Highly Overrated But Still Good

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The action never stops as Damon and friend, expert marksmen, visit China in the midst of an alien creature invasion. They have built the Great Wall against these creatures and they need it all for this most recent attack. Damon pitches in while wondering how he can get his hands on the legendary Chinese explosives. The action never lets up, and Jing and Damon make a very fascinating and attractive team. The end of this goes a little over the top, that's the only disappoint for me in an otherwise fine movie.

This is one of those summer blockbuster type films that I skipped out on. Frankly, I was pretty sure it was going to suck and for the most part, I didn't hear anything good about it when it came out. So, I passed. Well, I had a .50 cent rental voucher through RedBox and couldn't find much I was in the mood for, so, I said the hell with it and snagged it. While this isn't a great movie, again I don't see why all the hate. It's a dumb, big-effects driven action/fantasy. I was entertained, the FXs looked solid, there were plenty of very cool fight scenes and I was never bored. I've said again and again people seem to have lost their ability to enjoy stupid fun. I'm glad I gave this one a chance. If you're in the mood for an action-packed, FXs driven film that you don't have to think too much with. This is the film to check out. Honestly, if I came across this one for a good price on DVD or Blu Ray I would most definitely add it to the collection. My Rating: 6/10

The Great Wall: Matt Damon ventures to China in search of the secrets of gunpowder, but meets a monster and ends up defending the Great Wall against hordes of beasties looking like hyena-raptor hybrids. An Alternate-History where every 60 years the creatures would attack and attempt to breach the Wall.Well imagined monsters, there's a homage to Aliens in one scene, great costume and weapon design, steam punk without the steam, hot-air assault balloons which are really giant Chinese Lanterns. Seems to be Fantasy but pay close attention and you will spot a possible SF explanation for the monsters. 8/10.

Other user reviewers either loved or hated this movie, with many in between. Count me in the latter. Rather than a real review, I'm just going to share some thoughts about it. 'Hero' was one of my favorite movies ever; I loved the Chinese and Ukrainian forest scenes in 'House of Flying Daggers;' 'Curse of the Golden Flower' was fairly entertaining, though it was hard to square the fluorescent illuminated hot pink and neon-colored plastic columns with a palace in 928 A.D. So, liking the director's other movies and the actors, I wanted to enjoy it .... but then came the flood of CGI monsters. (Maybe it's a girl thing?) but -just like in LOTR, the Twin Towers, my eyes glazed over a minute into the sight of 200,000 identically rendered grey, ugly monster animal thingies swarming the set. I cease to care. Wake me when 90% of them are dead, and there's a good sword fight, or some dialog. That occurred about the time Matt Damon chose to free Oberon instead of grabbing the black powder, but not before some of those ghastly-colored plastic interiors from COTGF made an appearance. It might be one of those movies that grows on a person over time, during the rounds of late-night cableTV. That's the recommendation- wait until you can watch it for free, so you won't resent it taking two hours from your life.