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That's about it in terms of provenance. As for period, forget it. It so happens that the Nameless Order are being repeatedly assailed at their Great Wall perch by a plague of Brontosaurus-like creatures called Tao Tie. Very soon Damon is proving his mettle as an archer and slayer of the fearsome creatures. Yep, yet again, it's the unlikely American (even if he is never described as such) who ultimately saves the day for these strange foreign folk.

The truth is that Jing may be just as powerful an actress as Gong Li, whose magnetic performance lent so much to Raise the Red Lantern.

So, yes, I am chiefly blaming Zhang (whose name is on it) and I am not really blaming the compromises he may or may not have made to satisfy Hollywood. Dafoe, Damon and Pascal have no choice but to be undistinguished in their delivery of the wooden screenplay, yet another cash advance loans element in what is cash advance loans dull, formulaic film.

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University of Newcastle provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. Ultimately though this particular controversy proved largely baseless, as the star takes a step back from full-blown heroics in the action-fantasy epic. The plot of the film is straightforward enough, if a little nonsensical at times. Caught up in a fierce siege, Will and Tovar quickly discover that their captors have been stationed on the Great Wall and charged with the mission of protecting the country from mythical beasts, known as the Taotie, who descend from their mountain lair to wreak havoc every 60 years.

During their first battle, Will, a talented archer, saves the life of a young soldier (Lu Han) and wins respect from Commander Lin Mae (Jing Tian) and Strategist Wang (Andy Lau). Eager to assist their cause and increasingly drawn into the mystery of the wall, Will resists the pleas of Tovar to plan an escape with fellow foreigner and long-time captive, Sir Ballard (Willem Dafoe).

Various acts of self-sacrifice and demonstrations of the value of trust and unity between Will and his small band of Chinese allies follow. Perhaps the only real twist in the entire film is when Will suddenly decides to take a backseat to his female colleague, Lin, in the rather anti-climactic, final battle.

Another has Will walking into a banquet hall after assisting in the first siege and being greeted with the rapturous applause of his captors.

It was always going to be an ambitious project to team a celebrated Chinese director, Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), with a cast with that has broad international appeal. Unfortunately, in trying to please so many, Zhang is unlikely to please many at all. Expectations may have been high but The Great Wall is ultimately a disappointing and deeply flawed film. It leaves the impression of a missed opportunity.

If only the producers had asked Zhang to lead his Chinese cast through the large-scale historical fantasy while Damon and Pascal went off to do a buddy adventure by themselves, audiences may have been treated to two decent films instead of a single mediocre one.

But the lacklustre response the film is likely to get on its release should demonstrate that he also is no saviour of the Chinese-Hollywood co-production experiment. Commander Lin Mae (Jing Tian) in The Great Wall. Universal Pictures Eager to assist their cause and increasingly drawn into the mystery of the wall, Will resists the pleas of Tovar to plan an escape with fellow foreigner and long-time captive, Sir Ballard (Willem Dafoe).

Former boy-band member and hearthrob Lu Han. Universal Pictures It was always going to be an ambitious project to team a celebrated Chinese director, Zhang Yimou (Hero, online loans House of Flying Daggers), with a cast with that has broad international appeal.