THE GREAT WALL Blu-ray Review

THE GREAT WALL (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Release Date: May 23, 2016

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Video: 2.40:1 1080p Widescreen

Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 Core), Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ½ ✰

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Special Features - ★ ★ ✰ ✰ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
Maybe great is a bit of an overstatement, but it's all in cheesy fun.

Reviewed by Gavin King

What a transfer in the characteristics of roles for Matt Damon in the past several months. Rewind back to July of 2016, Damon was the main in the latest installment in his trademark trilogy Jason Bourne, involving, fist fights, espionage, gun-to-gun violence, motorcycle chases, and more. It wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't a very good one, either, reverting to slightly repetitive formula in lieu of its Bourne predecessors, featuring much of the same and less of much new inventive ideas to a once sparkling, edge-of-your-seat series. Still, though, fans of the saga loved it, and it's not necessarily difficult to see why. It's generally quite fun to see Matt Damon kick some butt as he travels across the globe, taking out his nearby villains to well-coreographed - albeit nearly headache-inducingly shakingly shot - skill. Fast-foward to February 2017, and Damon becomes yet again the leading role of an action-oriented movie. Yet this film is very much different in scope, plot, and focus to 2016's Jason Bourne. The Great Wall takes place in a fantasy China, which rests on the notion that the warriors were using the wall to keep out menacing creatures that stem as magnets of battle and brutality - and a relatively high body count. It's by no means particularly novel or even somewhat original - damn it all if it isn't the slightest bit derivative - but The Great Wall is the kind of film you can sit around with your friends, drink a few beers (though be careful not to get too drunk), and just have a darn fun time with. Forget its plot and come for the silly action and you'll find yourself having a really good popcorn time.

William takes a few steps.

The Great Wall takes place around the Song dynasty of AD 1010-63, in which two mercenaries named William (Matt Damon) and Tovar (Pedro Pascal) are on the hunt for black powder but themselves, including their following men, are chased by bandits, leaving the duo to escape into a nearby cave and battling a mysterious monster. The next day, William and Tovar are taken prisoner by a large group of Chinese soldiers known as the Nameless Order, who greet the two and prepare them for an incoming battle. After prepping for battle, they then face a monster which attempts to enter the Great Wall. Determined to rid the creature, William and Tovar attempt to defeat the monster - and save a few souls on the way. Their skill and courage impresses the Chinese and earns their respect. The two learn more and more about the Nameless Order and its villains during their stay - and continuously prepare for what kinds of odd creatures and monsters are on their tail next.

Not that much of an interesting plot, right? While no doubt it does slightly intrigue at some points, it's not the most fully engaging story in the world. Besides, let's be honest; we come to these kinds of movie for the corny action, agreeably acceptable hyperbole, and even maybe, just maybe, the silly dialogue. The Great Wall epitomizes all of that, but at least it's in a way that audiences like me can appreciate. It's no meaty story, but the action more than satisfies to create a basic fun popcorn movie. That being said, it's far from groundbreaking stuff - as mentioned before, it relies on hyperbole and a pinch of exaggeration to move its story forward - but it makes for one of the more enjoyable munch-on-your-popcorn-and-smile-like-a-complete-idiot movies out there - that is, if there ever was a list for that.

I must tell you about the Great Wall of China...

Performances aren't going to blow people away, but they surely get the job done. Matt Damon does a fairly good job as his character, William, in pure fantasy fashion. He's likely the reason people are going to flee to the movie, if anything, and he'll satisfy action-hungry fans with his always dependable charisma in fighting off the monsters that ever so want to get over the Great Wall. Supporting roles are fine, too, most notably the chinese women who bang on the huge drums to signal positions and attacks for the Nameless Order. One of the movie's strenghts is its colorful cinematography, stuffed to the gills with stylish costumes, savage monsters, and eye-popping wide shots of various locations that the film takes place in. It's a very attractive visual style, and leave it to a guy like Zhang Yimou to really bring out the bling in his stylish, big-budgeted fantasy.

As said above, The Great Wall does rely on some serious exaggeration to keep its story manuevering over its blessedly brief 96-minute runtime. Arrows are shot at Matt Damon's character and his parter when they first come across the Great Wall, and the arrows seem to hit surrounding them, and not on them, in a rather cartoonish way. Members of the Nameless Order scurry along and quickly bow down to their leader, reminding them of incoming attacks pointing their way. Monster battles are very fantasy-esque; they take an almost Hobbit like designing in the way the area is designed where the monsters rampage out of. But it's what makes the film fun in the first place, actually. Sure, the film may take itself a bit too seriously, but it's all in good fun - especially when one considers what visionary masterclass director Zhang Yimou had in mind in the first place.

THE GREAT WALL Blu-ray - Video Quality

Yep, I'm impressed. The Great Wall features a truly outstanding video presentation that's pure demo material for home theater systems from the first minute to the last. The visual excellence is apparent all throughout the runtime. Nameless Order costumes spring to life with vibrant splashes of blue and red. Blazing hot fireballs slash through with unmistakable orange flash and power. Even less flashy pieces of the palette like the dimmer walkways of the Great Wall filled with fog are still brimming with truly great naturalism that does the film's visual intent justice. Details are just as striking. Armor and suits are the unquestioned standout. Yimou has crafted the costumes with a startling, rich complexity that brings to life every fabric, belt, piece of leather, and every single aspect of the textural astonishment with ease. Facial pores, metal gear, and terrain are top notch, too, with no inch of the digital source photography being scoffed off to the typical digital flatness that The Great Wall is not a symptom of. Black levels come just as expected, with a firm deepness that never succumbs to murkiness. No compression artifacts were spotted in the presentation. The Great Wall makes for one terrific visual showcase on Blu-ray.

THE GREAT WALL Blu-ray - Audio Quality

The Great Wall's hugely effective Dolby Atmos lossless soundtrack breathes fiery life into every arrow blast, monster attack, clanking of metal, and piece of machinery with absolutely zero complaint. It's hands-down one of the finest listens of the year so far, a reference-quality sound mix all the way. The overheads catapult power to each and every thunderous battle the film throws its way, and while it's hard to say that those extra channels are constantly utilized throughout the experience, it's a lot harder to say that they aren't used effectively. Because they really are. Each action effect is wonderfully complimented throughout each speaker in the multichannel surround sound sytem, with flawless surround accompaniment and astonishing bass extension. The LFE channel is put to good use in a number of scenes, but its best moment is when those huge drums are beat. It'll put your subwoofer to the test and shake the foundation of your house. But the track isn't just a loud cacophony of fantasy warfare battle. The track has its subtler moments that are used to a greatly immersive extent, like the dining room Matt Damon's character grabs a bite to eat in after battle, windy gusts outside the great wall, and dozens others. Ramin Djawadi's percussion-laden score is offered a nice stage envelopment here, and perfectly prioritized dialogue collects everything into tip-top shape. Audiophiles, take note; The Great Wall makes for an astounding, pulse-pounding sound mix that'll leave you breathless.

THE GREAT WALL Blu-ray - Special Features

- Deleted and Extended Scenes include the following: Commander Lin Enters the Great Wall, Guards Take Tovar to the Barrocks, Ballard Takes Tovar Inside the Wall, Extended Scheming in Ballard's Suite, Extended Funeral Sequence, Tovar and Ballard Wait For William, Lin Mae Arrives at the West Tower, and Extended Emperor Sequence.

- Matt Damon in China Matt Damon recaps his work on the film.

- Working With Director Zhang Yimou The Great Wall's cast and crew sing their praises about the director.

- The Great Wall Visual Effects The film's VFX artists explain the daunting process of crafting the film's special effects.

- Man vs. Monster Composed of three parts: The First Battle, The Second Battle, and The Third Battle. As these titles suggest, the pieces explain the film's big battles.

- Weapons of War Another self-explanatory title, this piece takes a look at the film's weapons used to kill and catch the monsters.

- Designing a Spectacular World Takes a look at the film's production design.

THE GREAT WALL Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

The Great Wall is dumb, sure, but it's dumb fun. Excuse the film's false history and convoluted plot and go for the visuals and bombastic action sequences. In that scope, you'll be having a good time. It's a flawed film to be sure, but the good rises way above the bad in this case; sharp, eye-opening visual effects (courtesy of visual savant Zhang Yimou), rock-solid though far from Oscar-worthy performances, and impressive technical support. Come into The Great Wall expecting a breath of fresh air in the fantasy action genre that rocks the world in terms of this kind of cinema, and you'll likely walk away disappointed. But for those who know what they're in for and can forgive an unrealistic story for bonkers in the entertainment department, come in with popcorn stuffed in your mouth and enjoy the ride. The Great Wall's Blu-ray release from Universal is quite good; supplements are sadly rather short, but video and audio quality are out of this world. Recommended to those whose expectations are set accordingly.


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