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The Great Wall
2016 103 min China, United States of America PG-13 12+
★5.5
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Yimou Zhang
Trailers
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Description
European mercenaries searching for black powder become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures.
Budget:
$150M
US Gross:
$45.54M
Worldwide:
$331.96M
Starring
Matt Damon
Actor
Tian Jing
Actor
Willem Dafoe
Actor
Awards
3 wins & 2 nominations total
Key opinion
The Great Wall is widely regarded as a visually spectacular production that successfully showcases grand scale and vibrant artistic design but fails to deliver a compelling narrative. While audiences praise the technical craftsmanship, they generally find the plot and character development to be derivative, thin, and lacking the depth expected from the director's previous work.
| Production | The film features stunning production design, utilizing vibrant color palettes and elaborate armor that result in a visually immersive experience. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is consistently described as a basic, predictable, and thin narrative that relies heavily on genre clichés. | |
| Acting | Character development is shallow, with many viewers finding the protagonists to be functional placeholders rather than deeply realized individuals. | |
| Direction | The action sequences are technically well-choreographed and inventive, though opinions divide on whether these spectacles can compensate for the underlying lack of storytelling substance. | |
| Acting | The effectiveness of Matt Damon's casting is contested; some view his presence as a jarring distraction that feels out of place, while others see him as a functional lead in an international production. |