Qimen Dark Blade (2022)

Worth a watch if you are into action

This is a short lazy review :)

This movie is not bad at all. Very watchable, lots of action (and blood and if you're into it, gruesome deaths), and the story is ok. It could've been a lot better though, I'm not sure why scenes were edited a certain way, but I could follow it.

There are some annoying troupes, but at least they keep it simple. I will mention that they swap the usual male and female roles that you see in C-dramas. Remember that annoying/gullible/child-like female lead you disliked, well imagine them making the husband to the female lead like that... I do like that they at least made it seem that he was worthy of her.

I rated it a 6/10, but I enjoyed watching this greatly (I wouldn't watch it again though). It surprised me on how they handle some things well, but then there were just some things (editing and effects) I couldn't let go.

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A Good Dynasty Era Detective Story

First, I would say the casting in this one is top-notch, especially Liu Yong Xi, Zhao Ran and Yang Xing. The specific ally / enemy colleague-hood between Liu Yong Xi's Detective Tang and Yang Xing's Detective Sai is something rare: two female characters of similar martial disciplines who aren't 'catty' with each other but also aren't 'allies' in the common feminist western movie sense. Just two masters whose priorities in life diverged with one being the younger version of the other. I also like how the movie never feels the need to 'soften' Detective Sai.

On the CGI of shadow and light mirror play, I feel like people who are raised on the lexicon that CGI must be 'photoreal' (but it never is anyway) will receive this one awkwardly because the whole point is that the illusory entities should both be lethal AND look artificial, not creatures that look like they exist with solidity in the real world. Since I'm not in the 'CGI must always be photoreal in live-action' camp, I pretty much got what they were going for here.

Lastly, without any spoilers, I would say the action sequences are well-choreographed and elegant but also quite brutal and raw, and of course, bloody. It gives the feeling of a hybrid detective / wuxia underground story that I really find interesting.

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