|, September 17, 2018 Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (狄仁杰之四大天王) Movie Review: My invitation was rejected when I tried to get one of my usual movie kakis to watch this movie, and the reason was – the trailer has too much special effects. As you know, not being in China, it’s much harder to watch C-movies, especially with English subtitles. I don't think Hark understands what made the first Detective Dee exceptional. My Last FantAsia Film This Year, Quite Fittingly So, My Review Of "Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings", The technology is good enough and the story is still rough, "He's always popping up without warning these days! Poo-Review Ratings. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. The movie begins with the Emperor giving the head of the Bureau of Investigations, Detective Dee (Mark Chao, Till the End of the World), the Dragon-Taming Mace in recognition for his work keeping the empire safe.He tasks him with using it to defeat all enemies of the empire even if, one day, that enemy should be the Emperor (Chieng Sheng, Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon) himself. Directed by Francis Nam. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Where to start? Meanwhile, there are a number of clans of wizards who use illusion and sometimes magic to further their own ends, in particular to overthrow the Tang Dynasty....The above description only covers the relatively "normal" part of the story; throw in a bunch of seriously ugly monsters, a heavy dose of wuxia martial arts (fighters climbing the air as if it was a staircase, etc. sports and fitness, 'Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings' is the third in this series of Chinese kung fu films, after the original 'Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame' back in 2010 and 'Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon' (2013). Coming Soon. However, a threat emerges in the guise of the Wind Cult and the Mystic Cult. | Rating: 2.5/5 Copyright © Fandango. By the way, the Four Heavenly Kings of the title feature in exactly one scene as statues, some of which are destroyed in the scene, and are never mentioned again. 12 October 2012 | kluseba 7 | Diversifiedly solid but not impressive after all. It's filled with martial arts sequences, acrobatics, as well as plenty of treachery, deception, sorcery, illusions, and … Tsui Hark’s fantasy saga loses some of its appeal with each subsequent sequel but the kinetic energy and entertainment are still there. There are no approved quotes yet for this movie. Tsui Hark is a great action film director, having been known in the West directing some of Jean Claude Van Damme's best films. Synopsis: An exiled detective is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu.A bizarre murder mystery brings together the most powerful woman in China, the soon-to-be-Empress Wu Zetian and a formerly exiled detective, Dee Renjie at the infamous Imperial Palace. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. The Emperor is dead and next in line to replace him is a woman. Another enjoyable piece of foreign cinema. Forgot your password? Knowing that the declassified script is not easy to write, but at this rate of degradation, that shocking dozens of concepts, afraid to be the Pearl of dust. | The empress Wu Zetian is about to become the first woman to ascend the Imperial Throne, but powerful forces scheme against her. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy The story is a complex, multi-character excerise in episodic storytelling. Cause he made them himself. It is a great show, which allows us to celebrate the essence of cinema: marvel and entertain. Thre is a full-bodied saga that unfolds in "The Four Heavenly Kings" that offers rich, creative characters drawing on layered back story that, although implied for a lot of the characters, very much recognizable and clear. Never in the history of China has there been an Empress. Movie Has Its Faults But it is Spectacular in Many Ways. For once a martial arts foreign film doesn't rely on blood-thirsty revenge, and still delivers the quality visuals that we have all come to expect. Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings movie reviews and ratings -Frontrowcentre.com rating of 4.00 out of 5 Stars. Accused of wrongdoing by Empress Wu, Detective Dee faces a formidable foe while investigating a crime wave that's marked by strange and seemingly supernatural occurrences. While the first movie relies on its mysterious atmosphere and investigative techniques and the second film explores the detective's early career, the third movie is set between the two and is best described as an intrigue with supernatural elements. Dee is invariably the most sane, grounded person in every scene, though once it's time to bust out the wireworks, he can leap from rafter to rafter with the best of them. I missed my chance to see the earlier Judge Dee movie, but I assumed that this and it were historical mysteries derived from the work of Robert van Gulik. This one could not win me over completely. This is a very entertaining fantasy movie with dynamic martial arts elements and colourful costumes and settings but it doesn't have much depth, doesn't feature a surprising plot and doesn't rely on investigative techniques. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. From The Demons Strike Back, to The Thousand Faces of Dunjia, to this The Four Heavenly Kings, Tsui Hark's deterioration is crystal clear and has reached an intolerable extent. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! ’ s 7 Most Memorable performances, all Harry Potter movies Ranked Worst best. You verified a good name scenes of airborne dragons and the Mystery with his wits office gaining! 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