Zhang Jialu Movies
A young social outcast joins forces with the daughter of a tai-chi master to defeat the villainous intruder who seeks to construct a railway through a remote village, in the process proving that he has what it takes to become a true master himself. Yang Luchan was born with a fleshy protrusion on his forehead. As a result, he was branded the village idiot and ostracized by his cruel neighbors. Encouraged by his mother to train in martial arts, Yang makes the arduous journey to Chen village, a peaceful hamlet populated exclusively by tai-chi practitioners. But the locals are wary of sharing their secrets with outsiders, and when Yang arrives, they challenge him to a series of duels. The worst beating comes at the hands of the gorgeous Yuniang, who pummels Yang mercilessly until an eccentric old man comes to his aid. Little does Yang realize that the old man is in fact the great Master Chen, a tai-chi legend who also happens to be Yuniang's father. Recognizing the warrior buried deep within the defeated pariah, Master Chen keeps his true identity concealed while stealthily giving Yang the tools to realize his true potential. Later, when the nefarious Fang Zijing arrives in town on a steam-powered leviathan and announces his intentions to build an unwelcomed railway through Chen village, Yang teams up with Yuniang to demolish the machine, thwart Fang's plans, and unlock the tai-chi warrior within. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2012
- NR
In the wake of saving Chen Village from the malevolent Fang Zijing (Eddie Peng) and his terrifying steam-powered leviathan, horned hero Lu Chan (Jayden Yuan) prepares to marry his beautiful mentor Yuniang (Angelababy), but finds their wedding plans disrupted when her former fiancée returns to with a major vendetta, and a ruthless army of henchmen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2010
- PG13
China's first master detective is looking for answers to some burning questions in this blend of historical drama and mystery from acclaimed director Tsui Hark. Di Renjie (Andy Lau), nicknamed Detective Dee, is a law officer of the Tang Dynasty who is legendary for his powers of deductive reasoning. Di Renjie finds himself on the wrong side of prison bars when he dares to publicly criticize Wu Zetian (Carina Lau), who has become China's first female emperor. While Wu Zetian doesn't care for Di Renjie's opinions, she can't dispute his skills as a detective, and after eight years in jail she has him released so he can get to the bottom of a mystery. Two members of Wu Zetian's court have died under bizarre circumstances -- after stepping outside, they suddenly exploded into flames. Are the gods angry with Wu Zetian and her underlings, or is a clever saboteur at work? Di Renjie Zhi Tong Tian Di Guo (aka Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame) was inspired by the exploits of the real-life Di Renjie, who is credited with pioneering modern detective techniques during the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D. to 907 A.D.). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andy Lau, Carina Lau, (more)
- 2009
Inevitably recalling director Chen Kaige's 1993 masterpiece, the international smash Farewell, My Concubine, the sumptuous period epic Forever Enthralled (originally and more elegantly given the eponymous biographical title Mei Lanfang) dramatizes the life of Lanfang (Leon Lai), widely regarded as one of the most legendary opera performers in all of Chinese history. Though a male, Lanfang built his reputation on the basis of outstanding performances as female characters, and in fact, lived out his private life buckling under the weight of repressed emotions. Kaige structurally divides the epic into segments. The film commences with a 70-minute sequence that depicts Mei's reaction to a letter from his uncle, cautioning him against the dangers of an operatic career; in the years that follow, Mei recoils from social rules (wrought by his chosen profession) that severely restrict his actions. The narrative then moves forward in time by a decade, to a point where Mei has somehow managed to bound over the said limitations and establish himself as the single most popular opera star in all of China. Conflict lingers, however -- present in Mei's repeated on-stage duels with the performer Swallow 13 (an apocryphal character who represents a composite of several real-life figures), whose style is the polar opposite of his own. Kaige then moves ahead in time to explore Mei's efforts to juggle a second marriage to Fu Zhifang (Chen Hong) and his relationship with his manager, Oju Rubai (Sun Honglei), whose passion for Mei's on-stage craft (and, possibly, a desire for Mei himself) know no bounds. Sadly, a pitfall to Mei's familial security soon presents itself in the form of a young female admirer, Meng Xiaodong (Zhang Ziyi) with whom he lapses into a love affair. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi, (more)
Chinese director Hua Tao-Teng's Mandarin-language gothic horror picture The Matrimony (AKA Xin zhong you gui) unfurls in Shanghai, during the 1920s, when the fiancée of wealthy Junchu is killed in a bizarre accident. Junchu allows his mother to talk and pressure him into marrying Sansan, another woman all but unknown to him. He agrees - begrudgingly - but in time Sansan's body is occupied by Junchu's dead fiancee's vengeful spirit, which drives Sansan over the edge and sends her plummeting into insanity and homicide. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
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