08-12-2017, 05:01 PM
I never saw the first one, and it probably isn't necessary.
Yes, action all the way, highly inventive, and loads of military hardware giving it a big-budget feel. That's the great thing about propaganda films: Director: "Could we maybe borrow a tank for an afternoon?" Commander: "Take five; use them for a week." Then later... Commander: "Oh, heck, take 20, and feel free to destroy them however you see fit." Over-the-top tank-fu. And that was just the tip of the military-industrial complex.
Lots of Africans in the movie, and as far as I could tell they were not depicted as I've come to expect from the Chinese. Maybe DM has a take on this. True, there were bad Africans, but also lots of good Africans. And the bad Africans weren't really bad; they were just under the evil spell of a fuckin' Caucasian. It was drilled into the audience's mind repeatedly that "China and Africa are friends!" usually by someone proclaiming, "China and Africa are friends!" There was probably some stereotyping of African culture, but I didn't get a good read on that.
It's a very effective action movie, very colorful in so many ways, and it's bound and determined to deliver -- in every conceivable way. There's the climax, resolution, and validation, but wait, it's not quite over yet, more drama, further resolution and validation, and finally the credits, with wide applause and a largely Chinese audience getting up and chattering as they leave -- only to freeze, because mid-credits the movie resumes, a little epilogue in the Arctic, with a further drama unfolding, and a big shock to our protagonist as he receives a call from his former commander, who shows him a video that, well, I couldn't quite grok. But the protagonist is shaken to the core. DM and I briefly debated what this was about after the movie, but I don't think we nailed it.
Then more credits and the audience begins to leave again -- but wait! Outtakes! Stunts going bad, people looking clumsy or silly, or even better people getting hurt! Lots of people getting hurt! No shit, considering all the ridiculous stunts. And eventually we're done.
Out in the hallway there's lots of Chinese milling about, which puzzles me until I remember that DM and I went to the 6:05 pm showing, and there's a second showing coming up.
Not the typical fare DM and I occasionally catch at Cupertino, where you can usually count the audience on a Death Palm.
Yes, action all the way, highly inventive, and loads of military hardware giving it a big-budget feel. That's the great thing about propaganda films: Director: "Could we maybe borrow a tank for an afternoon?" Commander: "Take five; use them for a week." Then later... Commander: "Oh, heck, take 20, and feel free to destroy them however you see fit." Over-the-top tank-fu. And that was just the tip of the military-industrial complex.
Lots of Africans in the movie, and as far as I could tell they were not depicted as I've come to expect from the Chinese. Maybe DM has a take on this. True, there were bad Africans, but also lots of good Africans. And the bad Africans weren't really bad; they were just under the evil spell of a fuckin' Caucasian. It was drilled into the audience's mind repeatedly that "China and Africa are friends!" usually by someone proclaiming, "China and Africa are friends!" There was probably some stereotyping of African culture, but I didn't get a good read on that.
It's a very effective action movie, very colorful in so many ways, and it's bound and determined to deliver -- in every conceivable way. There's the climax, resolution, and validation, but wait, it's not quite over yet, more drama, further resolution and validation, and finally the credits, with wide applause and a largely Chinese audience getting up and chattering as they leave -- only to freeze, because mid-credits the movie resumes, a little epilogue in the Arctic, with a further drama unfolding, and a big shock to our protagonist as he receives a call from his former commander, who shows him a video that, well, I couldn't quite grok. But the protagonist is shaken to the core. DM and I briefly debated what this was about after the movie, but I don't think we nailed it.
Then more credits and the audience begins to leave again -- but wait! Outtakes! Stunts going bad, people looking clumsy or silly, or even better people getting hurt! Lots of people getting hurt! No shit, considering all the ridiculous stunts. And eventually we're done.
Out in the hallway there's lots of Chinese milling about, which puzzles me until I remember that DM and I went to the 6:05 pm showing, and there's a second showing coming up.
Not the typical fare DM and I occasionally catch at Cupertino, where you can usually count the audience on a Death Palm.