This review may contain spoilers
Compelling Story That Ultimately Disappoints
Sorry, this review does include spoilers but it's important to why the movie ultimately disappoints. Overall, it was a compelling story covering the years of the Sino-Japanese War. The visuals were beautiful covering large cities and the countryside. It had an epic feel covering a huge event in a chaotic time that ushered in huge changes, however it didn't feel overwhelming as it was told through the experiences of two very different men. The patriotic commander, Zhang Yun Kui and everyman cook, Meng Wan Fu. While their stories helped tell the story of Japanese resistance and the somewhat glorified role of communist forces, it almost could have been two movies. The men fight together in one of the first major battles but soon go their separate ways.
Both men experience changes and Wang Yang is great as the heroic military man who completely changes his understanding of what values are actually important in warfare. I just saw him play a very different minor role as a shady character and he was good in the role but he embodied the stoic, fearless commander and I think he was perfectly cast in the role. However, the plight of his family along with Meng was the heart of the movie and Zhang's father, wife Ding Yujiao and especially Meng made the biggest changes from who they were at the beginning of the series. Huang Cheng Cheng was excellent in the role. It seemed to be so much more dynamic to see what was happening in the city and the experiences they went through set the tone for the changes in all three of them. The story seemed to move quicker in the city and there was more political maneuvering, insight into the supplying of communist forces, competing interests with business and Japanese co-operation, and just surviving in a small area increasingly occupied by Japanese forces.
**Big spoiler ahead***
Along with the political and battlefield danger, there is of course a love story and again I think the story of Meng and Zhang's family is the more interesting one. The love of people who grow as a family and the platonic love story of Meng Wan Fu and Ding Yujiao. At various times, I loved that it was platonic and sometimes I wanted them to become an actual couple and I think it's really up to our own imagination if they do. As impossible as it may seem to really happen, the real and fake marriages of each other's spouses/fiancées kept me wondering what would happen when they all met up. What happens when you meet up with the spouse you thought was dead and you have remarried, and you know have to work with them for a larger cause. The lead up to them all meeting was played out wonderfully but when they all got together, it was unfortunately disappointing. It was rushed in the last 3 parts of the series and other than a quick conversation, everyone is fine and moves on quickly. In fact the whole end of the series is rushed. After so much detail and story building for the first few years of the war, the last and final victory is a quick recap of a huge battle and ultimate victory.
Zhang Yunkui and Han Xiao Yue's story wraps up neatly but I think it does a disservice to Meng and Ding's story to not let the other 2 know that they weren't really married. Zhang's wife loved two other men in different ways but she remained true to her husband and couldn't let go of his space in her life. Similarly Men Wan Fu so respected Zhang that he couldn't imagine replacing him in his widow's heart. This could have been explored so much more and I wanted to see all of them navigate this admission and how Zhang and Han dealt with it in spite of the fact that they actually fell in love. We don't even get a scene where Zhang learns the extent of all Meng did expresses his thanks for taking care of his family. Usually I don't mind an ambiguous ending where Meng and Ding are overjoyed to find each other after being apart and we don't know what happened after, but in my imagination, they grow to love each other as a real couple.
So, overall, a strong start and great weaving of historical events into personal stories but ultimately disappointing by not bridging the 2 separate stories more at the end, rushing the events at the end and downplaying the dynamic of the couples all coming together. I was waiting everyday for new episodes to come out and felt a huge let down at the end.
Both men experience changes and Wang Yang is great as the heroic military man who completely changes his understanding of what values are actually important in warfare. I just saw him play a very different minor role as a shady character and he was good in the role but he embodied the stoic, fearless commander and I think he was perfectly cast in the role. However, the plight of his family along with Meng was the heart of the movie and Zhang's father, wife Ding Yujiao and especially Meng made the biggest changes from who they were at the beginning of the series. Huang Cheng Cheng was excellent in the role. It seemed to be so much more dynamic to see what was happening in the city and the experiences they went through set the tone for the changes in all three of them. The story seemed to move quicker in the city and there was more political maneuvering, insight into the supplying of communist forces, competing interests with business and Japanese co-operation, and just surviving in a small area increasingly occupied by Japanese forces.
**Big spoiler ahead***
Along with the political and battlefield danger, there is of course a love story and again I think the story of Meng and Zhang's family is the more interesting one. The love of people who grow as a family and the platonic love story of Meng Wan Fu and Ding Yujiao. At various times, I loved that it was platonic and sometimes I wanted them to become an actual couple and I think it's really up to our own imagination if they do. As impossible as it may seem to really happen, the real and fake marriages of each other's spouses/fiancées kept me wondering what would happen when they all met up. What happens when you meet up with the spouse you thought was dead and you have remarried, and you know have to work with them for a larger cause. The lead up to them all meeting was played out wonderfully but when they all got together, it was unfortunately disappointing. It was rushed in the last 3 parts of the series and other than a quick conversation, everyone is fine and moves on quickly. In fact the whole end of the series is rushed. After so much detail and story building for the first few years of the war, the last and final victory is a quick recap of a huge battle and ultimate victory.
Zhang Yunkui and Han Xiao Yue's story wraps up neatly but I think it does a disservice to Meng and Ding's story to not let the other 2 know that they weren't really married. Zhang's wife loved two other men in different ways but she remained true to her husband and couldn't let go of his space in her life. Similarly Men Wan Fu so respected Zhang that he couldn't imagine replacing him in his widow's heart. This could have been explored so much more and I wanted to see all of them navigate this admission and how Zhang and Han dealt with it in spite of the fact that they actually fell in love. We don't even get a scene where Zhang learns the extent of all Meng did expresses his thanks for taking care of his family. Usually I don't mind an ambiguous ending where Meng and Ding are overjoyed to find each other after being apart and we don't know what happened after, but in my imagination, they grow to love each other as a real couple.
So, overall, a strong start and great weaving of historical events into personal stories but ultimately disappointing by not bridging the 2 separate stories more at the end, rushing the events at the end and downplaying the dynamic of the couples all coming together. I was waiting everyday for new episodes to come out and felt a huge let down at the end.
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