Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (Di Renjie zhi Sidatianwang) is the latest in the Detective Dee series, following a powerful Lord-detective as he works to save the kingdom from foes both external, internal, and metaphysical. This film follows Dee after he has received the Dragon Mace, and the power to exercise judgement over all in the Tang Empire, including the Emperor and his co-ruler, the Empress. However, a threat emerges in the guise of the Wind Cult and the Mystic Cult. These are hardened warriors that helped the first Tang Emperor take power, but were betrayed by him. They seek revenge, and have used their magic illusions to trick the Empress into trying to close down Detective Dee and his Bureau of Investigation.
What follows is a highly stylized Wu Xia film with fair action, fun fantasy, and a competent plot. Much like the other films in this series, Detective Dee continues the trend of quality Wu Xia films in a genre that is often marred by poor or mediocre flicks. I greatly enjoyed the story and feel of this one, with the magic feeling fun, and some goofy moments abound. The action, sound and music are al of good quality, as is the acting and cinematography. On the complaints side, the story can feel weak at times, and the special effects are relatively poor.
That being said, this is a fun film to watch in the Wu Xia genre, and continues the trend of interesting Wu Xia coming out of China. Well worth a watch as a good film 7/10.
What follows is a highly stylized Wu Xia film with fair action, fun fantasy, and a competent plot. Much like the other films in this series, Detective Dee continues the trend of quality Wu Xia films in a genre that is often marred by poor or mediocre flicks. I greatly enjoyed the story and feel of this one, with the magic feeling fun, and some goofy moments abound. The action, sound and music are al of good quality, as is the acting and cinematography. On the complaints side, the story can feel weak at times, and the special effects are relatively poor.
That being said, this is a fun film to watch in the Wu Xia genre, and continues the trend of interesting Wu Xia coming out of China. Well worth a watch as a good film 7/10.