Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon

[GeneChing]

Opening in China SEP 29, 2013 in 3D.

The prequel to Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon Official Teaser Trailer (2013)

[GeneChing]

Young Detective Dee has huge opening in China
By Kevin Ma
Tue, 01 October 2013, 09:45 AM (HKT)
Box Office News



TSUI Hark 徐克's Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon 狄仁杰之神都龍王 emerged victorious with a strong head start ahead of China's National Day holiday.

On Saturday, the 3-D film opened with RMB56.3 million (US$9.2 million) and 1.4 million admissions, including previews.

It is officially the fourth highest opening day ever (including previews) for a domestic film in China, behind Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons 西游　降魔篇 (RMB83.7 million, US$13.7 million), Tiny Times 1 小時代 (RMB 80.7 million, US$13.2 million) and Painted Skin: The Resurrection 畫皮Ⅱ (RMB71.4 million, US$11.7 million). Tiny Times 2 小時代　青木時代 is right behind Dee with RMB55.4 million (US$9.04 million) at fifth place.

After two days on release, the Huayi Brothers Media Corporation 華誼兄弟傳媒股份有限公司 production has made RMB92.6 million (US$15.1 million). In Oct 2010, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame 狄仁杰之通天帝國 (2010) made RMB109 million (US$17.8 million) in its first five days of release for a total of RMB305 million (US$49.8 million).

Accounting for approximately 30% of all screenings nationwide, Young Detective Dee has a strong head start going into the weeklong National Day holiday, which starts today, 1 Oct.

Four other domestic films have opened in time for the holiday week: 3-D fantasy The Fox Lover 白狐, road comedy Bump in the Road 一路順瘋, the Pang Brothers' firefighter drama Out of Inferno 3D 逃出生天 and sci-fi sports drama Amazing 神奇.

However, The Fox Lover has made only RMB9.62 million (US$1.57 million) in its first two days of release, and Bump in the Road opened with only RMB1.6 million (US$261,000) on Sunday, including previews.

In Hong Kong, Young Detective Dee opened with only HK$1.15 million (US$148,000) from 34 screens. The first Dee film opened with HK$4.97 million (US$641,000) for a total of HK$11.1 million (US$1.43 million).

Hoping a 3D version makes it to the U.S.

[GeneChing]

Variety likes it

Film Review: ‘Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon’
September 18, 2013 | 06:31PM PT
Energized by a youthful cast, Tsui Hark's lavish period actioner proves more cohesive than its overwrought predecessor.
Maggie Lee



Raising the bar sky-high for Chinese blockbuster entertainment, Tsui Hark’s “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” lays out a gargantuan feast of 3D spectacle, high-wire martial arts, splendiferous period aesthetics, intelligent sleuthing and even an ancestor of “Pacific Rim’s” kaiju. A prequel to Tsui’s 2010 hit, “Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame,” this mystery-actioner-costumer is energized by a youthful cast and proves more cohesive than the overwrought original. Anticipated fall release is set to raise a tidal wave in domestic B.O., supplemented by monster ancillary potential, though the voluminous historical background may intimidate foreign audiences.

The first production shot in stereoscopic 3D by Huayi Brothers Media, and Tsui’s second 3D project since “Flying Swords of Dragon Gate” (2011), “Young Detective Dee” successfully uses the technology to bring to life the ancient splendor of the Tang Dynasty, an age comparable to the Renaissance for its cultural diversity, international business activity and artistic freedom. Few Chinese films have amassed such a cornucopia of period artifice, yet Tsui also draws on the era’s corruption and political tyranny to hold up a mirror to contempo realities, while his use of political subtext here is subtler and more macabre than usual.
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Fire was the central motif of “Phantom Flame,” and as the title of “Sea Dragon” would suggest, water is the key element here. The yarn is set in 665 A.D., during the joint reign of Empress Wu Zetian (Carina Lau) and Emperor Gaozong (Sheng Chien). The country is at war with the Buyeo kingdom, and during one of their sea battles, the Tang navy is crushed by a monster from the ocean depths. Rumors spread that the Sea Dragon (the Chinese equivalent of Poseidon) has been provoked, and Wu orders an investigation by Yuchi Zhenjin (Feng Shaofeng, “Painted Skin: The Resurrection”), head of the Dalisi, an organization tasked with upholding law and order.

Like Barry Levinson’s “Young Sherlock Holmes” (1985), “Young Detective Dee” revisits a master sleuth’s first case to uncover formative life influences. Di Renjie, or Dee (Mark Chao of “Monga,” replacing Andy Lau), arrives in the capital, Luoyang, to serve as a Dalisi magistrate. Lipreading a plot to kidnap Yin Ruiji (Angelababy) the capital’s most beautiful courtesan, he rushes to her rescue, only to be beaten to it by a Kappa, a green, scaly creature that vanishes into a lotus pond.

At nightfall, the Kappa reappears to Yin, who recognizes him as her lover, Squire Yuan Zhen (Ian Kim). A handsome and cultivated scholar, he’s been missing for months from his family teahouse. His transformation offers clues to a court conspiracy that implicates the Dondoers, a fishing tribe living on an island teeming with bats and Tryffids.

The plot cooks up various gimmicks including parasitic infestation and uretic homeopathy, but but unlike the runaway ideas present in some of Tsui’s other works, these devices slot neatly into the script’s overall scheme, also serving as apt metaphors for the corrupt aristocracy. Though the film could be trimmed down from its 133-minute running time, Tsui and co-scribe Chang Chia-lu (who penned the first “Dee”) have exercised greater discipline in crafting a mostly linear narrative. In their hands, the emergence of the titular Sea Dragon delivers a payoff of “Release the Kraken!”-like proportions.

Amid action that flies as swiftly as a Ninja dart, Tsui finds room to to nurture a bromance between Yuchi and Dee, and weaves in a number of amusing anecdotal episodes, as when Dee uses his deductive genius to make prison doctor Shatuo Zhong (Lin Gengxin) his sidekick. Coming off as brilliant, playful and smug in a boyish way, Chao turns out to be a major asset in Tsui’s fledgling franchise, and reps an improvement on Lau’s drily earnest Dee. A solid thesp who rarely overacts, Feng brings quiet integrity to the role of the stern enforcer whose arrogance gives way to admiration for Dee.

Although it’s the catalyst for all the tumult, the beauty-and-the-beast romance of Yin and Yuan remains a secondary matter, as neither Angelababy nor Kim possesses enough personality beyond doll-like prettiness to make the characters’ plight moving. The pivotal figure remains Empress Wu, whose pagoda-high coiffure suggests a gauche rejoinder to the idea of phallic domination; magisterially played by Lau, she could launch a thousand ships with one raise of a pencil-thin eyebrow.

Veteran action director Yuen Bun recaptures the style of gravity-defying wire-fu that Tsui helped popularize in the early ’90s, enhanced with 3D that works seamlessly in the fight scenes, but proves effective in the blurry underwater sequences. For all the elaborate technique on display, the fight scenes do drag a little, enough to make the moves look repetitive.

Production values are lavish. Heady crane shots abound in Choi Sung-fai’s sweeping cinematography, while the richly wrought sets, costumes and murals look radiant throughout.

Film Review: 'Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon'

Reviewed at UA iSquare, Kowloon, Sept. 17, 2013. Running time: 133 MIN. Original title: "Di Renjie zhi shendu longhuang"
Production

(China-Hong Kong) A Huayi Brothers Media, Huayi Brothers Intl. Co. (in China)/Emperor Motion Pictures (in Hong Kong) release of a Huayi Brothers Media, Huayi Brothers Intl. Co. presentation of a Film Workshop Co., Huayi Brothers Media production, in association with China Film Co-Prod. (International sales: Huayi Brothers Intl. Co., Beijing.) Produced by Wang Zhonglei, Nansum Shi, Chen Kuo-fu, Tsui Hark. Executive producers, Wang Zhongjun. Co-producers, Zhang Dajun, James Tsim.
Crew

Directed by Tsui Hark. Screenplay, Chang Chia-lu, Tsui, based on the story by Chen Kuo-fu, Tsui Hark. Camera (color, widescreen, HD), Choi Sung-fai; editor, Yu Baiyang; music, Kenji Kawai; production designer, Bruce Yu; art director, Kenneth Mak; costume designer, Lee Pik-kwan; sound (Dolby Atmos, Auros 3D)/re-recording mixer, Kinson Tsang; choreographer, Gao Shan; special effects, Lee Kwan-long; Digital Intermediate supervisor, Lee Yong-gi; visual effects supervisor, Kim Wook; visual effects, Dexter Digital, Mofac Studio, 25 Frame, Weapons Co., Cubic Pictures, Part 2, Illumina, Shangyang Digital Co.; action choreographers, Yuen Bun, Lam Fung; stereographers, Kevin Lau, Gigo Lee; associate producers, Bernard Yang, Helen Li, Addi Ng; assistant director, Michael Fong; casting, Mo Lan.
With

Mark Chao, Feng Shaofeng, Angelababy , Carina Lau, Lin Gengxin, Ian Kim, Aloys Chen Kun, Hu Dong, Sheng Chien. (Mandarin, Dondo dialect dialogue)

[GeneChing]

Follow the link for pix

Young Detective Dee: Chinese fantasy done right
By Han Wei Chou
POSTED: 27 Sep 2013 13:40

“Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” has an intriguing plot, a good cast and some excellent action sequences.

SINGAPORE: “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” has an intriguing plot, a good cast and some excellent action sequences.

A prequel to Hong Kong director Tsui Hark’s hit historical fantasy film “Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame”, “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” revolves around the adventures of a young Dee Renjie (Mark Chao).

Set during the Tang Dynasty, Dee attempts to investigate reports in the Chinese capital of Luoyang, about a giant, vengeful sea dragon that has destroyed an entire armada of Chinese warships en-route to invade a hostile nation.

He also gets embroiled in a web of political intrigue, and must uncover the secret of a humanoid ‘sea dragon’ which is bent on kidnapping Yin Ruiji (Angelababy), a beautiful courtesan.

Fortunately for him, Detective Dee has the help of Shatuo Zhong (Lin Gengxin), an apprentice physician, as well as his rival Yuchi Zhenjin (Feng Shaofeng), the highly-skilled head of the justice department, who has been tasked by Empress Wu Zetian (Carina Lau) to find the truth in ten days.

Busy film

The hunt for the giant sea dragon, the bromance between Yuchi and Dee, the scaly humanoid sea dragon’s obsession with Yin, and a plot to topple the Tang Dynasty – it’s a pretty busy film with lots of stuff going on.

But Tsui manages tie up these story threads film’s end, although it took him some time (the film clocks in at a little over two hours), and some of them were a little underdeveloped.

Chao turns in a good performance as the brash sleuth Dee, and managed to convey the character’s youthful energy as well as impulsiveness, a far cry from Andy Lau's older, more serious Dee in the first film.

Feng also deserves praise for his portrayal of Yuchi, slipping between comedy and serious kung fu scenes with ease.

Carina Lau puts the right amount of gravitas into her character Wu, while Angelababy looks suitably delicate and hapless as the resident damsel in distress Yin.

Wire-fu returns

The cast turned in a good performance, but the film’s biggest draw is still its action sequences.

Those who enjoy classic Hong Kong-style wire-fu will definitely enjoy “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon”, with fights breaking out every so often to make sure things don’t get monotonous.

While computer graphics have been used before in recent Chinese martial arts films, “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” managed to utilise technology relatively well.

It blends just the right amount of computer-generated effects into most of the fights, though it still looks a little stilted and video game-like in certain parts of the movie.

Apart from the action sequences, Tsui has harnessed technology to build the world of “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” as well, offering audiences bird's eye views of exotic locales like the bustling Luoyang harbour and the ominous Bat Island.

While these computer-generated scenes aren’t exactly perfect, they do help create a more immersive experience for viewers, and invites them to step into the world of Detective Dee, a world filled with mystery, intrigue as well as a whole lot of kung fu.

4/5 stars.

“Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” is now showing.

Audiences can stick around after the credits roll to see an extra scene and concept art for the film.

- CNA/ha

[Stickgrappler]

Hello Ching sifu:

*bows deeply*

Thank you for posting about this. It's on my radar to watch... I liked the Andy Lau Mystery of the Phantom Flame, although, I solved the mystery before the end, it was entertaining, and loved the cgi... felt Tsui's first time using CGI was Legend of Zu and the cgi was lifeless and dragged the movie down... like Tsui was saying, "look what i can do with cgi" and just went overboard with it. In DD: PotF - good usage of cgi.

can't wait for this prequel, although would've preferred Andy Lau back in the role of Detective Dee.

~sg

[GeneChing]

This is playing near me. ****, with the Shaolin Festival this weekend, this week is impacted for me and there's no way I can get away to see it. Just one showing a night. Hope it lasts through to next week.

Young Detective Dee: Rise Sea Dragon
Now Playing



Synopsis
From legendary action director Tsui Hark and the creators of international smash hit DETECTIVE DEE: MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME comes an action-packed and captivating tale of Dee Renjie's beginnings in the Imperial police force. His very first case, investigating reports of a sea monster terrorizing the town, reveals a sinister conspiracy of treachery and betrayal, leading to the highest reaches of the Imperial family.

Running Time
2 hr 14 min
Genre
Action
Director
Hark Tsui
Cast
Angelababy, Mark Chao, Shaofeng Feng
Release Date
September 27, 2013

I'm not sure how many AMC (aka Wanda) houses are showing this - probably not many, but it's worth a check if you're near a major metropolis. I've found a listing on AMC's site, but it doesn't list Mercado, which is the one near me. WTF AMC? Here's the list below:

Participating < Theatres

California
Orange 30
Puente Hills 20
Atlantic Times Square 14
Fashion Valley 18
Bay Street 16

Illinois
River East 21
South Barrington 30

Massachusetts
Methuen 20

New Jersey
Deptford 8
Jersey Gardens 20

New York
Empire 25

Texas
Stonebriar 24
Studio 30 Houston

Virginia
Hoffman Center 22

Washington
Pacific Place 11

[GeneChing]

Detective Dee arrests China box office
By Kevin Ma
Wed, 09 October 2013, 08:45 AM (HKT)


TSUI Hark 徐克's Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon 狄仁杰之神都龍王 set a record-setting National Day holiday in China.

During the week-long holiday – from 1-7 Oct – the 3-D action mystery made RMB325 million (US$53.1 million). Accounting for approximately 30% of all screenings through the entire holiday period, it has made a total of RMB462 million (US$75.5 million) after 10 days on release.

Dee set a new record for the highest gross of a film during the holiday, surpassing the final box office takings of Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame 狄仁杰之通天帝國 (2010) (RMB305 million) The Sorcerer and the White Snake 白蛇傳說 (2011) (RMB208 million) and Taichi Zero 太極１　從零開始 (RMB147 million).

Dee is also on track to be the highest grossing film in Tsui's career. In 2012, it took Flying Swords of Dragon Gate 龍門飛甲 (2011) 18 days to make RMB434 million (US$70.9 million) for a final total of RMB542 million (US$88.5 million). The new film is already among China's top fifteen highest grossing Chinese-language films.

The Pang Brothers 彭氏兄弟 also had a career best over the holidays with Out of Inferno 3D 逃出生天. The firefighter film – also in 3-D – made RMB85.4 million (US$13.9 million) over seven days. It has made RMB95.7 million (US$15.6 million) after eight days on release.

NBA-approved sports film Amazing 神奇 made only RMB22.8 million (US$3.72 million) over seven days for a total of RMB29.9 million (US$4.88 million) after eight days on release. The film premiered in the main competition of the Shanghai International Film Festival 上海國際電影節 in June.

As the only family film on release during the holiday, Hollywood animated film Turbo received a major boost at the box office. It made an additional RMB37 million (US$6.04 million) last week for a total of RMB108 million (US$17.6 million) after 20 days in cinemas.

Gore VERBINSKI's The Lone Ranger opened on 5 Oct and made RMB46.4 million (US$7.58 million) in its first three days. Two years ago, Johnny Depp's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) made RMB145 million (US$23.7 million) in the first three days of release for a total of RMB476 million (US$77.7 million).

After losing a significant number of screenings in Hong Kong for its second weekend, Young Detective Dee has made HK$2.82 million (US$363,000) after 10 days on release. Out of Inferno made HK$9.3 million (US$1.2 million) after four days plus early weekend previews.

Young Detective Dee has also opened in Taiwan where it was second-placed behind Gravity, grossing NT$3.97 million (US$135,000) in Taipei in its opening weekend. Lyricist Vincent FANG 方文山's directorial debut Rhythm of the Rain 聽見下雨的聲音 was ninth-placed with NT1.23 million (US$42,000) in its first three days.

JIA Zhangke 賈樟柯's A Touch of Sin 天注定 opened in two New York City cinemas this weekend, making US$19,900 in its first three days of release. Kino Lorber Inc will expand the Cannes winner to Los Angeles this weekend.

After 10 days on release, Young Detective Dee made US$69,500 in the United States. In a day-and-date release, it opened last weekend in 35 cinemas of the AMC cinema chain. However, the film lost 23 screens in its second weekend.

35 - 23 = 12. ****. No way this will stay in a local US theater until next week.

[GeneChing]

A two-week U.S. run. BOM confirms 35 to 12 houses and adds it grossed $76,705. Might have helped if it was promoted a little more.

Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon 狄仁杰之神都龍王
Hong Kong/China
Costume murder mystery
2013, colour, 2.35:1, 3-D, 133 mins

Directed by Tsui Hark (徐克)
Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon
By Derek Elley
Wed, 16 October 2013, 09:30 AM (HKT)



Better balanced prequel, including fine use of 3-D, still has an auto-pilot feel. Outside Asia, largely ancillary.

Story
Luoyang, east central China, 665 A.D., early Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty is being threatened by the Korean Buyeo kingdom and sends out a fleet against it as a warning; en route, however, the fleet is wrecked, supposedly by the Sea Dragon. Wu Zetian (Carina Lau), chief consort of the weak Emperor Gaozong (Sheng Chien) and the country's effective ruler, orders Yuchi Zhenjin (William Feng), ambitious head of the Justice Department, to solve the mystery in 10 days or pay with his life. That same day, as a huge procession led by the city's most famous courtesan, Yin Ruiji (Angelababy), is taking place to placate the Sea Dragon, Di Renjie (Mark Chao), a 30-year-old former bailiff from Bing county, arrives to take up a job at the Justice Department. En route, he lip-reads a plot to kidnap Ruiji from Sea Dragon Temple and rushes to save her. The kidnappers prove too strong but then Ruiji is snatched by a mysterious half-reptile, half human who emerges from the temple's lily pond. Di rescues her and returns her to her quarters in Swallow House, which is then sealed off by Yuchi, who also arrests Di as a suspect. With the help of a medical assistant at the Justice Department, a Uyghur called Shatuo Zhong (Lin Gengxin), Di escapes and discovers that the half-reptile, half-human is Ruiji's lover, Yuan Zhen (Kim Beom), the wealthy owner of Tranquility Teahouse which makes a special blend, Birds' Tongue Tea, exclusively for the Tang court. Di finds out that Yuan Zhen's body was invaded by a transformative parasite, and that the crime is somehow linked with the Dondo (東島) people, led by Huo Yi (Hu Dong), who live on Bat Island between China and Japan.
Review

Three years after the box-office success of Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame 狄仁杰之通天帝國 (2010), Hong Kong director TSUI Hark 徐克 and Mainland production house Huayi Brothers re-team to kickstart a franchise about the real-life Tang dynasty detective not with a sequel but with a prequel, the company's first movie in true 3-D. Set 24 years earlier, with Taiwan's Mark CHAO 趙又廷 (First Time 第一次, So Young 致我們終將逝去的青春) replacing Hong Kong veteran Andy LAU 劉德華 as the Sherlockian sleuth, it's the usual Tsui masala of popcorn action and fantasy that he's been peddling, basically unchanged, for the past quarter-century — if here slightly less frenetically, and with stereoscopy that adds depth throughout. It's all entertaining enough at a popcorn level but, unlike his previous Flying Swords of Dragon Gate 龍門飛甲 (2011), feels like Tsui has gone back to directing on auto-pilot.

The production design this time round is less impressive than Phantom Flame's (which had great fun with the mechanics and pulleys of the main set) and the wire-heavy action, with Hong Kong's YUEN Bun 元彬 replacing Sammo HUNG 洪金寶, is rather unimaginative and repetitive, with none of the individual character and bounce that Yuen brought to Flying Swords. It is, however, more spatially comprehensible than many of Tsui's earlier action movies, so more's the shame that the music has been turned over to Japan's KAWAI Kenji 川井憲次, who supplies another of his by-the-numbers, wallpaper scores, instead of re-using Phantom Flame's Peter KAM 金培達, who gave the first movie considerable dramatic scope.

The script, again by Taiwan's CHANG Chia-lu 張家魯 (The Matrimony 心中有鬼 (2006), Forever Enthralled 梅蘭芳 (2008)), is better balanced but lacks a real sense of detection, of a mystery unfolding and being solved by logic, brainpower and moments of sudden revelation. Maybe that's deliberate, given that this is the young Detective Dee who still has to prove himself; but in general the plot — which spins on a diabolical scheme to undermine the early Tang via a quality tea blend — veers more towards fantasy than grounded crime, with sea monsters, physical transformations and water- (rather than fire-) based imagery all stirred into a softer, more sensual mix than Phantom Flame. The fast-flowing storyline doesn't allow much time for character development or any audience empathy (a recurrent Tsui weakness) and the hunt-the-monster finale that occupies the final half-hour after the mystery is basically solved also goes on way too long (ditto). Too often, but especially at the end, visual effects and 3-D are left to carry the picture.

Where Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon 狄仁杰之神都龍王 scores over Phantom Flame, however, is in its lead, with Chao, not usually the most expressive of actors, ideally cast here as the quietly self-assured detective. As well as looking more like a younger version of the character portrayed in Chinese TV dramas, he also anchors the movie in a way that Lau never did, working within but discreetly controlling an ensemble led by the excellent William FENG 馮紹峰 (the comic quack in Painted Skin: The Resurrection 畫皮Ⅱ) as his gleaming-eyed boss and Kenny LIN 林更新 (2011 TV drama Scarlet Heart 步步驚心) as his sidekick.

Casting of supporting roles is generally colourful, including Mainland pin-up CHEN Kun 陳坤 cameoing as a crazed doctor. Alas, the same can't be said for the romantic leads, with Angelababy 楊穎 out of her depth as "the city's top courtesan" and generating no sparks with South Korea's KIM Beom 김범 | 金范 (Fly High 비상 (2009)) as her equally cute lover. Though she's fine in romantic comedies, Angelababy is totally outclassed by the only other actress, Carina LAU 劉嘉玲, who almost steals the film in her handful of scenes as the coldly manipulative, de facto empress Wu Zetian, all showy wardrobe, towering hairdos and plunging eyebrows. When Lau's on screen, the movie sizzles in a way the rest of it — for all the action — never does.

Credits

Theatrical release: Hong Kong, 27 Sep 2013; China, 28 Sep 2013.

Presented by Huayi Brothers Media (CN), Huayi Brothers International (CN). Produced by Film Workshop (HK), Huayi Brothers Media (CN). Executive producer: Wang Zhongjun. Producers: Tsui Hark, Chen Kuo-fu, Nansun Shi, Wang Zhonglei.

Script: Chang Chia-lu, Tsui Hark. Original story: Chen Kuo-fu, Tsui Hark. Photography: Choi Sung-fai. Editing: Yu Baiyang. Music: Kawai Kenji. Production design: Ken Mak. Styling: Bruce Yu. Costume design: Lee Pik-kwan. Sound: Kinson Tsang. Action: Yuen Bun, Lin Feng. Visual effects: Kim Uk. Choreography: Xia Chunyu. 3-D stereography: Kevin Lau, Gigo Lee, Chen Pei-yu.

Cast: Mark Chao (Di Renjie/Detective Dee), William Feng (Yuchi Zhenjin), Kenny Lin (Shatuo Zhong), Kim Beom (Yuan Zhen), Angelababy (Yin Ruiji), Carina Lau (Empress Wu Zetian), Chen Kun (Dr. Wang Pu), Hu Dong (Huo Yi), Ma Jingjing (Tuoba Lie), Sheng Chien (Emperor Gaozong), Lin Chao-hsu (Cheng An, Justice Department reception officer), Zhang Shan (Chusui Liang), Chen Guoyi (admiral), Tie Nan (Bo Qianzhang), Yan Jie (Kuang Zhao), Wang Yachao (Zhou Qian), Zhang Hao (Rui Yun, taoist priest), Deng Limin (Master Wang), Jiang Guoyin (Eunuch Lao), Gao Yulin (Ding Yuanda), Lai Jiatong, Yan Jiahui, Tian Hangyu (vice-admirals), A Nuo, Tuli Guer, Wu Qingjian, Zhou Peng, Gao Yuanfeng, Zhang Fucheng (Tuoba Lie's men), Chen Meihui, Sun Wenxue, Zhang Junzhu (Ruiji's maids).

[Hebrew Hammer]

And I thought Sanjuro Ronin had shown me all the exotic things one can do with horse! Wait till you see this finale...

I found it not as good as the first one, there are some similarities, tons of CGI and wire work...good action sequences a complex plot. Some of the CGI is cool, some not so much...my favorite scene is Detective riding his horse with large poisoned dead fish flying by his head. You have to see it to believe it. Amazing for a big budget film to be that cheesy.

Again its' just not as polished or mysterious as the first Detective Dee flick which I enjoyed. I was entertained and amused. Don't expect a 'Grandmaster's type film, its something much more fantastical.

7 Bawangs out of 10

[GeneChing]

YDD:RotSD is the Batman Begins for Detective Dee. Tsui Hark is again at the helm so it's an over-the-top spectacle of cgi-effects, flying fu, baroque imperial fashion, flowing silk and ubiquitous slo mo. I'm really bummed that the U.S. release totally slipped under my radar as it would have been great on the big screen. It would have been even better in 3D. A lot of CGI stuff flies at the screen, daggers, darts, flying guillotines, schrapnel - the film is thick with 3D ploys. Fant-ASIA is the PRC equivalent of comic book films in Hollywood - effect-driven fluff, yet entertaining and very profitable. The new leads are serviceable - Mark Chao as Dee is a little weak, but he is supposed to be young. Feng Shaofeng makes up for his as his rival/comrade. Angelababy is enchanting as the top courtesan and Carina Lau is icy as the 'off with his head' Queen of Hearts...errr...Empress Wu. The story is Chinese Sherlock Holmes (Downey version) meets Beauty and the Beast/Creature from the Black Lagoon bookended by Gojira. Tsui Hark goofiness. Awesome Kung Fu physics. Lots of flying sword fights.

If you liked the first Dee, this one is on par.