Zhan lang (2015) Reviews

• A great, entertaining movie with a lot to improve

  mayijie2015-07-04

  I personally enjoyed this movie a lot. It's rapid-paced, intense and quite entertaining. I've also read that some of the action sequences are actually coming from real Chinese special force members who invented them and put them in use in reality. It's also a milestone in Chinese movie genres. Chinese movie is famous for action genres but this one is the first hybrid of genres of action and military. And it's not tradition Chinese martial arts which is mainly for the purpose of performance and exercise, not practical combat. The actions in this movie are a reflection of, but a little glorified, modern military combat. However, I'd say the directing is the biggest weakness of the movie. It's understandable, because the main protagonist directed the movie himself. He admitted in an interview that he really didn't want to direct the movie because he was not a professional director. He was just an martial arts actor. But he spent a lot time and efforts trying to find some professional directors to direct this movie and investors to invest but in vain because no one thinks this genre would be popular. He had to do everything by himself and invest in the movie out of his own pocket. So the movie took 7 years to make. It turned out to be great success at the Chinese box office. If there were professional people helping him refine the plot as well as directing the movie from the beginning, this movie could've been a lot better. Given all these reasons, I gave it an 8 out of 10. On a side note, by looking at some of the reviews here, I am amazed by how many people have ridiculous double standards. When it comes to a Chinese military movie, it is just Chinese propaganda so it's lame, untrustworthy and worthless. But when it is Black hawk down or American Sniper or any American patriot movies, it heroic, righteous and meaningful even if the movie is about a western country engaging in a war that causes many civilians to die on other nation's soil. In contrary, China, no matter how bad it is portrayed in western movies, it never incurs any war in other countries. Chinese army is built to protect its people from invaders, not to invade. It's funny that how many westerners are brainwashed by their biased media and "propaganda". The world is big and every story has two sides. People should get out of their home and take a look at the outside world. Only by this way can a person form a more objective, mature outlook of things, especially when it comes to political affairs. I believe I am entitled to say this because I myself has 10+ yrs living experiences in both China and USA and I know how media are manipulated and twisted in both countries. Now I don't fully trust either source solely. Rather, they complement each other pretty well to give you a quite clear picture about what is the truth about everything and how media only serve the interest of their own country, even though at the expense of sacrificing objectivity and authenticity.

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• Not an actually MOVIE for everyone

  morningxz2017-08-15

  Must admit it is simply a propaganda, and it's just for Chinese people. Not surprised to see such a low rate for this movie on IMDb while it is generally rated high on Chinese film reviewing websites. I AM disappointed to the poor story and CGI of this movie but I think it's already not only a movie for entertainment to most of the Chinese people. You probably have no idea what Chinese kids are like today in the country. Most of them set their life goal to move aboard, seems like our country is too weak to compare with other developed countries. Their heroes are Hollywood superheroes, and every time they hear something about our own country they only see the weakness and just laugh at it. This movie, I say, is to build up the faith, the self-confidence to our country. It is to show the kids that our country is much stronger than they imagine, and to show them that every time when they're in danger, it is the country that will protect them from it. As a 17-year-old Chinese kid myself I can strongly feel what I get from this movie. It probably is not a good MOVIE, but it has the power to move all the Chinese people. Go watch Wolf Worrior II. Much better than this one as it can at least be called a MOVIE.

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• Entertaining with a lot of good action

  jackatwo2015-06-28

  I have read other reviews on here and found they are fairly unfair but each to there own. This movie is full of action even though a bit over bearing in some of the action scenes where men are on the verge of crying for there comrades which isn't realistic, The story line is good and you have the typical goodies and the baddies. In all I found this movie entertaining even though it had undertones of Chinese propaganda I found it no different to the American propaganda that we generally see at the movies, I had to download the subs from a different site, but I found this movie well worth watching and recommend to others who like action movies to watch it. One area I did not understand was where the wolves come from and why, what was the reason they were there.? this is something to watch for as its all action, it left me rather confused. out of 10 I give this movie a(7/10)

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• Silly Chinese Propaganda

  LordByronFromBratislava2015-05-09

  Although I like Scott Adkins, this film is unfortunately an utter nonsense not interesting on any level and looks more like a Chinese military propaganda action film. For those who like Scott Adkins and his martial arts craftsmanship, please stay away. There is like two minutes of fighting in the whole film and the rest is just shooting and even that is so unbelievably ridiculous that there is no point in watching this flick. Most of all, the wolf attack scene is so ludicrously digital like something taken from a Lorenzo Lamas movie. Adkins should play Boyka and not wasting his time and energy on stuff like this. My overall rating is 3 out of 10 and I really think I am being generous here.

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• Disappointing

  totalovrdose2015-11-22

  It wasn't too long ago I saw Donnie Yen's Kung Fu Jungle, which offered a triumphant display of frenetically paced, vicious fight sequences, that continuously delivered in originality and entertainment. To say China is renowned for delivering outstanding martial arts movies, would be an understatement – sadly though, Wolf Warrior, does not continue the tradition. Though the words 'breathtaking martial arts' appears on the top of the box I purchased, let me assure viewers of this statement's inaccuracy. It is unfortunate the fight sequences failed to convey anything original, however, the addendum that these scenes only comprise less than five minutes of the feature's entirety, only adds to the disappointment. Lead actor Wu Jing, who was involved in writing and directing this production, clearly sets himself up as an action hero, his character surviving a number of confrontations that would surely kill any ordinary human being. However, despite even this, the film seldom enthralls. A particularly entertaining scene sees Jing running from cover to cover, avoiding an enemy sniper's fire, however, even this moment is rather dull in contrast with how outstandingly tense it could have been. Leng Feng (Jing) is a brilliant sniper, whose reckless behavior, in order to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, results in his military career being called into question. Long Xiaoyun (the beautiful Yu Nan) sees Feng's potential, and recruits him into a secret Special Forces group – the War Wolves, a collection of some of China's most accomplished military personnel. During a training exercise however, the lives of all participants are plunged into jeopardy, when drug lord Min Deng (Dahong Ni), in his desperate attempt to avenge the loss of his brother during Feng's last mission, recruits Tom Cat (Scott Adkins), and his band of mercenaries, to kill all involved. Viewers will be quick to notice the antagonistic force, comprised of muscular militia, are all of Caucasian/European origin, while the protagonists are all Chinese. If anything, the film appears to advertise the strength and courage of Chinese forces, and it is here the film excels, much of the dialogue used in these sequences conveying empowering notions of patriotism, and despite the fact I am not Chinese, even I was impressed by how the Asian super power's military was spoken of. At the same time though, the film incidentally contradicts this with the sheer number of Chinese soldiers that fall like flies against the oppositional forces. The occasional heroic dialogue however is usurped by the often uninteresting conversations, a number of which are quips at the expense of Xiaoyun's character. A high-ranking female in the Chinese military who commands the War Wolves, you would imagine that she demands respect. Instead, she is the subject of many sexist lines from Feng, and other men, and rather than punishing their insubordinate behavior, she appears content with their unsatisfactory conduct. Despite the front cover of the film I purchased showing a man with a minigun, please don't be fooled into thinking, like I was, that this weapon will be used in a particularly exciting scene – believe me, it's not. Wolf Warrior has the ingredients of a great action film; however, the recipe goes disastrously wrong, the tension between Feng and Cat being very under-exaggerated, while the villains themselves, despite their bravado, prove to be nowhere near as threatening as an action fan may hope. Furthermore, the lack of depth and attention provided to many of the characters, especially the villains, prohibits the audience from connecting with them, and though the film strives to emotionally involve its viewers, these attempts feel forced and out of place. Jing and Adkins are clearly adept martial artists, and it would have been great to view them in a film where their talents are proficiently captured – sadly, this feature does not serve as the venue for such excitement. In short, Wolf Warrior has all the hype of an action film, but none of the flavor, and though the end hints at a sequel, we can only hope that if China decides to make a franchise here, the sequels prove to be immensely more entertaining.

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