The Great Wall (Imax) : Review

The Great Wall, one of the marvels of the world. 1700 years to build, 5500 miles long, yet what it keeps out are the stuff of legend.

Two mercenaries, William (Matt Damon – Jason Bourne, The Martian) and Tovar (Pedro Pascal) , on a quest to obtain the mystical super-weapon known as black powder, are captured and imprisoned on The Great Wall. Confronted by Commander Lin (Tian Jing) they profess to be traders, looking to exchange the hand of a monstrous beast they encountered. Soon, however, many more of these terrifying creatures at swarming at the wall, and the two are thrust in to a world where they must choose a flag to fight under.

The Great Wall is a visual spectacular, best enjoyed on a large format screen, in 3D. The shear work that must have go into creating the vast landscapes, the set extensions, are to be marvelled at.

On the side of story, the plot is rather straight forward, following an arc similar to the arrows launched from the wall, leaving the plot twists in favour of a large third act show-down as man faces off against the hordes of beasts.

The weight of the film, being the most expensive Chinese film produced to date, is carried in large part by the visuals and fight choreography. The vibrant colours speak of the chopsocky movies of old, with finite attention to detail. The monstrous creatures on the other hand do feel a little plastic, and in need of a bit more backstory.

A visual delight, and an exciting premise, with a story that is perhaps slightly lacking as far as today’s plots go, but parallels those similar films of yesteryear. The Great Wall opens 17 February 2017 in South African cinemas.

The Great Wall DVD review, by SAMDB

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb