The Wandering Earth II

Watched this last night and my head is still spinning, can't give too much away as my brain hasn't fully processed what was going on.

The only way I can describe it is when they were editing the film all the scenes where their was no action were cut leaving a bombardment of visuals, this included the non dubbed version with English subtitles flashing up on screen so fast it was hard to read.

Don't get me wrong TWE2 is a great film and really good fun if you love your big bold Si-fi with huge special effects, limited character development and explosions.

Thoroughly recommended 👌 Roll on TWE3.

This is a massive movie that has many many absolutely amazing scenes. I was really blown away, but after an hour I was finding it to be a bit too much intensity and it was becoming a bit exhausting. Still very impressive. I found I was not interested in the human drama built into the story. I don't know why the dubbed English parts were so odd. There is a lot of dialogue you have to read subtitles for that is going quickly but there is so much action you end up missing something no matter where you look. Overall this movie is a wild ride but just started to feel like too much of a good thing if that makes sense.

If you are a fan of science fiction films, action blockbuster films, or both, then this movie is for you. This movie takes the usual Hollywood sci-fi movie tropes and puts a unique Chinese spin on them. Without getting into details, it's about a group of scientists and astronauts trying to save the world from imminent destruction while governments disagree on the best course of action. The movie takes us on a wild ride as teams of unlikely heroes face moral dilemmas and make sacrifices to secure the future of mankind. At its core, the film delivers a hopeful message about the power of humanity when we work together to solve problems - a message that is sorely needed in the current times.

Pros: Jaw-dropping action sequences, slick CGI and some thought-provoking technological and philosophical concepts that will make you think about where humanity is headed in the future. Themes such as AI and automation, our increasing dependence on technology, the meaning of human existence and mortality, and the future of civilization, provide plenty of food for thought. There is also a major plot twist in the third act that you will not see coming, so stay tuned till the end, especially during the credits (there's an Easter egg scene that hints at a possible third installment to this franchise).

Cons: The movie is bit lengthy, at nearly 3 hours, so make sure you avoid drinking a lot of fluids before or during the movie. (Apparently the director already cut 80 minutes out of the movie, so it really was the equivalent of two movies packed into one.) Also, because the movie is multilingual, some languages are dubbed weirdly in some scenes, but it's easy to overlook this because you'll be too busy marvelling at the visuals or trying to keep up with all the action sequences.

Conclusion: If you are a fan of sci-fi action blockbusters then this movie is for you. Definitely do not miss it in cinemas - this is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen.

The Wandering Earth II tells a disaster story from an oriental point of view instead of the western one (which is getting more and more cliche), where humans work as a team to face the overwhelming crisis. There's no hero who can save the Earth single-handedly; still, every effort matters.

In many ways, TWE II is a true sight for the sore eyes in nowadays movie industry, even by the criteria of Hollywood. Outstanding visuals & acoustics, compelling narrative, numerous convincing concepts and details, and furthermore, a much more "universal" human value. It raises the ceiling for movies of the same genre to a whole new level.

If you let go of all the stereotypical thinking and preconceived bias against Chinese movies, then TWE II is definitely worth seeing (better in IMAX).

(Taking one star off in case they get cocky /doge)

I saw this film last night with perhaps twenty others. Most of the audience were young and female. And Mandarin speaking.

My province in Canada - British Columbia - has a large Asian community but this mainland China blockbuster is only being shown in two cities, Vancouver and Victoria.

Pity.

In some ways the film's story surprised me: there is a mission, the mission seems largely Chinese led, but the success of this mission depends entirely on the cooperation of thirty three nations.

We dive in quickly with the arrival of 1138 new recruits who are blasted into space at 9 Gs. We are introduced to key characters who will have a role to play over the next three hours, amd thirty years.

Their mission is almost stillborn because of a successful, well organized and coordinated terrorist attack by 'terrorists' of DIGITAL LIFE. This group strongly disagrees with the coalition to build massive engines to move the earth away from the advancing sun predicted by science to hit Earth in one hundred years.

The balance of the film focuses on efforts to build those engines; preserve space elevators; move or blow up the moon. Obstacles at every point.

I grew irritated by on screen announcements of events that would unfold: in years, months, hours, minutes...

I appreciated how Sfx were used to show the great strides science could implement especially the supercomputer 550 and its successors.

I was able to sort out the leading players: two Chinese officials, a Russian and an American in a futuristic UN; two key Chinese scientists- hello ANDY LAU who looked impossibly young in the scenes with his AI daughter, and a handful of pilots who bond despite their nations' politics.

Indeed the closest I came to shredding a tear came late with said pilots 'volunteered' on essentially asus ice mission.

Did anyone else feel key characters were killed off, only to. Resurrected?

This film should challenge you: it should make you sad; you may feel you are helpless against what fate Mankind is maki f for itself.

If a significant part of the world's population questioned the existence of COVID, a significant number of people believe an election was stolen, I am relieved this film ends with "I choose hope".