Stephen Chow's style of exaggerated satiric comedy of the common people

found this films by Stephen Chow by accident, and i was pleasantly surprised to see Wang Baoqiang in the film.
this film is a relatively enjoyable film, but can at times be a bit too plain, and predictable.

this film has a satire comedic style infused with Chow's trademark comic style. A mix of over-dramatic/exaggerated bullshits, dialogues and non-verbals that are often filled with ticklishly funny dumbness. audience who gets it, gets it.

Stephen Chow has a knack of telling a story that has exaggerated/amplified ordeals of the common folk in a seemingly ordinary setting and turn it into something extraordinary that engages the audience's sympathy for the character, the story and the plot. often, the main protagonist is characterized as this innocent/naive and ordinary character who faces various kinds of crunching ordeals. at its core, it is saying that ordinary people can become extraordinary, and achieve extraordinary feats.

i think there are four main supporting characters in this film,
a father whose action sometimes contradicts his words in the way he expresses his love for his daughter
a deceitful man who preys on the innocent and gullible (and probably prey on the desperate)
a has-been actor who earns his second shot on fame/popularity by chance
a colleague who is too shy to profess his feelings until a turn of event in his life forces him to

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a CGI heavy wuxia film with traditional storyline and plot

this is a CGI-heavy, wuxia film in the traditional sense with a slight twist. it has actions, drama, jianghu intrigue, and romance. the cinematography leans more on artistic aesthetic. there are some beautiful martial arts choreography, acrobatics, string-fu, but enhanced with lots of CGIs. this film is not about hero vs villain, or about heroic achievements, but more about the fragility, dichotomy and complexity of a human being.

i would recommend watching this film on a large screen to better appreciate the CGIs and aesthetic appeal. it is actually uncommon in traditional wuxia stories to have a major character filled with facial tattos.

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an enjoyable sci-fi doomsday film that is energetic, not original, and a bit long

this film is entertaining and worth watching if you haven't watch it already, but be prepared for a 2-hour long experience. some of the enjoyable aspects of this film include, the pace, the CGIs, sound effects, background sound/music, dialogues, various visual treats, and the presence of multiple languages/races. if you are a critical or analytical person, this film also offers various venues for you to critically analyze the logic and facts. this film feels similar to a big budget Hollywood film., but the storyline and plot feel more like an amalgamation of several doomsday sci-fi predecessors.

if you have to rely on the subtitle/caption to understand a Chinese language shows, be forewarned that it might be a bit too fast to read. this can be a bit of juggle and a distraction, in-between watching the film, enjoying the visual presentation, observing, and reading the captions.

also, this film kind of reminds me how Japan's car industry borrow heavily from U.S./Europe, and how Korean's pop culture industry borrow heavily from Japan/U.S., etc. i want to see more of this in the near future, but most of all, i want to see a growing trend of borrowing that either dissipates or turns more into unique/original/fresh creations.

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an uninspiring political intrigue blended with martial arts elements

note: The Four III might also be have other English titles, such as Kingdom of Blood, The Four: Final Battle

the 1st installment is more of wuxia elements blended with court intrigues, while this 3rd installment is more of court intrigues blended with wuxia elements. this film unveils the conspiracy plot and offers more character developments with a few short light comedic elements. it is recommended that you watch the 1st and 2nd installments before watching this 3rd installment. there is nothing surprising about the storyline and plot which are uninspiring and linear. this final installment is slightly more enjoyable than the 2nd.

generally, the acting/performances of some of the returning casts are slightly better in this film compared to the 2nd installment. for example, Liu Yifei's performances improve in this 3rd installment, though i still feel that she is not the most
suitable actor to play this role/character. there are segments where her performances standout, there are also segments where her performances are unconvincing. in this installment, the chemistry between the two lead characters has improved a bit than the 2nd installment.

in comparison, veteran actor Anthony Wong as Zhuge Zhengwo performs arguably consistently in all 3 installments. Zhuge Zhengwo is easily my favorite character in all 3 installments.

the martial arts choreography is average in most of the fighting scenes. what truly stands out in all of the fight scenes is the string-fu and props. the use of CGIs and special effects are evident in all of the fight scenes. the quality of the martial arts choreography stands out only during the second last fight scene. this film also offers more frequency of projectiles and explosions

i think this film might be for you if,
+ you have nothing better to do, or you want to space out
+ you are a big fan of Deng Chao and Liu Yifei
+ you have already watched 1st and 2nd installments, so might as well, right? :-)

//turnoffs//
- the voice actor for Wu Qing (Liu Yifei) is not the most suitable choice
- although Liu Yifei performs better here compared to prior installment, i still think that there are better actors who can perform this character more convincingly
- storyline and plot are uninspiring and predictable
- dialogues are average
- segments editing and segments flow can sometimes be a bit rough
- minimum usage of natural environments. natural environment as background scenery is more evident in the 2nd half of the film.
- parts of the minor grievances i have with this film and the first and second installments have to do with the director's judgment/decision/vision/approach, and then the director's guidance/direction for/to the actors
- the ending and the ending logic of the main antagonist is lame-o-mo.

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a novel adaptation wuxia film with court/inter-departmental intrigue

this is a wuxia film that incorporates court/inter-departmental intrigues to enhance the storyline. it is recommended that you watch the 1st installment before moving to the 2nd, as the 2nd continues to expand the story and character developments. this film might not be suitable for certain age group as it contains 2 mildly erotic/suggestive scenes.

the storyline, plot, and performances can at times feel uninspiring. the chemistry between the two main characters is not convincing. there are 2 mild erotic/suggestive scenes in this film, but i don't see either serving any purpose to enhance the storyline or further the plot or character development.

the film incorporates limited natural environment as background sceneries, and many are man=made sets and often embellished. the usage of CGIs and the quality of the CGIs can at times be annoying distracting and superfluous. there are certain redundant segments and/or segments that don't make much sense. this is not helped by the bland dialogues and mediocre dubbing (voice-over) quality.

this film might be suitable for you if,
+ you want to space out
+ you are a big fan of Deng Chao and/or Liu Yifei

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man in the mirror

overall this film is very enjoyable, and one of the better Korean films I've watched over the past 3 years. I felt I enjoyed at least half of the amount of special effects in the film. I especially enjoyed Ha Jung-woo's performance, and most of the other actors' performances are enjoyable, too.

the film begs for the audience's empathy, emotion, and attention as we, the audience, immerse ourselves with the characters, and the development of the stories.

it took me probably somewhere from the 2nd to the 4th part of the hell journey before I began to appreciate the film. there are weaker moments through the film, and at times they felt dragging or boring, but I can understand that it was not an easy film to make and story to weave. I think there are some nice moral and philosophical values in the film, too. and surprisingly, I would love to re-watch the film again some day. and that is saying a lot, because I re-watch only rarely.

i don't feel the story or theme in this film is original. in part i am slightly reminded by Dante's Inferno, and in part by numerous other older films that dwell on life after death and trials/tribulations. however, the retelling of such themes and the unique presentation in this film is partially what made it kind of unique.

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a promising series that could have been much more

overall, the series is quite decent and better than some other C-Drama series. but this series is not without its flaws.

the dialogues, characterization and portrayal of the main female lead, Zhou Fei, differ quite a bit from the traditional typecast main female hero, but it is really a welcome difference. from certain aspects, the character Zhou Fei feels real and endearing. the main male character, Xie Yun, is somewhat effeminate and not as endearing as the main female character in this series. within the context of this series, when comparing the two, i think Xie Yun is easily the more forgettable character compared to Zhou Fei.

this series offers quite a wide selection of characters that are endearing and unique, whether that be the male, female, or trans/gay characters. this series also offers an enjoyable amount of unique tragic characters which are relatable and believable in their own respective ways. i do feel that the character developments of certain characters like Duan Jiuniang could have been stronger/deeper. on the other hand, i feel like the actress who portray Li Jinrong could have acted better to make the character come alive stronger (for example, by having her shoulders straightened to the back to give that slightly imposing impression of a leader and one of the top martial artists).

some of the CGI are decent. the furniture, building architecture, and costumes are generally beautiful. a significant portion of the background noise/sound/music are fitting. the background sound/music are generally fitting. the dubbing can be off at times and somewhat noticeable and affect how one enjoys the different conversations as a whole.

there are portions or segments in the series with transitions that appear inconsistent and rough. i think this is either from poor editing, or rush editing, or lack of control/management in the editing process.

some of the more memorable segments involve the Ximo River which can really standout. in retrospect, the rescue scene of the villagers at the Big Medicine Village is a letdown, and could have been done much better.

below are some examples of major turnoffs in the series,
**spoilers**
the first major turnoff during the first 19 episodes. occurred after Old Lady Wang/Wong, Zhou Fei and Li Sheng left the 48 Fortress headquarter. the 15-16 episodes that progress after they leave the headquarter equate to maybe about 4-5 months time. there are numerous ways, opportunities, and plenty of time for either or both Zhou Fei and Li Sheng to report back to the headquarter. it wasn't until midway of episode 19 that we actually see Li Sheng attempt to send a report back to the headquarter. but ultimately, no report is sent from either Li Sheng or Zhou Fei. it shouldn't have taken so many episodes and so many events and plots to transpire before triggering the sending the message back to the headquarter.

the second turnoff occurs roughly between episode 25+ to 40. there seems to be higher frequency of non-smooth story/plot flows, giving the impression of rush editing works (maybe due to deadline constraint, budgeting constraint, or whatever). else, it could also be sloppy editing or sloppy storyboard flow management.

the third turnoff is the lack of closure on what happens to Wu Chuchu's younger brother, Wu Xiaodi. the character maybe only has a total of a few minutes of screen time, and then later is only mentioned in other characters' dialogues and/or flashback/s. it is not too clear what happens to Wu Xiaodi after the inn burns down, what transpires after the escaping the burning of the inn, how the character manage to survive after the ordeal, whether or not the character is reunited with his sister at the 48 Fortress headquarter, etc. it is understandable this is only a very small supporting character, but this character and Wu Chuchu are introduced quite early on to be almost as tragic characters. it would have been nice to have a tiny closure to Wu Xiaodi, even if it means having the character killed off.

the fourth major turnoff occurred in episode 47 and 48 during the rescue plot where the five young heroes attempt to rescue the captured prisoners in the Big Medicine Valley. some of the rescue scenes draw inspirations from other older films/series, meaning that those scenes are not original.

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a beautiful and entertaining series laced with some very naughty dialogues and non-verbal gestures

this is arguably a beautiful and an entertaining series with segments/moments, dialogues, and performances that can be very naughty (suggestive; flirty). it is also one of the few good CDrama available in current market that attempts to stretch/push the boundary/ies of traditional/cultural norms on homosexuality. even with the voices dubbed to bypass China's censorship (and possibly to bypass other countries'), the series is still very naughty (suggestive; flirty) compared to almost all other mainstream CDrama. no doubt, too, the level of care and efforts in writing the dialogues, costumes, set designs, props, camera shots, direction, editing, performances and the communication of non-verbal gestures.

there are actually quite a lot that this series has to offer to different audiences. a few of the things i really like is the vast amount of proverbs or idioms, some beautifully thought-out and witty dialogues (including the flirty dialogues), the chemistry of two main protagonists, and the different ways each of the two main protagonists bring life to the roles they play.

the wire-fu and martial arts choreography in this series are aesthetically planned, designed, shot, performed and edited with care. the camera slow motion shots and editing of these slow motion captures are contextually proportionate and not superfluous. the series has many beautiful and intricate ornaments, costumes and designs. the background music/sound arrangement and selection are contextually fitting to the corresponding segment.

a few other things i observed are, the lighting can be a bit off at certain segments, some of the suggestive sexual/sensual non-verbal gestures might not be appropriate for younger audience, there are consistent traces in the series of influences from mainstream Japanese pop-culture arts/styles, and sometimes the special effects or computer graphics can be a bit annoying. also, in real life, depending on which country you are and who you are dealing with, some of the flirty verbal dialogues and non-verbal gestures can be misconstrued as a sexual harassment.

one of the big turnoffs in this series is that there are parts where certain supporting characters' non-verbal gestures are expressed/exaggerated in such a way that audience can easily decipher that those gestures are obviously meant/tuned for the camera/s. these non-verbal are sometimes communicated subtly, and sometimes blatantly. there are also moments where i feel that there are certain supporting characters are not very well acted out or the acting are not convincing in certain segments. a few of the supporting characters have way more screen time and redundant dialogues that could have been invested in other supporting characters to enhance the quality of the series. another turnoff is that there are segments that feel long-winded or superfluous.

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start watching from episode 16, you won't miss out by skipping the first 15 episodes

episode 1 to episode 15 are worth 2-star at the most. get ready for an unimpressive, mediocre first 15 episodes. things pick up and get better starting from episode 16 onward. i almost gave up twice watching this series all the way to the 40th episode because the overall experience watching the first 15 episodes was such a drag.

these first 15 episodes suffer from terrible background sound/music effects, many poor/redundant dialogues, some poor acting from several different characters, long winded narrative (beat around the bush), and redundant screen time of some minor/supporting characters, and of redundant or non-significant story development. of these early 15 episodes, only a select few segments in episode 7-8 were barely enjoyable.

i think as a whole, the production should have tone down or manage the usage frequency, and the quality of the virtual effects or computer graphics a bit. they could also have focused better on the character developments, story, plots, directing, character screen time, editing, and background music/sound.

i am not too sure about the main female actor. it feels that the main female character is more like a supporting female character. i can see that she tries hard to portray the character and bring life to the character. on the other hand, her acting gives me the impression that it is either she is not as experienced in acting the role, or she has not received better guidance/direction/mentoring, or both.

in general, majority of the acting and cast of majority of the supporting characters, and their dialogues are better compared to a few of the supporting characters in the first 15 episodes. the supporting characters from episode 16 onward are more enjoyable and endearing. the acting and dialogues of a few of the supporting characters in the first 15 episodes feel (more) awkward/stiff(er).

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a pop culture romance story that is not too believable

i think this series as a whole can be described as a cutey-lovey-dovey kind of series. it is generally light-hearted, the kind of series that may be for a certain type/s of audience, but not for another type/s of audience. this series is more on romance story that is supported by the esports plot/sub-story. it is one of the very few C-drama that I've watched without fast forwarding any episode, or skipping an episode. the acting of several characters notwithstanding the main characters are enjoyable. there is no character that evokes strong disgust or annoyance, which is a pleasant welcome. if you watch it without being too analytical or critical, then the series becomes more enjoyable.

the main female character can be paralleled to the common trend of fan-idol worshipper who has a deep crush with the idol. sometimes i feel the main male character mistreats the main female character. sometimes, i also feel as if the main female character is objectified, maybe from the way the character is supposed to act/dress/behave.

one of the things that didn't make much sense for me is how realistic is it for a doctoral student who knows programming language, and who is interested in artificial intelligence to be so clingy, meek/docile, and be an obsessive idol worshipper. the female lead is even willing to bring down her own sense of self-worth or dignity for a man who sometimes mistreat her. of course in love, and in real life, there is always that possibility that such a character exists.

to a certain extent, this series reveals much more of real life than it realizes. for examples,
+ percentage of female esports players groom by esports competitive clubs;
+ percentage of professional female esports players in the industry;
+ obsessiveness and fan-idol worshipping;
+ typecast 'acceptable' female characteristics/behaviors (meek; docile; subservient; etc.)
+ the under-represented frequency and seriousness of emotional/psychological abuse on women in the society
+ etc.

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fast-paced and energetic pop-culture series

the series is suitable for younger audiences from about 10 years old to 30+ years old age group familiar with anime, manga, online games, pop culture, and activities involving sports-like teamwork. this series revolves around the struggles, efforts, friendships, and reconciliation of the past and present of the main protagonist whose career path spans 10+ years as a professional esports player. one key thing about this series is the focus on the present moment, reconciliating the past with the present, and how that affects the near future that will become a present moment.

this series also tell the stories of struggles, efforts, and friendships of many other supporting players mainly in relation with the main protagonist. the series blends life acting with CGIs, and it consistently enriches the CGI stories with fast paced dialogues that are generally written well, and also energetic comments by the commentators/players/audience. it has a relatively fast paced stories and plots that deal a lot with personal decisions, social support/motivation/encouragement, overcoming obstacles, trusts, jealousy/envy, camaraderie, and hope and faith.

i was initially hesitant whether i want to start watching this series because i had the mindset that i might be sorely disappointed if the series fail to deliver a balanced good stories, good performances and balanced CGIs. but in the end, i am glad that i overcome my hesitance. another mindset that i had when i started watching this series is that there might be a romantic and romance competition/betrayal kind of plots in the series. but there were not. and that is a real welcome for a CDrama.

i think the director, the screen writer/s and the CGI team/s did a dedicatedly excellent job trying to balance the real life acting with the dialogues and the CGI actions. the CGIs felt complimentary to the real life acting. the quality of the CGIs is good, and the way the dialogues and how/where the CGIs are used to tell stories in the virtual setting are also good. this is also in part enhanced by the energetic and fitting background music/sound/noises. one of the strengths in this series is the arrangement/selection/editing of the background music/sound/noises.

the costumes/hair-style in this series are inspired in part by manga and in part by modern and pop culture. the props, set design/structure, and environment are definitely urban and current. it is a good thing that the series as a whole does not attempt to introduce futuristic mumbo-jumbos.

another thing i really like about this series is that the producer/director/screenwriters do not attempt to make this series about good versus evil, or about nasty characters. they do the characters as human and as humane as possible -- with shortcomings and strengths, but most importantly with the capacity and ability to overcome shortcomings and become a better person.

criticisms:
the actors acting are not all excellent and consistent. many of the supporting actors acting are mediocre and unconvincing. a few of the supporting characters can be annoying and unconvincing at times. sometimes there are scenes when the set or the ways the set are captured can feel a bit bland and off. i feel that some characters could have been given even stronger/better plots, dialogues and character developments, for example, Su Mucheng, Guo Guo, Luo Ji. somewhere in this series, internet addiction is mentioned very briefly. i think this is a real concerning issue that is intentionally ignored or not focused on by the director/editors/screenwriters.

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an investigative, martial arts, love series filled with serious loopholes/flaws

i think parts of the challenges when producing this series as a whole are limited budget, deadline/s, story board design, the quality of creative story writing, directing, and editing. the series as a whole gives a bit of the impression like watching 80s era CDrama, but this can be misleading. one thing for sure is, this series has the actual potential to really standout and be bigger than the way it is now.

i am unimpressed with the way the major murder cases and the unveiling of the truths and investigations unravel. there are many loopholes or cracks in the story and plots. lots of the so called analytical reasonings and the conclusions derived to solve the murder cases do not make much good sense to me. but it may just be a personal preference thing.

the story, plots, characterization, and dialogues tend to be more interesting separate from the episodes and segments dealing directly with the murder cases. episodes and segments dealing with the murder cases tend to be flawed from logical standpoint. these could have been written, performed and directed better to make the series truly standout. this series also suffer from certain segments that are not original. it is a possibility that good detective storytelling and good analytical reasoning processes are not the director and screenwriter/s strong points or forte. either that, or it's either the director screwed up big time, or the screenwriters screwed up big time, or both.

the string-fu (wire props) and martial arts choreographies are pleasantly enjoyable and can sometimes feel artsy. the quality of the camera/s used are pretty good, the ways majority of the shots/frames are good, too. but these alone would not suffice to redeem the overall quality of the series. i like the way the director and whoever are involved in the stage setup selected many of the natural environments, and also the buildings and city backdrops. on a minor note, there might be a few of the backdrop sceneries, especially involving buildings that appear to have been used before in other CDrama series, but i might be wrong.

one of the major letdown in this series is the arrangement and selection of background music/sound. often, they do not fit the segments and poorly arranged/selected, and sometimes can feel more like an annoyance. i feel the quality of the series as a whole would also be slightly enhanced were the arrangement and selection of background music/sound executed better.

several of the supporting actors' acting are affective and enjoyable. throughout the entire episodes there are several actors that perform as best as they could to portray and bring to life their respective characters. i actually think some of the supporting actors act their respective roles better and more consistently than the leading actor acted his. there are, of course, other supporting actors whose acting are inconsistent and disappointing. i feel that the acting and character portrayal of the main male protagonist become better in the latter episodes, especially starting from episode 17-18-19 onward. but you could probably observe some inconsistencies here and there. i am not too sure i am not particularly impressed with the main actor's acting in many of the episodes; perhaps, it is something from his eyes/gaze.

in retrospect, it is easier to sympathize and empathize with the main female character portrayed by the leading actress early in the series. the only drawback, perhaps, is that the leading actress's potential is limited by the director's skill/vision/experience/ability, the dialogues written by the screenwriter, and the extra guidance/mentoring for her to bring out her full potential in the series. part of me actually wished the main female protagonist should get more focus on character development and screen time.

ep 1-2, 1st murder case
Dialogue/Story/Plot/Acting/Set/Logic = C+/C/C-/B-/B-/D

ep 3-10, 2nd murder case
Dialogue/Story/Plot/Acting/Set/Logic = C+/C/C/B-/C/D

ep 12-15, 3rd murder case
Dialogue/Story/Plot/Acting/Set/Logic = B-/C/C+/B/B-/D

the last big murder case is less than an episode long involving the public style murder of Old Master Wang during the flash of thunderbolt explosion. i am not dwelling on the dialogue, story, plot, acting and set. but i'll give a C for the logic.

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a (soap opera) period dramas

i have to drop this on episode 5. it's just not my cup of coffee. the pace is just unbearable, and i thought this is an action period drama because of the English word "Sword" in the title. but it feels a lot like a soap opera. by the 2nd episode, it triggered me to recall Taiwanese soap opera. this series might be suitable for certain audience and market segment, but not others.

on the objective aspect, from the 5 episodes i watched, this film has a generous blend of indoor and outdoor scenes. there are often natural sceneries used as the background. the building architectural designs look authentic and real.

the costumes are presentable and believable. they look clean and neat (looks new), and you can actually observe the sewing quality. there are beautiful wearable trinkets/jewelries that are not over the top. the makeups are also not exaggerated or over-exaggerated. i noticed that a few of the female's inner or outer collar has a flip-twist at the top end corner and i don't know if it is supposed to signify something or nothing.

it seems that the director and the cinematographer painstakingly want to ensure this series is filmed with as much realism as possible. you can observe this from the lighting effects, the set decorations, the cinematography, etc. this is further enhanced by the actors' performances and dialogues. i also felt the pacing, the performances, the lighting, the cinematography, and the dialogue are of a reasonably consistent quality/rhythm/flow.

one of the drawback of this series is that the dubbing (voice over) is not synchronized well., but this seems to be a pervasive issue affecting a whole lot of CDramas and Chinese films.

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