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Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon
狄仁杰之神都龙王
2013 134 min China, Hong Kong 12+
★6.6
Action, Crime, Fantasy, Adventure
Director: Hark Tsui
Trailers
Description
Young Dee Renjie arrives in the empire's capital to join the Supreme Court as police judge of his region. He wants to become a prosecutor. Empress Wu, who is at the beginning of her reign, has commissioned the fierce detective Yuchi to investigate a sea monster that stalks the city at night and makes it unsafe.
US Gross:
$87,783
Worldwide:
$98.77M
Starring
Carina Lau
Actor
Sheng Chien
Actor
Mark Chao
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2014
— Best Costume Design
Asian Film Academy 2014
— Best Visual Effects
Asian Film Academy 2014
— Best Production Design
Key opinion
Young Detective Di is widely recognized as a visually stunning and ambitious fantasy spectacle that effectively utilizes large-scale production design to craft a vibrant Tang-dynasty world. While the film excels as a piece of blockbuster entertainment, opinions remain divided on whether its narrative depth and character performances match the high quality of its visual effects.
| Production | The film succeeds as a large-scale visual spectacle, utilizing ornate sets, vibrant costumes, and advanced CGI to create an immersive, high-fantasy version of the Tang dynasty. | |
| Screenplay | The plot successfully integrates traditional Sherlock Holmes-style detective tropes with inventive, myth-inspired fantasy elements and action sequences. | |
| Acting | The cast fails to provide the same level of charisma or star power found in the original 2010 film, leaving some viewers feeling disconnected from the characters. | |
| Originality | The tone strikes a balance between epic fantasy and whimsical adventure, though some viewers find specific sequences, such as the underwater scenes, to be overly childish. |