Trailers

9-minute trailer for Zhang Yimou’s The Great Wall is more than just Matt Damon

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The old myth was that astronauts could see The Great Wall of China from space. A new 9-minute trailer for Zhang Yimou’s The Great Wall has been released, and I’m pretty sure it can be seen from space. They have free wifi up there, right?

The reason for the excessive length? To showcase each of the five colorful factions in this gigantic war. And to keep those f**king Mongols out.

Check out the epic trailer for the Yimou’s latest exercise in chromatic voluptuousness.

The Great Wall Trailer-All張藝謀【長城】超長版預告

The Great Wall looks like an oddball period fantasy epic, and perhaps in the good way. The scope reminds me a little bit of those big battles in The Lord of the Rings, but by way of a wuxia movie. So basically it’s just a giant elf battle. Legolas vs. Legolas vs. Legolas vs. Legoas vs. Legolas. (That’s some sexy slash fiction.)

Matt Damon’s presence in the film has brought up lots of whitewashing discussion, which Yimou himself dismissed given what happens in-story. This is also not the first time he’s had a non-Chinese actor in a lead role (e.g., Christian Bale in The Flowers of War). More importantly, Damon’s presence overshadows the fact that Willem Defoe is in this movie. He’s a global icon and national treasure.

The Great Wall comes out in China on December 16, 2016 and hits the United States on February 17, 2017. Is 9-minutes too long or just right for this trailer? Let us know or share your Legolas slash fiction in the comments.

[via The Playlist]
Hubert Vigilla
Brooklyn-based fiction writer, film critic, and long-time editor and contributor for Flixist. A booster of all things passionate and idiosyncratic.