The Great Wall trailer

I think this might have been a decent idea for a movie, if they hadn't decided to play games with the history of The Great Wall, and make it some kind strange fantasy story about dragons. And if they hadn't put Damon in it.

I actually like the idea of taking liberties with history and making it fantastical (as long as you're not trying to present it as fact). Isn't that kind of what the National Treasure movies did?

I'd be much more interested in The Great Wall if it had an all-Chinese cast. Sticking a white actor with a name in (what I assume is) the lead role is just bait for the Western audience.

There's a controversy in China about the reviews of this movie. A couple websites - one a hub for user reviews, the other a review aggregator - gave it low ratings, and the State-run media got mad at them for damaging the Chinese film industry. I recently read an editorial in an English-language Chinese newspaper about it. (In case you didn't know, the vast majority of editorials from Chinese news outlets agree with whatever the government's position is.)

I don't have an opinion one way or the other. Just real curious about this one. Although I will say I probably wouldn't pay it any attention without the promise of the fantastical or some indication that it's heavily character driven.

I want to see this, but I don't have terribly high expectations.
I'm okay with Matt Damon as an actor, and if his story makes sense...in a story about dragon things being the reason the Great wall was built... then I'm good with him being in it.

Do you think there is a reversal of the trend where the Asian guy or gal come to the West and is a great fighter?

mikel.withers wrote:Do you think there is a reversal of the trend where the Asian guy or gal come to the West and is a great fighter?

That is possible. I guess it just depends on how Damon's character is presented. Is he a "white savior" or just a cog in the wheel that happens to be a foreigner?

Interesting.

With a title like "Great Wall", I would expect a historical drama that is grounded in reality.

I do like the idea of a secret-history fantasy, but would have given it a different title.