The Great Wall takes place around a time when gun powder—called black powder throughout the film—was something of a valuable discovery that was limited to certain parts of the world, particularly China (or so we are led to believe). William Garin and Pero Tovar (Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal) are part of a group of mercenaries in search of this coveted gun powder, willing to begin a trade. Their adventures take them galloping to the desert lands of China.
Besides being hunted by Chinese tribals, William realises there's another creature that is stalking and preying on his men. He manages to cut a limb of the evasive creature, which he carries along with him. Eventually, he and Tovar—the only survivors—are captured by guards at the Great Wall.
The limb saves their lives, as the General Shao (Zhang Hanyu) of the super-efficient army of guards realises that the duo might be useful to them in fighting these creatures.
The Nameless Order, which guards the Wall, is led by General Shao and his commanders, along with the wise strategist Wang (Andy Lau). Commander Lin (Tian Jing), who becomes General after Shao's death, is unparalleled in her strong will and bravery.
General Shao (centre), Commander Lin (far right) and other commanders of the Nameless Order
Enter Willem Dafoe as the sneaky Sir Ballard, who got to the Wall 25 years ago looking for the powder (and hasn't left because they won't let him). He isn't as skilled in archery and combat as William or Tovar, but he is a scheming enterpriser who plans to use the duo to get away with bag-loads of gun powder. Commander Lin's trust in the mercenaries and their knowledge of the world would soon be tested.
Wang tells the duo that the gods unleashed the Taotie (the monster creatures attacking the Wall) as punishment for an emperor's greed scores of years ago. They attack every 60 years to feed on humans, and answer to a queen, whose sole purpose is to use the smaller worker-creatures to bring her food and then multiply. They communicate with each other through telepathic radio waves that get disrupted in the presence of a magnet, and are known to be constantly evolving. In ancient Chinese mythology, the Taotie symbolised greed and gluttony.
While William realises that he can be a hero and help the army stave off the creatures, Tovar thinks of escaping unnoticed with Ballard.
Damon and Pascal (last seen in Narcos) are overshadowed by the rest of the cast. Lau, an award-winning Hong Kong actor, is notable, while Jing is impressive as a warrior-leader.
Director Zhang Yimou's first attempt at Hollywood mainstream is not in vain though. The film—switching between Mandarin and English—has its moments, especially in the scenes depicting the preparation, weaponry and dedication of the army during the battle.
Tian Jing, Matt Damon and Andy Lou (far behind)
As an attempt to subvert white supremacy that is so relevant in most of Hollywood mainstream films, it may have succeeded. The Chinese star cast is not sidelined into characters that conveniently come and go as per the script, but are given importance as the protagonists of the film.
However, in trying to balance the equation between Damon's stardom and that of the Chinese actors, it ends up being neither here nor there. One would've thought that bringing together a celebrated Hong Kong-film director, good actors of Asian descent and Damon could make for a great film, but it doesn't. Even the story does not seem exciting; there is nothing about the mythology, we don't know where the creatures came from, and it shows nothing of the deep, rich Chinese culture.
It is disappointing that this historical mythical fantasy couldn't feel any bigger or better. Somewhere between the unimpressive graphics and an unexplored storyline that barely scratches at the surface, it fizzles out. It isn't that the film is slow or boring; it is fast paced and there's always something of significance happening. But you feel unimpressed in the end.
Film: The Great Wall
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Andy Lau, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe
Rating: 2.5/5
