Cubussoli
Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Hottoceame
The Age of Commercialism
BallWubba
Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Horror Icon
"Even in a fight, there are principles."Watching with a Chinese friend, he explained the important social issue which Mr Six highlights - the rapid development and urbanisation of China over the past few decades means that the old, more traditional China is juxtaposed with the modern, changed China. This is an issue many elderly Chinese face, particularly in Beijing where you can visually see it when finding traditional buildings in amidst ultra-modern skyscrapers.In the movie, Mr Six - a 'gangster' leader in his youth, but also a man of principles - remains well- respected in what's left of old Beijing. He struggles to come to terms with a city he hardly recognises anymore, and must deal with the new, young gangsters who lack any and all principles. It's quite deep and Feng Xiaogang does excellent in the main role. The movie is well-known for it's heavy use of the Beijing dialect, which is very rarely seen in such large proportions in cinema. Main weakness of the movie was the last 20 mins of the film, which was a bit weird. Other than that, very good. Even Kris Wu was OK. Would recommend.
bcheng93
wow...the 2 hrs and change just flew by. i did'nt want this movie to end. this is a movie for people who love good movies. most of the people who dislike the movie were mislead into thinking it had some action in it. .......there is no action in this movie...not one iota.... it had suspenseful moments galore though. ex-gangsters and gangsters would totally dig this movie...hahaha...no joke. totally loved the scenes of normal Chinese life and there was a lot of that shown too. very very good suspense thriller movie with its own message to tell. old china clashes with new china head-on...who wins? watch the movie to find out...and people expecting any sort of action....stay away from this movie.
Vivian Zhu
This is a movie that has nostalgia written all over it. It utilizes elements of the traditional Chinese culture and combines it with modern issues. Essentially it is a tale of redemption between a neglectful father and a broken son, of how people we put down can have their own big story and of how modern society lacks the "rules" that define our actions. The themes in the movie were intriguing (corruption, old gangs...), the premise of the story was promising but it just wasn't a well told story. The scenes dragged, the dialogue felt flat at times and all in all the movie easily lost the audience. This could be blamed on the unnatural pauses in the story telling, the weird cuts and mis-en-scene as well as the out of place soundtrack. It felt like the team behind this movie was pushing the 'artsy' tones a little too much and it all came out forced and fake.A good film drags the audience in, makes the audience empathize and feel every raw emotion of the characters. In this film, the character I was moved by one character and it happens to be an unnamed ostrich. Jokes aside, the only female lead was played wonderfully by Xu Qing, the character worked because her actions felt real. The title character Mr. Six was played well by leading man Feng Xiaogang, but I couldn't help but feel he was 2D at times. With cinematography of this standard, and this type of storyline the movie could not possibly attract the attention of the younger population. So, it decided to cast two of the hottest young actors, Wu Yifan and Li Yifeng. Voila! Teenage girls will go crazy! There's one down side though...they can't act! Wooden expressions, awkward delivery...sometimes the performances bordered ridiculous. Yes, there were a few shining moments but all in all the younger characters were a failure. Heck, they even got one of the most popular "teen idol" groups to make a cameo! What happened to movies being about acting... The take-home message here is that this is a great idea squeezed inside a small container, it tried to be personal, but it wasn't, it tried to be epic, but it wasn't that either. It seemed like the ending of the film tried to be both...it ended up making me want to retreat into my seat and never come out again.
er-24005
Not an action movie by any means but an interesting drama concerning traditional values versus new free-market attitudes seen from the perspective of an older criminal element trying to deal with the new-money, corruption-based variety.The movie does a nice job of showing community life in the laid back old hutongs that still exist in Beijing and while the plot is a little slow it develops well. Since this film was designed to appeal to a domestic audience a lot of the nuance will be lost on foreigners. It emphasizes relationships, loyalty and honor in contrast to the quest for individual wealth, power and exaggerated regard of face. It also reinforces the notion that you can trust the Party to do the right thing but not the police.Some ask "what's happened to Chinese cinema?" I guess the answer is that it is booming and delivering a wide variety of product. If you want a big budget action film with lots of CG you'll find it in Mo Jin - The Lost Legend. I enjoyed Lao Pao Er more though.