In the picture
M. Night Shyamalan back on top.
The Great Wall
*ing: Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Willem Dafoe
Directed by Yimou Zhang
History tells us that the Chinese, an industrious nation, built the Great Wall centuries ago to ward off enemy troops from violating their territories. What this film, The Great Wall, showcases is a variation of that history merged with some fiction. In the film, the enemy troops on the doorstep whose presence led to the creation of this wall weren’t human at all but were monstrous creatures.
The Great Wall features Matt Damon as William, a European mercenary who comes to China in order to steal something called the black powder. Accompanied by a friend called Tovar (Pedro Pascal), the two men are captured by the Nameless Order, the secret army deployed at the Wall of China. After impressing the General with his fighting technique, William and Tovar join forces with the Army in defense of China. However, the creatures known as Tao Tei and who rise every 60 years come prepared and wreak havoc that results in death and destruction. How the locals stop these monsters is something you can only learn upon watching the film.
With the film having been shot in 3D, the action sequences are superb and surpass several other recent films as a result. For instance, when Matt Damon’s character throws a shield towards a Tao Tei, the special effects take you by surprise as the shield moves towards the viewer before hitting the target. Similarly, when the monsters attack The Wall for the first time, the choreographed action is a thrilling combination of both Hollywood and Chinese ethos.
The Great Wall will only appeal to fans of the action genre because it reminds you of films like Jaws, Tremors and Anaconda where monster(s) fight against human beings and surprise all with their intelligence. In terms of cinematography, the film hasn’t been shot at the actual wall but looks very close to reality.
In the end, The Great Wall may not have received the kind of response that followed films like John Wick 2 and The Lego Batman Movie but it is a film that will go down in history as a project that entertained the audience because of its smart execution, courtesy of its director.
Split
*ing: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
James McAvoy is one of the most underrated actors of this generation. With M. Night Shyamalan’s latest effort, Split, the actor once again proves his mettle and makes a strong case for his extraordinary skill.
The film traces the story of a man who suffers from multiple personality disorder but the catch is not that he is one or two personalities but a whopping 23. How he manages to change his appearance with at least half a dozen personalities is something only McAvoy could have managed.
The story begins with Dennis, one of the 23 personalities in the mind of Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy). He kidnaps three teenagers in order to ‘save’ them from the beast which is his 24th personality. His other personalities then email his psychiatrist, Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) asking for help and when she does pay him a visit, she is stunned by what she sees. The girls try to escape unsuccessfully and witness the wrath of his different personalities, one of whom is a control freak. Some of his other personalities include a woman and another who is a child at heart.
Split is intriguing because of two reasons. First, Shyamalan has made a film that is for his fans rather than himself. With it, he’s back on top, the way he was when Unbreakable released many years ago. The proof can be found in the fact that he has written and directed this film.
Second, the way the film has been made will remind viewers of Unbreakable where a madman tries to destroy the world just so he can find a super human. There is a small cameo from one of the stars from that film that will make your day but to experience it, you must not leave the cinema until the end credits roll out.
After the release of this film, one can say that Shyamalan has split his career into three chapters. During the first chapter, he produced great movies, beginning with The Sixth Sense and ending it with Signs. In the second chapter, he made forgettable films like The Visit, After Earth, The Last Airbender, The Happening, Lady in the Water and The Village.
With Split, the writer-director has kick started the third chapter and his once dwindling prospects have risen in spectacular style. Though sci-fi horror remains his specialty and has earned him a huge fan following as a director, it would be great if he manages to carve out a new flick in the vein of Unbreakable and Split.