toddly6666

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is the best mainstream Hong Kong film of 2010. I didn't think it would be as good as my other favorite Hong Kong film of 2010 - Gallants - but it is. Tsui Hark has gone back to what he does best - making extremely creative, fantasy, period-piece action films. After setting the bar for Chinese action movies with Zu Warriors From the Magic Mountain, Once Upon a Time in China 1 & 2, and The Blade, he has added another great film to his resume. Furthermore, he made this movie for something like 13 million dollars when this film looks like it cost 80 million dollars. Tsui Hark is creativity on tap - he knows how to spend his budget!

Detective Dee is a mystery movie so it's best not to talk about the story, but let me say this - the problem with most Hong Kong mainstream action movies is that they forget to hire a good writer. I don't think I can take another screenplay of "whoever finds the Golden Dragon Lotus martial arts ancient manual, that person will become the most powerful fighter in the world and will rule forever..different martial arts schools fighting each other to gain respect...etc." It may be traditional in Hong Kong cinema, but enough is enough - the Shaw Bros. films went a bit overboard with this. It's called overkill. So it is such a relief to get a Chinese action movie with a good story such as Crouching Tiger, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Kung Fu Hustle, Ip Man, Gallants, and now Detective Dee. Tsui Hark is a smart man - he got a good screenwriter. Detective Dee is a totally entertaining, engrossing mystery movie that moves at such a graceful pace. The non-action scenes are just as intense as the action scenes. There is not one boring scene in this film. The camerawork, cinematography, costumes, sets, editing, acting, and story are all integrated together as a perfect mystery film. People have called this an Agatha Christie-type film. Maybe so, but I was thinking more along the lines of Young Sherlock Holmes (the only good Sherlock Holmes movie) mixed with Ridley Scott's Legend. Tsui Hark is an amazing filmmaker. Dee may be considered a mainstream film, but this film is much more than that - it's totally unique.

All the actors in this film are bad-ass as well. Andy Lau has gotten better and better as he ages. He is so believable as Detective Dee - I didn't see him as an actor - he really was his character. Carina Lau was powerful as the emperor (she's aged...but in a good way). And Bingbing Li was really impressive - showing an intensity and acting range that I hadn't expected (certainly didn't see it in The Forbidden Kingdom). The actor playing the albino was really good as well. All three of these actors have some crazy weaponry in this film. I don't want to give it away though.

Detective Dee is the first Hong Kong movie I've ever seen in which I would want to see sequels. I've never craved franchises when watching Chinese movies, so this was the first time I ever had that feeling that I want more - Andy Lau should do one Detective Dee movie per year. His character is so interesting and entertaining, I want to see Tsui Hark do more of these.

The Hong Kong Region A blu-ray video and audio quality is almost perfect. What else is there to say? It's a great blu-ray. If you want to see this movie, this blu-ray is the one. No need to wait for a potential UK or USA blu-ray which may or may not come out in a year or two. And the English subtitles were excellent! The only extras are a 1080p English-subtitled trailer and teaser, as well as 4 short making ofs (non-subtitled).

Detective Dee is an original, totally entertaining mystery film. I usually don't like buying mystery films, because they aren't that exciting the second time around, but this movie is so visually entertaining, it's totally rewatchable. It would be a crime if this didn't get released in movie theaters in USA. I would have loved to see this film in the movie theater!

Movie: 4.5/5
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 2.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5


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RocShemp

I really wanna see this movie. But I also want to make a drinking game based on how many times your wrote Detective Dee in your post.

The Valeyard

Thanks for all these reviews/suggestions, toddly6666. I've been working in Macau since August and find myself picking up more and more Hong Kong films based on your reviews.

RocShemp

So where'd you get your copy, toddly6666?

toddly6666

Rocshemp,
Haha, I was thinking of just calling it DDTMPF, but that's even worse than repeating Dee over and over...I got my copy in my NYC Chinatown - they always have Hong Kong DVDs/blu-rays around release date.

The Valeyard,
I think you just made me realized why Chinese bakeries always have Portuguese custard cakes. I didn't know that Macau was colonized by Portugal at one point. So, there's a lot of Portuguese stuff there? Well...i'm glad to help - since you live in China, you might as well take advantage of all the blu-rays and dvds there!

zombeaner

I didn't know that until I saw Pang Ho Cheung's Isabella.

Dragon Lee

Nice review toddly. Ill pick this up in the very near future!

Dan Average

Macanese cuisine is also renown for its Eight Immortals Human-Flesh Pork Buns.

The Valeyard

That's exactly what I'm doing. Picking up stuff a little cheaper than I would online. It's nice to walk into a store and blind buy an HK title with ease.

I didn't realize Macau use to be a Portuguese colony either until I got here. The country is divided by Asian and Portugal influences. You can see the differences in style the further you get into the city.

Gypo66

Anywhere in particular you'd recommend in Chinatown? And are the prices better than online?

JHosk

Sh*t...my wallet is cursing on you !! I just ordered a copy from dddhouse.

Thanks for these reviews. I always enjoy them.

toddly6666

Thank you all for the praise! I'm just afraid sometimes the foreign Region A or Region Free blu-rays may get lost in the International DVD thread, so it makes more sense to post info about them in here. For blu-ray owners, I don't want anyone to miss out on the cool flicks on Region A/Free blu-ray from other countries!

Well, you can order it from a well-known inexpensive online Asian store such as DDDhouse for 26 bucks including shipping and wait 3-4 weeks, or you can buy it instantly in a Chinatown store for 30 bucks (with no tax). Saving 4 to 5 bucks is really not worth the wait. So that's why I buy all my Hong Kong blu-rays/DVDs in the stores. Unfortunately, my NYC Chinatown stores don't carry Taiwanese blu-rays, so I always have to order those online.

The best blu-ray store in NYC is P-Tune Video Corp (73 Chrystie Street, 212-925-1098) and it's the only store in that Bowery/Canal street area that doesn't sell bootleg DVDs/blu-rays. The owner is cool - he speaks English. He'll order movies for you from China. And he'll hold it for you when a movie comes in.

The Valeyard

Picked up Detective Dee and Gallants last night. Probably won't get to watching either until next weekend.

Solid Snake

Bought this off of amazon for like 7 bucks.

Kind of regret it now. It's not bad I'm not wowed by it. The story ain't all that great. I'm used to that from this region's action films. But for all its grand attempt at intrigue and scope? I think it fails at properly bringing a sense of originality.

Not sure what this filmed on but it doesn't benefit from it. Looks digital but i dunno. Some of the action gets some murky imagery from it.

The action itself isn't all that interesting either. It has some interesting action to a degree. For what these characters are supposed to be doing but I was surprised at how boring it would go sometimes.

Jesus. When will they get standards for cgi over there? Green screen stands out like crazy to me here. Even worse is a man fighting poorly accomplished cgi creatures.

I think after Seven Swords... I may be done with Hark.

E Unit

I blind bought this when I was in Hong Kong about 3 years ago. It wasn't bad, but these kinds of period steampunk looking CGi action flicks seemed to have been picking up stream, at least they were when I was there. I saw a lot more blu's for sale that looked more or less like Detective Dee. However, it's not something that made me want to pick up the sequel.

RocShemp

I enjoyed this flick. Yeah, it stradles the fence between fantasy and reality a little too close to the side of fantasy (especially since the whole gist of the story is Dee exposing the supernatural events to be nothing of the sort) but I had fun with it. Sadly, I read the prequel is absolute crap (and apparently only exists as a prequel to account for the absence of Andy Lau) so I never bothered with it.

whotony

It's on NFS now but not in 3D