Matt Damon’s attempt to become an action hero once more with “The Great Wall” is a failure.
STARS: 2/5
The film was initially plagued by bad press when audiences thought the film had whitewashed its central character. While that is not exactly the case as he plays a white-savior to the Chinese people — Damon was certainly miscast as William in “The Great Wall.”
After months of travelling, William and his mercenary companion Tovar (Pedro Pascal) reach The Great Wall of China and discover that the people are fighting The Tao Tei ancient monsters.
There they meet a troupe of hardened Chinese soldiers fighting for the Nameless Order whose mission is to protect northern China from the Tao Tei and keep the secrets of the wall safe.
Though there’s more to the plot, including a vague romance between William and Commander Lin Mae (Tian Jing) and an altogether pointless character Ballard (Willem Dafoe), “The Great Wall” is an incredibly forgettable film despite its efforts.
I can’t help but wonder why Dafoe was in this movie; his character was a completely useless part of a bland subplot. Had his character been completely edited out, I don’t even think the audience would’ve noticed.
The CGI isn’t terrible, the acting is just OK, the characters are seriously underdeveloped and there’s weird bits of humor thrown in sporadically.
You’d think with an actor like Damon, who’s created some of the most beloved characters in modern cinematic history, there should be more to this film than fighting monsters. But there isn’t.
The chemistry between Damon and Jing is non-existent, mostly because he’s twice her age, and it’s noticeable. It’s a shame, because Jing is a fantastic actress. Later this year, she’ll appear in “Kong: Skull Island,” and I hope to see more of her strengths displayed in that film.
Throughout the entire film, I couldn’t help thinking how old Matt Damon looked. Maybe fifteen years ago, Damon would’ve been incredible playing this role, but it’s actually depressing to see him try to be an action star pushing 50.
Many men have pulled off the aging-action-hero character; however, Damon is not one of them.
But, on a positive note, I was pleased to see such a diverse variety of talent in this film.
This is director Yimou Zhang’s first English-language film. He’s best known for “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers.” Zhang’s mastery is in his staging of the first battle between the Tao Tei and the Nameless Order. This scene is full of heart-stopping color and fight choreography, something Zhang does incredibly well.
Another bright spot in this dull film is Pedro Pascal. Audiences might recognize Pascal from his turn as Oberyn Martell on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” In “The Great Wall,” his character is a welcome satirical element.
Pascal is advancing in his career, as he’s got an uncanny ability to pull in an audience, even in a film as bad as this one.
“The Great Wall” is a huge disappointment, especially given the caliber of those involved in the production. It’s wonderful that Hollywood A-listers tried to create this film, alongside wonderful Chinese filmmakers, but this effort fell short of both parties’ capabilities.