The Great Wall [DVD] [2017]

Ordered this after watching both the Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D versions of the film....While I still prefer the 3D version, this 4K version is still quite an upgrage on the standard Blu-ray.... Detail is better and the colour saturation is just stunning..... To me the image just looks extremely solid.As for the soundtrack. This is the same Atmos track as used on the Blu-ray and it's extremely effective....The underground tunnel scene toward the end of the film provides brilliant overhead movement effects for those equipped with a Dolby Atoms set up and will definitely test your system (soundbar or separates).I suppose the question is, is it worth upgrading to 4K over the standard Blu-ray & 3D version..... Purely from my own experience, the answer is a resounding YES!

I wanted to see this movie for a while and after I got the 'making of' book of the movie, I had to see it. The book in my opinion is exceptional, which reflects the artistry in the movie. Production is epic and the visuals are stunning. The inclusion of a western actor/character in the movie is to some, questionable to the story, as the whole setting and Asian epic blockbuster can be tainted and doesn't need the hollywood star, but I don't mind it. The whole western hero and relationship with the eastern heroin is in my opinion always an attractive addition and can help to bring a greater understanding to the heros' plight. The story is loosely based on historical eastern tradition, which is explained through the excellent additional 'extras' content and the behind the scenes look at set building, effects and props is brilliant. I highly recommend this movie if you fancy a movie that crosses epics like 'Curse of the Golden armour' or 'Crouching tiger hidden dragon', with action adventure movies like 'Clash of the Titans' (2010), or 'The Mummy' (1999).

Saw this in the cinema and I really liked it. I admit that I was expecting this to be the real story of how the Great Wall was made but the legend that it's based on suits me fine. The Great Wall follows two mercenaries, William (Matt Damon) and Tovar (Pedro Pascal), who are searching for a legendary weapon known as Black Powder when they end up prisoners of the Nameless Order on the Great Wall in amidst of a war with the TaoTei, green monsters who surface every 60 years to feed and must help their captors defeat the monsters before they reach the capital of Bianliang and become unstoppable. Like every movie, there are good and bad things.One of the best things was the special effects. The Nameless Order were very impressive with colourful armour and effective weapons and strategies and the battle sequences were some of my favorite scenes. I really liked the character of Lin Mae (Jing Tian). She was a strong female character who was bad ass and given room to shine when she became the leader of the Nameless Order but it's a shame that the writers felt the need to her flirt with William in the least obvious way possible.One of my pet hates about this movie is the presence of Ballard (Willem Dafoe), another English mercenary who, like William and Tovar, ended up a prisoner on the Great Wall 25 years earlier for searching for Black Powder. His only purpose is to plot to steal the Black Powder and run off and make a fortune and the film probably would have worked fine without him. His presence is what wastes Tovar as a character. He had potential but foolishly teams up with Ballard to steal Black Powder and spends most of the third act wandering around the lands surrounding the wall after Ballard betrays him. Another thing that I hate was the treatment of the Tao Tei. The entire army of Tao Tei, including the Queen, looks the same and the only ones who were different were the Queen's bodyguards who could turn their wings into shields.Overall, The Great Wall is a good film and while the critics may have bashed it and audiences stayed away from it, it's better than it looks. If you're looking for something that will allow you to switch your brain off for two hours, The Great Wall is what you're looking for.

Enjoyed

This is a real "Blockbuster" amazing acting , action and special effects , definitely worth buying and watching .