The Wandering Earth 2

This one is better than the first movie, which is very rare these days. The story lines are great. Although there are some plots that do not make a lot sense, it doesn't affect the overall rating at all. It doesn't make me feel it's a 3hr movie at all. This is actually the best Si-Fi movie I have watched in the last 3 years (and I've watched a lot lol) and I think it's fair to say it's better than 70% of the Hollywood Si-Fi movies these days.

I'm looking forward to the third one now given there are some flash forward scenes hinting at the next story line. Also, don't miss the credits at the end. I left early and have to read up on the end credit scenes online afterwards.

I have to say that it is a very unique movie, which is attractive enough. I can't wait watching it again on Netflix!

The story is just like a history story that have really happened before. It seem a little strange at first, but when the crisis come, you'll forget it and feel immersed in it completely. I promise it'll be an unforgettable experience.

The space elevator is so great, and it is exactly the same as I thought. I really hope I can live until it really be built in reality world. By the way, I just wonder why US movies doesn't like it, as it only appears in Foundation on Apple TV (Maybe it's because I missed them unfortunately?) From my point of view, what imperfect is that the speed of story is too fast to render emotions perfectly, which makes it embarrassing when it comes to sad moments. In addition, it is a little tired to watch, as the movie scenes are always very impactful and the amount of information in the movie is too large for me to understand instantly.

Anyway, The Wandering Earth 2 is a special Chinese movie, which is worth trying.

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.

Over the last decade, Chinese cinema has made giant leaps and bounds in terms of quality and sophistication of their films, especially in sci-fi genre. The Wandering Earth and this prequel, The Wandering Earth II, is a significant milestone. As a prequel, it has more depth in the story than the first, though the premise behind the main conflict is a bit shallow to be believed, as if "digital life" and survival of the planet are mutually exclusive. Pizza OR pepperoni? What kind of a decision is that? You still need the pizza, with or without the pepperoni.

But like its predecessor, the problem is pacing. The story is grand, an epic tale of an audacious plan to save mankind and Earth from the dying sun. But the pacing is so ridiculously fast, that it's difficult to enjoy and appreciate it. It's so focused on the crisis from all angles that it feels like every scene and every shot is less than two seconds long. For subtitle readers, it's even worse to follow. On top of that, there is visual information overload, with names flashing on the screen. There is so much going on, you will be afraid to blink and miss an important plot point.

And then there are the annoying tropes. I think this is the third or fourth Chinese film and TV show I've recently watched that has a shrill little girl/daughter yelling and crying "Baba! Baba!" to stoke our sympathy and emotional attachment to. And, where do they find these foreign actors?!? They cannot act and they are loud. Perhaps this is how they want to portray westerners, but there are plenty of international films shown in China--they have to know how bad these actors are, right? With so many actors (waiters) in Hollywood looking for work, you'd think it'd be easy to find more passable supporting cast.

Despite all this, you're not going to watch The Wandering Earth series for the acting--this is a CGI spectacle. It's gorgeous, and if you treat it like cut scenes from a triple-A video game, you'll enjoy it a lot.

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.