Taking of Tiger Mountain Movie Review

-

 智取威虎山

Anyone here familar with those Chinese movies of the 70s? Where everyone has flawless complexion, cherubic faces, and the entire movie is like a big propagana campaign for the PRC government?

 Well, the Chinese title of the movie is actually the same as that of an opera, one of eight allowed by the Communist government during the Cultural Revolution, and Tsui Hark has decided to re-enact it, with the same bravado, total sacrificial comradeship, and in light of the more 'contemporary' productions now popular in Mainland China, this comes as a breath of fresh air.

Sure, the total devotion of a band of poorly equipped, ill fed, yet highly motivation and skilled ragtag bunch of soldiers is unreal, yet, it plays out in contrast to the current crop of movies which showcase the harsh reality of life in the current 'pseudo' social China. Nowadays movies reveal the scant regard for Marxist values and the everyman for himself kind of society, where money, and power are the real power, and yet, the divide between the haves and the have nots is never as great.

Here, we harken to a different past genre of movie, where the good are selfless, handsome, and totally committed to the team. There is no sex, violence is rather clean, even the blood spurts from gunshot wounds are clean. All the stars look superb, every shot fired by the heroes counts, and they face impossible odds with the same anticipation as the modern Chinese faces a major Apple Store sale.

The plot is simple, and is based on an old folk lore, about a band of PLA or People's Liberation Army troops in the post WWII period, who fight bandits and help the poor villagers.

They find Lord Hawk holed up on Tiger Mountain, and he threatens to become a major power in Northeastern China, and despite the odds, they faces adversity with courage, fortitude and determination.

Chick factor: you get two sweet faces, but there's no real action on this front, but you won't miss it.

The surround channels are busy enough, and most modern Chinese / HKG shows have solid sound engineering, so this show is one for the home theatre afficiandoes.

If you dig the kind of lingo, and long for these 'classic' shows, you will enjoy the stirring brass tunes, the comradeship and the whole "Band of Brothers" feel. I am sure the Chinese government had no objections to this show, and perhaps help with the authenticity by providing the time period accurate costumes and weapons.

I know my dad would have loved this thrilling war epic, and it would have made him all nostalgic and bring him back to a time in the past when life was a little simpler. Well at least on celluloid.

Recommended for at least rental, and a keeper if you can understand the dialogue and the period.



______________________________________________________________
 I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KEF LS 50 Meta review and comparison with the LS50

-
Image
The original KEF LS50 was one of those landmark speakers, a pocket rocket which performed at a much higher level than what it’s price tag might indicate. The original LS50 has been widely reviewed, and is well regarded by audiophiles everywhere.  However it does have some bite in the treble and lacks some deep bass, and works better for music which does not go too deep or with a sub to reinforce the bass. But what it does have is fabulous imaging, which allows you to how off great soundstaging, depth, and definition. If you are into details, you’ll love them. The coaxial design is also wonderful for those who sit a bit off axis. The construction is a marvel in itself and with a modern design, a beautiful gloss finish and a quality build. No wonder it’s loved by music lovers the world over. Now recently KEF has introduced the new KEF Meta. This is an updated version of the original and whilst it can look deceivingly the same, there are significant differences. First a link to the of...
Read more

Dynaudio Heritage Special Speaker Review

-
Image
Dynaudio is a company that has been in the speaker business for more than forty years and prides itself on making most of its components in house, especially the drivers and most of the cabinetry. Through the years they have developed many beloved components for their top end products and have also distilled them down to the masses whenever they launch a special edition. So they have adopted a similar format and take some of their finest drivers, an Esotar 3 tweeter and a woofer derived from the Evidence range and placed them into a more traditional walnut veneer speaker for us to sample.  Thus the Heritage Special (HS) was born. The catch ? Well there are two.. firstly it’s by no means cheap, even though it uses choice components. Second there are only 2500 pairs so if you’re waiting to get one, don’t ! And that’s the sum of my review if you may. If you’re a Dynaudio afficiando, just plonk down the deposit that had planned for the annual summer holiday and get this instead. Now re...
Read more

Haiku fan review II - Mounting a Fan and Using more than one Fan

-
Image
A long long time ago, you had but a handful of choice of fans, and well, they mostly looked the same. The luxury fan market was almost non existent and then Haiku came along and all that changed. My original review is linked here:  Haiku fan review - how to choose a fan Since then, things have moved on and now we are into the fourth generation of the Haiku fan, or fifth if you count the more budget orientated version as well.  Well let's mention what is still present first. The cool, sleek design is still here. And you get both composite ABS blades, as well as bamboo options. It is still a DC motor, with the attendant energy savings, and the silent motor. But most importantly for most buyers, it still looks good. So what is new?  The size options have increased, from 52", 60" and now 84". You still get the option of a longer stalk for higher ceilings, but the longer mount  which extends from 40 to 70 cm comes with a rather bulbous base, instead of t...
Read more