Best movie of this year hands down!

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

That was an excellent one.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The plot and character development are catastrophic, and simply lack any sense of believability. The visual effects are cheap and lousy. Some actors are just amateurs and give really bad performances. Yes, the production design and music score are OK, but they're just negligible compared to the defects.

Empress Wu (Carina Lau) will not allow the enemy forces invading Baekje Kingdom to win. She orders a garrison of warships to bring assistance to their allies, but the calm seas they are to sail upon are immediately fraught with peril, as an unseen monster completely decimates everything in its path. It is a colossal loss, and the beginning of the film that is Young Detective Dee.Dee (Mark Chao) arrives in Luoyang, under orders to become a detective with the Da Lisi, the Capital's police force. Working alongside him in his quest for answers is Yuchi (Shaofeng Feng), who has little faith in Dee's capabilities, and a doctor, Shatuo (Lin Gengxin) who Dee appoints to assist. But the mountainous paranoia and fear gripping the Capital escalates when it's revealed there isn't just one monster attacking the city, but two, one of which is directly linked to the beautiful courtesan Yin (Angelababy).What is most impressive about the film Young Detective Dee is its flawless ability to come together, after originally feeling so fragmented at the beginning, with a vast quantity of plots being moved about like pawns in a chess game. At the same time however, this is potentially its greatest flaw, the chronologically directed film being tied together in a nice little bow. In the end, there are no unanswered questions, and because of this, the film fails to stay with you after the credits have finished.Although the movie is titled 'Young Detective Dee', Mr. Chao's Dee, despite been very likable and intelligent, occasionally seems to be out-staged by Mr. Feng's interpretation of Yuchi, a feat accomplished by their similar screen presence. Though Yuchi is the direct opposite to Dee, the film seems to fail in its attempt to develop Dee as the lead character.The feature contains a number of the stereotypes often found in Chinese action films, including brilliant fight scenes, an intriguing conspiracy, and a gorgeous young woman, although Young Detective Dee also incorporates a wealth of beautiful visuals. The special effects are exceptionally outstanding, rivaling Hollywood's technical capabilities, and the acrobatic fight scenes, if not occasionally a little fake, are just as effective, but even more so with Kenji Kawai's impressive score. Moreover, the use of humor brings a lively sense of amusement, and nicely prohibits the film from becoming too serious. In a feature which contains fantastical elements, the logical explanation to this uniquely original case, which incorporates science and medicine, is a highly interesting concept, however, this originality does not stem throughout the entirety of the feature.Some of Dee's detective skills mimic those seen recently in the American adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, while a number of the weapons share a similarity with those wielded in the Guillotines. A number of the ocean scenes will in all likelihood remind viewers of Pirates of the Caribbean, while one particular action scene set on a cliff, appears to be ripped right out of GI Joe Retaliation. Each of these particular components are fabulously executed, although the 'been there, done that' feel leaves the viewer hungry for something more.Furthermore, a number of the action scenes seem to continue for longer than they should, and though each will surely entertain, this is accomplished by sacrificing the viewer's interest. One thing I fundamentally enjoy about Chinese cinema is I am almost always wowed by their action scenes, and though the scope and ambition of Young Detective Dee was massive, I was never hanging off the edge of my seat. On top of this, a number of the action scenes failed to employ any sense of realism, and even suspending one's own disbelief cannot justify how some of the characters are able to walk away unharmed from the massive fights they endured.Young Detective Dee is a solid action film that won't keep you guessing, but will certainly keep your attention with its outstanding visuals. Though American films often have an over reliance on special effects, Chinese features are seldom similar in this respect, and this particular film's attempts to potentially impersonate a Hollywood feature is a decision that should not be attempted again lightly.

OK, perhaps a bit cultural centric but if you imaginatively wanted to know what Sherlock was doing in a previous life long ago, well, quite a long time ago then Dee is your man. Haven't decided yet whether he needs a Watson since he's so Renaissance capable. Great sets, graphics - hopefully they did their research and most (excluding the fantastical parts, of course) of the visuals are authentic recreations. Martial arts scenes were typical wire with a bit more spins and tumbles and even more not so believable jumps. Acting is OK but not important as this film is about thought provoking storyline and dialogue. Speaking of dialogue it would be helpful if the subtitles stayed on a bit longer as we have to process both language and the visual nearly at once.

A prequel of the colossal moneymaker DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME (2010, 7/10), which dominated the box office of Chinese National Holiday week (starts from 1st October) three years ago, and a similar (if not higher) lucrative income will repeat this year in the 7-days stretch too. Saw the 3D version inside a hustle-and-bustle local multiplex with a full house audience, righteously Hark Tsui's strenuous endeavor in the state-of-the-art technology of visual stunt pays off handsomely this time, the film confidently dispenses awesome CGI full views to parade Tang Dynasty's palatial splendor, and conjures up a PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN derivative island quest, with nighttime cliff skirmish proffers a taut engagement of amazement, culminates with a sea dragon showdown to gratify the long-awaited anticipation. Also there are ample presentations of novel martial art feats (anti-physics notwithstanding) to cater for the target audiences. But the film is at best to be referred as satisfying, compared to its predecessor, the whole "dragon king" case doesn't measure up to the intelligent reasoning required for a grave and ambitious scheme such as toppling over an entire nation, maybe it is because of a "young" detective Dee, not weathered enough yet. The freshly-recruited cast brings new and drop-dead gorgeous faces to the franchise (quintet of beauty,Chao, Feng, Lin, Kim and Angelababy in their prime appeal) , but they are all employed as chessmen to follow the procedure without any further digging into their personalities or plainly reduced to eye-candies. If one must pick the best from available, Carina Lau, majestically reprises her role as Empress Wu Zetian, years before the coronation, she already arbitrarily ministers the state affair behind the Emperor's throne. Stating the obvious, the franchise enjoys an ongoing and surging bankroll which will secure further follow-ups, one advise to the screenwriters, don't defame the word "detective", in addition to cook a feast for eyes and ears, our brains also need something palatable to feed on. Plus if the ultimate weapon to quell the monster is poisonous food, maybe we should all pray for the huddled mass in any rate.