The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
09-23-19, 02:00 PM
#1
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The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6SI8W-atmHI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In IMAX theaters starting on September 30th
Wide release In theaters October 4th
Based on a true story from award winning director Daniel Lee (Three Kingdoms, 14 Blades), featuring China’s biggest stars Wu Jing (Wandering Earth, Wolf Warrior 2) and Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Grandmaster), and with a special guest appearance from superstar Jackie Chan. THE CLIMBERS is a cinematic retelling of the first Chinese climbers to summit Mount Everest - the first ever to do so from the North Ridge. Well-known as the most challenging side of the mountain, the perilous journey takes its toll on the mountaineers, physically and mentally, forcing them to make life or death decisions at every turn.
Wide release In theaters October 4th
Based on a true story from award winning director Daniel Lee (Three Kingdoms, 14 Blades), featuring China’s biggest stars Wu Jing (Wandering Earth, Wolf Warrior 2) and Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Grandmaster), and with a special guest appearance from superstar Jackie Chan. THE CLIMBERS is a cinematic retelling of the first Chinese climbers to summit Mount Everest - the first ever to do so from the North Ridge. Well-known as the most challenging side of the mountain, the perilous journey takes its toll on the mountaineers, physically and mentally, forcing them to make life or death decisions at every turn.
Trailer looks pretty good. If this is playing near me, I'll look for it.
09-23-19, 02:09 PM
#2
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
Mainland Chinese films have had more misses than hits for me. Daniel Lee is capable of making a good film but not consistently (and 'Produced by Tsui Hark' doesn't inspire confidence), so I'm not going to be at the front of the line for this one.
About ZZ, has she gone back to being Zhang Ziyi? I thought she westernized her name a while ago and became Ziyi Zhang.
About ZZ, has she gone back to being Zhang Ziyi? I thought she westernized her name a while ago and became Ziyi Zhang.
09-24-19, 09:05 AM
#3
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
Yet another mainland Chinese film that looks self-righteously bland, CCP-approved and more generic than it would be if it were made in Hollywood (and less face it, do nationalist hero Wu Jing and sellout Jackie Chan make anything else these days?). Daniel Lee's movies usually look pretty slick, but they've always been exercises in style and CG trickery above all else. Kinda surprising its taken him over 20 years to re-team with early mentor and fellow 'stylist' Tsui Hark.
09-24-19, 10:14 AM
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
This is pure Chinese propaganda. Don’t see it.
There’s still some debate as to if these guys even summited. But whether they did or not, understand that the reason they were the first to ascend from the North Ridge is because in 1950 China invaded Tibet and blocked all foreign access to the Northern, Tibet side of Everest. Hoarding the whole thing for themselves they then colluded with the Soviets (in what could be the first fake news) to concoct a fictitious expedition that claims to have summited in 1952. That expedition was quickly debunked.
The 1960 Chinese expedition still has its doubters. But even if they did do it, it was carried out in what I can only call the antithesis of the spirit of conquering that mountain. Purely political and done amidst cruel occupation and blockade.
My God, you can even hear it in the trailer. One of the actors refers to Everest as “our mountain”. Just despicable.
And of course it looks cheap and shitty. It’s so sad that amazing talent like Tsui Hark and so many others of his generation will finish up their lives making banal propaganda films. The amazing stuff these guys made in the ‘80s and ‘90s was was so far out of the box. Watching them be dominated and dethroned by the evil Chinese government is heartbreaking.
There’s still some debate as to if these guys even summited. But whether they did or not, understand that the reason they were the first to ascend from the North Ridge is because in 1950 China invaded Tibet and blocked all foreign access to the Northern, Tibet side of Everest. Hoarding the whole thing for themselves they then colluded with the Soviets (in what could be the first fake news) to concoct a fictitious expedition that claims to have summited in 1952. That expedition was quickly debunked.
The 1960 Chinese expedition still has its doubters. But even if they did do it, it was carried out in what I can only call the antithesis of the spirit of conquering that mountain. Purely political and done amidst cruel occupation and blockade.
My God, you can even hear it in the trailer. One of the actors refers to Everest as “our mountain”. Just despicable.
And of course it looks cheap and shitty. It’s so sad that amazing talent like Tsui Hark and so many others of his generation will finish up their lives making banal propaganda films. The amazing stuff these guys made in the ‘80s and ‘90s was was so far out of the box. Watching them be dominated and dethroned by the evil Chinese government is heartbreaking.
Last edited by Mabuse; 09-25-19 at 10:22 AM.
09-24-19, 01:12 PM
#5
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
This opens in IMAX on the 30th. With IMAX tweeting it, seems like this will get a bigger release than most Well Go releases.
Personally, I don't see what the big deal is. I've traveled to China 3 times, but it's not like I pay any attention to Chinese politics or what some of you are referring to as "Propaganda"
Just give me an entertaining film like K2 and Everest and that's all I care about.
Personally, I don't see what the big deal is. I've traveled to China 3 times, but it's not like I pay any attention to Chinese politics or what some of you are referring to as "Propaganda"
Just give me an entertaining film like K2 and Everest and that's all I care about.
09-24-19, 02:17 PM
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
Politics aside. Do you pay any attention to Chinese cinema? These directors used to make amazing movies. Now they are forced to make crap.
09-25-19, 03:42 AM
#8
Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
This is pure Chinese propaganda. Don’t see it.
There’s still some debate as to if these guys even summited. But whether they did or not understand that the reason they were the first to ascend from the North Ridge is because in 1950 China invaded Tibet and blocked all foreign access to the Northern, Tibet side of Everest. Hoarding the whole thing for themselves they then colluded with the Soviets (in what could be the first fake news) to concoct a fictitious expedition that claims to have summited in 1952. That expedition was quickly debunked.
The 1960 Chinese expedition still has its doubters. But even if they did do it, it was carried out in what I can only call the antithesis of the spirit of conquering that mountain. Purely political and done amidst cruel occupation and blockade.
My God, you can even hear it in the trailer. One of the actors refers to Everest as “our mountain”. Just despicable.
And of course it looks cheap and shitty. It’s so sad that amazing talent like Tsui Hark and so many others of his generation will finish up their lives making banal propaganda films. The amazing stuff these guys made in the ‘80s and ‘90s was was so far out of the box. Watching them be dominated and dethroned by the evil Chinese government is heartbreaking.
There’s still some debate as to if these guys even summited. But whether they did or not understand that the reason they were the first to ascend from the North Ridge is because in 1950 China invaded Tibet and blocked all foreign access to the Northern, Tibet side of Everest. Hoarding the whole thing for themselves they then colluded with the Soviets (in what could be the first fake news) to concoct a fictitious expedition that claims to have summited in 1952. That expedition was quickly debunked.
The 1960 Chinese expedition still has its doubters. But even if they did do it, it was carried out in what I can only call the antithesis of the spirit of conquering that mountain. Purely political and done amidst cruel occupation and blockade.
My God, you can even hear it in the trailer. One of the actors refers to Everest as “our mountain”. Just despicable.
And of course it looks cheap and shitty. It’s so sad that amazing talent like Tsui Hark and so many others of his generation will finish up their lives making banal propaganda films. The amazing stuff these guys made in the ‘80s and ‘90s was was so far out of the box. Watching them be dominated and dethroned by the evil Chinese government is heartbreaking.
This.
09-25-19, 12:00 PM
#13
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
I just care about an entertaining film that looks great on the big screen. I don't care about Chinese politics, propaganda that some of you think this is.
Shadow (2019) from Zhang Yimou was an excellent recent release from mainland China and from a well known director that Well Go USA distributed here.
and to answer your question, no I haven't been completely up to speed with all the crop of Chinese films. Mainland China and Hong Kong release so many movies per year that for me it's not possible to keep up with, especially with all the U.S. releases. I do have my favorite actors and directors that I will see their work.
Shadow (2019) from Zhang Yimou was an excellent recent release from mainland China and from a well known director that Well Go USA distributed here.
and to answer your question, no I haven't been completely up to speed with all the crop of Chinese films. Mainland China and Hong Kong release so many movies per year that for me it's not possible to keep up with, especially with all the U.S. releases. I do have my favorite actors and directors that I will see their work.
09-25-19, 03:10 PM
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
And Zhang Yimou is the top of the pyramid of what i’m talking about. He was once great and now just makes propaganda spectacles.
09-25-19, 03:13 PM
#15
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_2018
95% on RT and over 80% of audiences liked it.
Movies are subjective. I want to see Climbers and you don't. And that's fine. I just don't need to hear your political opinions about China and calling them evil and shit.
I've been to China 3 times and have had nothing but great experiences there. The people are great and I think it's an awesome country.
Last edited by DJariya; 09-25-19 at 03:27 PM.
09-25-19, 03:55 PM
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
China is like Iran. Both countries are full of good people, but their leadership is bent. Iran “generally” leaves their filmmakers alone. China on the other hand controls their filmmakers. Chinese filmmakers used to have more latitude to work in HK and USA, but China has been rolling that back and being less and less permissive.
To stay on the topic of Zhang Yimou, his latest film was taken out of competition at the Berlin FF by Chinese authorities. Apparently they don’t like how it depicts the Cultural Revolution.
To stay on the topic of Zhang Yimou, his latest film was taken out of competition at the Berlin FF by Chinese authorities. Apparently they don’t like how it depicts the Cultural Revolution.
09-26-19, 01:09 PM
#17
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
Gotta side with Mabuse on all of this. This absolutely IS a political film, made by sellouts from the formerly free Hong Kong industry who've clearly been drinking the kool-aid, and by getting so many of their films distributed in the west via Wellgo, China very much IS indulging in both soft propagandizing and (possibly) gross revisionism. It's easy to say, 'hey, what about movies that glorify American or British or French exceptionalism, or whatever', but the fact remains that such movies, in those countries, are made in environments where filmmakers can just as freely and easily mock, denigrate or otherwise hold their government or culture accountable (and often DO) without fear of reprisal. When that happens in China, I'll happily weigh the cinematic results alongside gung-ho thought-control projects like CLIMBERS.
That's never been more true than this year, as China 'celebrates' the 70th anniversary of the communist party that wholly led the country into near ruin for the better part of the 20th century, never moreso than during the Cultural Revolution mentioned in the previous post. When a political party can swoop in and REMOVE a film from an overseas film festival because said film doesn't blindly promote the "glorious" narrative being sold in movies like CLIMBERS, that's cause for concern and more than enough reason to avoid these pictures altogether.
Incidentally, filmmakers do still have comparative freedom in making movies in Hong Kong, provided they can find (mostly) local or international financing and not rely on money from mainland China. Most "Hong Kong" movies these days do suffer from the restrictions imposed upon them by that money, but there have been some real gems over the past few years that have managed to tell local stories by local creatives that put anything made on the mainland to shame.
Also incidentally, anyone looking to see what 'Chinese' cinema can look like without fear of hard censorship or other (worse) CCP interference is hereby directed to look to Taiwan, where something of a cinema renaissance has been underway for several years now across multiple genres (in fact, if "Taiwan Noir" hasn't already been identified as a genre, I'm copyrighting it here). Taiwanese films do well at home and play fests around the world, but I'm not sure if they get the love they deserve via disc or streaming (willing to be corrected on that). In some ways, they're the new Hong Kong cinema — minus the emphasis on 'crazy action' that everybody's doing now anyway — and I can only hope that Hong Kong's creative community starts looking at more collaborations there instead of continuing to sell their souls to the CCP even as it pisses all over the city that gave them their fame and fortune — and gave 'Chinese' culture to the world at large — for decades while China proper was stuck in an ideological quagmire.
Incidentally, filmmakers do still have comparative freedom in making movies in Hong Kong, provided they can find (mostly) local or international financing and not rely on money from mainland China. Most "Hong Kong" movies these days do suffer from the restrictions imposed upon them by that money, but there have been some real gems over the past few years that have managed to tell local stories by local creatives that put anything made on the mainland to shame.
Also incidentally, anyone looking to see what 'Chinese' cinema can look like without fear of hard censorship or other (worse) CCP interference is hereby directed to look to Taiwan, where something of a cinema renaissance has been underway for several years now across multiple genres (in fact, if "Taiwan Noir" hasn't already been identified as a genre, I'm copyrighting it here). Taiwanese films do well at home and play fests around the world, but I'm not sure if they get the love they deserve via disc or streaming (willing to be corrected on that). In some ways, they're the new Hong Kong cinema — minus the emphasis on 'crazy action' that everybody's doing now anyway — and I can only hope that Hong Kong's creative community starts looking at more collaborations there instead of continuing to sell their souls to the CCP even as it pisses all over the city that gave them their fame and fortune — and gave 'Chinese' culture to the world at large — for decades while China proper was stuck in an ideological quagmire.
Last edited by Brian T; 09-27-19 at 09:54 AM.
10-02-19, 07:33 PM
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
I guess I'm a sellout Communist. Got a ticket to see it at AMC on Saturday. 
It expanded into more theatres for this weekend.
Not in IMAX though.
and I'll watch For all Mankind when that premieres on Apple TV + to support Russian political propaganda.
Seriously though it's just a movie. If you have no interest, then fine. Well Go is the only major distributor of Asian cinema in theatres these days. I've seen a few of their films in theatres recently like Master Z and Triple Threat in theatres and I want to support more mainstream Asian cinema getting U.S. releases.
It expanded into more theatres for this weekend.Not in IMAX though.
and I'll watch For all Mankind when that premieres on Apple TV + to support Russian political propaganda.
Seriously though it's just a movie. If you have no interest, then fine. Well Go is the only major distributor of Asian cinema in theatres these days. I've seen a few of their films in theatres recently like Master Z and Triple Threat in theatres and I want to support more mainstream Asian cinema getting U.S. releases.
10-02-19, 07:43 PM
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
If it’s worthy as art then I might support viewing communist propaganda (like the stuff by the early Russian auteurs), but this looks like lame melodrama with bad effects.
10-02-19, 11:24 PM
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
South Park was a fucking documentary tonight. China is a poison to entertainment. Their leaders are too dumb and too corrupt and we shouldn’t cater to their tastes.
10-03-19, 11:27 AM
#22
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
I watch many, many Mainland movies — including the propaganda, which is most of it — because, at least for now, it fits in with my decades-long personal passion for Hong Kong cinema, which is now intertwined with the mainland market and has seen many of its top talents sell their souls, and seriously DUMB DOWN their work, to get a piece of that lucrative pie while enjoying larger budgets, longer shooting schedules, etc. So, as a lifelong follower of one industry, I feel obliged to (warily) keep up with the other (and via whatever means I see fit 
), albeit only to the degree that I'm comfortable and with eyes wide open to China's insidious soft propaganda campaigns embedded in western countries. Most of it still makes me cringe despite the glossy production values.
And those who say "hey man, America's been doing the same thing for years" ought to have their heads examined because, as I mentioned earlier, while people certainly could make rah-rah-America-Fuck-Yeah movies, and have in abundance, they could also make movies (and tv shows, and books, and newspapers, websites and personal statements on streetcorners) that openly criticize, even demonize, their government and its policies. Just try that in China. People predictably argue the "just a movie" angle or crack "guess I'm a commie" jokes, but there's serious long-view intent behind these mainland 'mega-productions' that should always be recognized for what it is and the regime that's directly behind it (you could dedicate a thread to it). Granted that it's largely intended for reinforcing nationalist frenzy in the thought-controlled masses at home — and to make them think that their movies rival Hollywood productions because lookhollywoodwehaveCGItoo! — but to the corrupt authoritarians in charge, it's no less useful as tools for overseas promotion, revisionism and, ugh, soft-selling (aka misdirection).
Thankfully, films like CLIMBERS — wherein individualism is, big surprise, equated with life-endangering recklessness — play almost entirely to ex-pat mainlanders in North American theatres anyway, so little harm is actually done other than to reinforce the "correct" thinking in the diaspora. To that end, we'll never see a day when a Mainland Chinese movie ever becomes a truly global "gotta-see-it" blockbuster phenomenon (even their biggest one ever, WANDERING EARTH, still got dumped on Netflix after a brief theatrical run for overseas Chinese), but that shouldn't stop people from being vigilant about the messages behind movies "approved" by brutal dictatorships. Makes for fascinating study, I say, but like any cinema, there's no need for just because people want to discuss it beyond just the surface entertainment it provides.
Curious to see what this is all about . . .
), albeit only to the degree that I'm comfortable and with eyes wide open to China's insidious soft propaganda campaigns embedded in western countries. Most of it still makes me cringe despite the glossy production values.And those who say "hey man, America's been doing the same thing for years" ought to have their heads examined because, as I mentioned earlier, while people certainly could make rah-rah-America-Fuck-Yeah movies, and have in abundance, they could also make movies (and tv shows, and books, and newspapers, websites and personal statements on streetcorners) that openly criticize, even demonize, their government and its policies. Just try that in China. People predictably argue the "just a movie" angle or crack "guess I'm a commie" jokes, but there's serious long-view intent behind these mainland 'mega-productions' that should always be recognized for what it is and the regime that's directly behind it (you could dedicate a thread to it). Granted that it's largely intended for reinforcing nationalist frenzy in the thought-controlled masses at home — and to make them think that their movies rival Hollywood productions because lookhollywoodwehaveCGItoo! — but to the corrupt authoritarians in charge, it's no less useful as tools for overseas promotion, revisionism and, ugh, soft-selling (aka misdirection).
Thankfully, films like CLIMBERS — wherein individualism is, big surprise, equated with life-endangering recklessness — play almost entirely to ex-pat mainlanders in North American theatres anyway, so little harm is actually done other than to reinforce the "correct" thinking in the diaspora. To that end, we'll never see a day when a Mainland Chinese movie ever becomes a truly global "gotta-see-it" blockbuster phenomenon (even their biggest one ever, WANDERING EARTH, still got dumped on Netflix after a brief theatrical run for overseas Chinese), but that shouldn't stop people from being vigilant about the messages behind movies "approved" by brutal dictatorships. Makes for fascinating study, I say, but like any cinema, there's no need for
just because people want to discuss it beyond just the surface entertainment it provides. Curious to see what this is all about . . .
Last edited by Brian T; 10-03-19 at 03:10 PM.
10-03-19, 04:15 PM
#23
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
"You gotta lower your ideals of freedom if you wanna suck on the warm teat of China."
10-03-19, 05:26 PM
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
Oh for Fuck's sake. I just posted a thread of what I thought looked like an interesting semi-biopic International mountain climbing action adventure like Everest. Never expected an in-depth USC film school dissertation on China politics from 2 guys who will never see this movie.
I'm done, I ain't bothering posting a review after I see it Saturday. Because no matter what I post it will go to deaf ears. Waste of time.
You may think I'm being very closed minded, but all I care about is the entertainment value and if it will entertain me for 2 hours. I don't care about Chinese politics and I don't care about your personal viewpoints of directors who you think are sell outs to China. Personally for me, I find all this rambling annoying. Sorry that's just how I feel.
The movie could very well be boring and suck. But at least I plan to see it and see what they did, than just make statements based on nothing other than personal viewpoints on the politics and such. If I was going to do that, I would have posted a China Film politics and why good HK directors are being sellouts thread. But, I didn't do that and that was not my intention here.
I just posted a thread of what I thought looked like an interesting semi-biopic International mountain climbing action adventure like Everest. Never expected an in-depth USC film school dissertation on China politics from 2 guys who will never see this movie.I'm done, I ain't bothering posting a review after I see it Saturday. Because no matter what I post it will go to deaf ears. Waste of time.
You may think I'm being very closed minded, but all I care about is the entertainment value and if it will entertain me for 2 hours. I don't care about Chinese politics and I don't care about your personal viewpoints of directors who you think are sell outs to China. Personally for me, I find all this rambling annoying. Sorry that's just how I feel.
The movie could very well be boring and suck. But at least I plan to see it and see what they did, than just make statements based on nothing other than personal viewpoints on the politics and such. If I was going to do that, I would have posted a China Film politics and why good HK directors are being sellouts thread. But, I didn't do that and that was not my intention here.
Last edited by DJariya; 10-03-19 at 05:47 PM.
10-03-19, 06:34 PM
#25
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Re: The Climbers (2019) -- S: Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi -- P: Tsui Hark
We’re having what is called a “real film discussion”. Everything can’t be like, “His sword was sooo cool! The wire-fu was soo bad ass! I love Jackie Chan so much from when I was 14 that I’ll see him in anything!”