyes and bail already.
Those who can tolerate heroic SciFi actioners, this should be OK.
Lots of characters, a fair amount who are annoyingly young and plucky.
Most of the drama occurs early in the voyage, around year 15 of a 2500 year trip.
Calculations for using Jupiter as a slingshot are a twee bit off, igniting a mad scrambling.
There is a part 2, and this was OK enough that I may view down the line.

Shanghai Fortress - 2019 - China

Shanghai Fortress - 2019 - 5/10
AKA - 上海堡垒

 
I suppose this fulfills lesser ambitions.
A Chinese spaceship brings back a self-replicating energy source, Xianteng.
Coal, gas, oil, all replaced and humanity experiences an new Renaissance.
Until Alien invaders arrive, seeking Xianteng, and laying waste the planet.
Of major cities, only Shanghai holds out, but for how long?
Wild SciFi actioner will be high octane java juice for fans of Transformers, Independence Day, Matrix Revolutions.
Plenty of major CGI conflicts, interspersed with unrequited romance storylines.

Three-Body - 2023 - China

Three-Body - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - San ti // 三体

Across the globe, leading research scientists are committing suicide.
Police officer Qiang is assigned to protect nanoscientist, Wang Miao.

 
Which draws both men into a clandestine organization, the Frontiers Of Science.
Into conspiracy, ultimately an invasion.
Very heady SciFi series from China demands an early degree of patience.
Thirty episodes, of which the first 10 feel padded.
Why show a 30 second scene, when you can stretch it to 2 minutes?
Likewise repeat a scene over and over, with various angles, so the audience "gets it".
The characters are somewhat over-the-top and unlikeable at this point, too.
Trust me here, the show settles down and the narrative tightens considerably.
Especially whenever the focus shifts to the Cultural Revolution and the Red Coast base.

Therein lie the seeds for human annihilation.
There is VR gameplay involved and the retro flat CGI is fun.
Science, math, physics and equations throughout.
Outstanding adaptation of Liu Cixin’s novel.
The entire S01 is currently available from Tencent in 4K, with excellent subtitles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-UO8jbrIoM

Dislike that 30 episode commitment?  Reading subs gives you a thinkache?  Prefer a more multi-national cast?
Netflix has an 8-part adaptation in the pipe.

Miss S - 2020 - China

Miss S - 2020 - 7/10
AKA - Qi Pao Mei Tan  // 旗袍美探

After a few years in Europe, Su Wenli returns home.
Just in time to observe police ineptitude during a drug sweep.
She intrudes, assists, then discovers at least one inspector is intelligent.
Major retooling of the Miss Fisher franchise, set in 1930’s Shanghai.
Thirty, two-part episodes.  I watched ten episodes a year.

Straight off, this looks fabulous!  Costumes, cars, interiors.  Luxury overload.
Minor quibble is the streets (sets) are too clean and not crowded enough.
Fans of the original will relish how Wenli assembles her “team”.
Including her building relationship with Inspector Luo.

 
Yili Ma and Weiguang Gao have sparkling chemistry.  Two characters who genuinely seem to like each other.
Individual episodes range from good to very good, similar to Miss Fisher S01.
Miles above cookie cutter Hallmark drivel.
Best – really good here – the writers and producers never quite drop the murder of Su Wenli’s sister.
Whereas team Fisher quit, here Ding Ru Shan percolates through the series, rising to a deadly forefront by the end.
Fairly satisfying.  Next time your girl requests Hallmark, suggest this series.

House Of Flying Daggers - 2004 - China

House Of Flying Daggers - 2004 - 7/10
AKA - Shi mian mai fu  //  十面埋伏

 
Government agent Jin helps the beautiful Mei escape prison.
High probability she is a rebel spy, so he does this to infiltrate the Flying Dagger clan.
Except. They have seen this ploy too many times and are rightfully wary.
Visually astounding, this is a demonstration disc.  Eye-popping colors.
Action sequences are also amazing, and lushly photographed.
It is long, often confusing, and has a cool emotional tone.
Coming a couple years after the crowd pleasing (and to me, overrated) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this was the fitting, breathtaking homage to countless Shaw Brothers classics.

Suzhou River - 2000 - China

Suzhou River - 2000 - 6/10
AKA - Su Zhou He // 苏州河

 
Club owner hires a freelance photographer to film his main attraction, the blonde mermaid.
The videographer and female soon form an uneasy relationship.
Meaning, he does not know much about Meimei, and she disappears at random.
Enter Mardar, motorcycle courier, who is convinced Meimei is his old girlfriend, Moudan.
As the sordid backstory unfolds, viewers cannot help but wonder, is Meimie actually Moudan?
The opening ten minutes are cinéma vérité, though the camera settles once the courier’s story occurs.
Personally, I never bought either love story, nor the mystery angle, only the obsession.

Coming Home - 2014 - China

Coming Home - 2014 - 7/10
AKA - Gui Lai //  归 来

 
Man returns home after being imprisoned as a “rightist” for over a decade during China’s Cultural Revolution.
He attempts to rebuild his family though there are complications.
His wife suffers amnesia and does not recognize him, his daughter shuns him.
Over time, he uncovers some of the mishaps that befell while he was in prison.
Not all, however, which may frustrate Western viewers.
No dates are given, the Cultural Revolution goes unmentioned.
Gong Li remarkable as the broken wife.

Secrets Of China - 2015 - UK

Secrets Of China - 2015 - 5/10

 
Maddening three part BBC doc ought to be called "Billie Takes Selfies In China".
Presenter Billie JD Porter whines, complains, pouts, acts disrespectful, and helps us understand China.
Evidently, she did no homework before filming began.  Not even a few Mandarin words.
In one episode, she visits a boot camp for kids failing in school because of attitude problems or games addiction.
Billie encourages one of the girls to fight on, resist!
Yet Billie will return to her posh life soon enough, and her advice could be disastrous if any students follow it.
Another episode focuses on marriage mania, and the insane money involved.
Third show displays the widening gap between poor and ultra rich.   Hey, didn’t Mao lead a revolution?
Billie pretends to embrace and commiserate with common folk, but she is obviously drawn to glitz and wealth.
Interesting points are made throughout, though the self absorbed host is distracting and culturally clueless.

A Murderous Affair In Horizon Tower - 2020 - China

A Murderous Affair In Horizon Tower - 2020 - 7/10
AKA - Mo Tian da Lou  //  摩天大楼

 
Locked room mystery finds attractive coffee shop owner dead in her luxury apartment.
Straight off, how can a mere barista afford to live in the opulent Horizon Tower?
Yes, the investigating detectives wonder at that, as well.
Suspects?  Ha!  The building teems with them.
Smitten building employees, jealous women, alpha males.
Episode 1 - 2 is of one suspect, 3 - 4 another.  That is the structure.
Each episode is a little over 30”.  I dislike binging, yet I watched two at a time.
Two things stick out in this Chinese drama.  Police are honest; rules & evidence types.  Yeah, propaganda.
The other is the undercurrent of oppressed or second status females.
I would not have pictured China admitting such occurs – though it is global wide.

Black Coal, Thin Ice - 2014 - China

Black Coal, Thin Ice - 2014 - 7/10
AKA - Báirì Yànhuǒ // 白 日 焰 火

 
Two Chinese cops investigate severed body parts found on a coal conveyor belt.
They zero in on suspects then the entire case literally explodes in front of them.
Jump ahead five years.  The detectives are apart, yet the old file has revived.
Challenging procedural, definitely not for ADD viewers.
Photography is flat, there are no flashy forensic solutions.
Just cops following thin leads and aberrant behavior.
Filmmaker assumes the audience has enough intelligence to follow a story, rather then being fed one.

Midnight Hair - 2014 - China

Midnight Hair - 2014 - 5/10
AKA - Yèbàn Shūtóu //  夜半梳頭

Such a tantalizing title.  Especially for a yarn featuring newlyweds.
Film is, however, Chinese horror, and a throwback to old school Hong Kong.

 
Happy couple moves into grand home.  Within ten minutes you realize the joint is haunted.
Soon enough, the bride sees a pale ghost, the husband grows troubled.
So what do they do?  They stay put.  Well, it is a really nice house.
Story plods along like a drunken tortoise, past fog, creepy shadows, and jump scares.
The male actor (clearly a high school drama dropout) does IT or something.  His gifted companion prances about in skimpy dresses, sheer negligees, tight tops, while exploring posh, dust-free, interiors.
Subs were embedded Chinese over English, and just as ridiculous as HK subs from the 90's.
Pedestrian narrative, poor ending.  Might rewatch though, because I enjoyed that home.
It was huge - especially by Asian standards.  And richly furnished.
How could they afford that?  (Yes, there was an explanation.)

The Matrimony - 2007

The Matrimony - 2007 - 6/10
AKA - 心中有鬼

 
For many, title is dead giveaway.
Matrimony = Horror film.
Ghost story set in 1930's Shanghai.
New wife receives orders from her chronically depressed husband: DO NOT venture into a locked room . . .
Quicker than she can say, “This door is creaky,"  she channels her inner Pandora.
Lush sets, understated acting, definitely a mood piece, but an old fashioned ghost story.
Main problem is ham fisted sound mix, with music and effects cranked to the max during spooky moments.
Otherwise, decent "Ooooo story."