In the last few years, China has experienced a surge in box office revenue, and a booming film industry has been established in the Far East. Now it seems that east and west have endeavored to come together and craft something that will please American and Chinese audiences alike. A new trailer for the upcoming Matt Damon-fronted fantasy romp The Great Wall has just hit the web, and it’s certifiably epic. Check it out below to see for yourself.
At this point, we still know very little about the specific narrative of The Great Wall, but the preview presents us with a few interesting tidbits that we can definitely analyze. The whole affair seems to take place in an alternate version of our own world, where the Chinese erected The Great Wall of China to keep out far more than just Mongolian invaders. Matt Damon portrays what appears to be a jaded warrior present at the wall as a mysterious threat approaches from thick fog. Eventually it becomes clear that within the fog lies a race of vicious beasts intent on killing everything and everyone in their path.
It goes without saying that The Great Wall looks like a visual masterpiece. We expect nothing less from Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who made a name for himself with similarly breathtaking movies such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers. The film seems to take his distinctly Chinese visual sensibilities, and marry it to the blockbuster action genre that Americans do so well.
As stunning as The Great Wall looks, and as much prestige as the film features, there’s little doubt that it could still generate a fair degree of controversy. It’s a movie centered upon The Great Wall of China, and it’s primarily a Chinese production, but a white, American actor headlines it. The film undoubtedly features a number of Asian actors and performers, but that doesn’t change the fact that there have already been recent controversies about the lack of lead roles available for Asian actors in major motion pictures.
Controversy aside, none of that changes the fact that The Great Wall looks like the sort of fantasy epic that we seldom see anymore. Zhang Yimou seems to have crafted an epic tone and visual style, and the movie will hopefully benefit from the prestige of having Matt Damon take on the lead role. If you’re a fan of the fantasy genre, then seriously do yourself a favor and watch the trailer for The Great Wall above. The preview promises an absolutely awe-inspiring epic of a film, and we very much look forward to seeing it when it hits theaters on February 17, 2017.
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