The Great Wall

2017 • 103 minutes
3.8
3.21K reviews
35%
Tomatometer
PG-13
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Starring global superstar Matt Damon and directed by one of the most breathtaking visual stylists of our time, Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), The Great Wall tells the story of an elite force making a valiant stand for humanity on the world's most iconic structure. Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe and Andy Lau also star in this sweeping epic.
Rating
PG-13

Ratings and reviews

3.8
3.21K reviews
Cyd Oman
January 12, 2018
This movie is more interesting than reported. It may sacrifice something when seen in standard definition. I suspect American audiences are somewhat behind in understanding how dimensionality and color enhancement has been gaining ground in movies in other countries. The expected references to the reptilian/insect theme for a monster is treated interestingly as a danger which is specific to individual humans as a food source. There is no building crunching here, only bone cracking and savage flesh tearing of people. The war theme, a bigger component of the movie than reviewers caught, is treated with great virtuosity: standard warfare with bows and arrows are updated with whistling add-ons, incredible visual treats of bungy jumping female warriars represent dive bombing, acrobatic hand to hand sword slashing, ax throwing and rotating circular saws and even a swing at a quasi-EMP attack whereby a magnet from an ancient meteor crash renders the communication system of the enemy blind, deaf and immobilized are incorporated cleverly in the plot. Damon adds the weight that keeps the movie as grounded as it needs to be to carry off the war references. Some of the humor was too thin for my taste. It was too dependent on the verbal exchanges and lacked the prankish and hysterically funny physical humor the Chinese are famous for. I would have liked to see more of that.
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Poor Man Collectibles
June 19, 2017
Stupid Movie. It defies all common sense an logic. SPOILER ALERT*** FOR EXAMPLE William Dafoe's character totally POINTLESS an Out of Character. Made no human sense. He was there for 25 YEARS. He taught that girl ENGLISH which means he spent ALOT OF TIME WITH HER. What they didnt become friends? She didnt talk to him to keep her english skills up so she wouldnt forget??? He was there for 25 YEARS AN YOUR TELLING ME HE DIDNT CARE ABOUT THEM AT ALL???....BUT YET MATT DAMON COMES IN FOR 2 DAYS AN MATT CARES MORE ABOUT HER AN THE WALL MORE THAN WILLIAM DAFOE?? ARE YOU CRAZY?????? ALSO WHY DIDNT WILLIAM DAFOE LEAVE 20 YEARS AGO. HE END UP BLOWING THE DOOR OPEN AN LEAVING THE OTHER GUY IN THE DESERT....SO IT WASNT LIKE HE EVEN NEEDED THOSE TWO GUYS. AFTER 25 YEARS HE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THEM AN DIDNT EVEN SAY GOODBYE TO THE GIRL HE SPENT MONTHS TEACHING ENGLISH TO...OOOOOH PLEASE!!! IT MADE ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. REALLY REALLY STUPID. An that was just 1 thing of many things wrong with this movie that got under my skin. WAIT TILL IT COMES ON TV. Save your money.
39 people found this review helpful
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Sir Bernard Mendes France
October 21, 2017
Zhang Yimou is one of China's premiere Directors who's talents span a great legacy to counter-espionage, deception, to defiant heroes-to-heroines set aggressively into motion through its vivid placed encountered modernity of violent historical conflict and context. Examples range supremely seen by his latest masterfully stormy love affair 'The Flowers of War.' And advances the art of Sci-fi to create a powerfully new imagery based on a[n] 900-yr old war against alien race inhabiting part of the royal kingdom. Amazing special effects along a storyline which develops it's own historical account of ones that have thrived on Earth for centuries. Has the potential for a sequel or prequel. Beautifully directed and produced.
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