The trailer for Jackie Chan’s next project, the Chinese-language historical epic Dragon Blade, is more concerned with swords and snarls than it is with story. There are myriad shots of clanging steel and heroes making epic declarations, but there’s not much that fleshes out the previously reported premise of a legion of Roman soldiers entering ancient China, with a second legion pursuing it. Maybe that’s because the filmmakers want to make sure the money is on the screen: the $65 million movie is said to be the most expensive Chinese-language film ever.
About that plot: the trailer suggests that the first pack of Roman soldiers enters China so that its leader, played by John Cusack, can hide and strategize. It’s also revealed that the leader of the second legion (Adrian Brody) becomes jealous of the friendship that blossoms between Cusack and a Chinese commander (played by Chan). Between these tidbits of story, the trailer inundates viewers with sweeping vistas, shots of troops amassing for battle, and a (long) cast list with dramatic headshots and garish font that plays like a multicultural Too Many Cooks. Yes, it’s all quite ridiculous, but if the trailer wasn’t this showy and Brody’s wig wasn’t this ludicrous, we would all be disappointed. Dragon Blade will be released in China in February, and its U.S. release date is forthcoming.
[via Huffington Post]