Tang tan 1900

Yesterday in the Chinese cinemas there was a real frenzy, so we arrived 30 minutes earlier and settled into our seats, expecting the same -according to the cinema app every ticket was gone for shows until 11:30 p.m. But to our surprise, it was pretty chill. Cinema 1 at He Ping in Wuxi was actually only half full, and after watching the film, I totally get why!

"Detective Chinatown 1900" (2025), directed by Chen Sicheng and Dai Mo, is a total flop that brings the once-promising franchise to a new low. What was supposed to be a clever blend of comedy and murder mystery ends up being a cringe-worthy display of poor filmmaking that might even make you feel a bit dumber after watching it.

Set in 1900 San Francisco, the story centers around the murder of a white woman in Chinatown, with a Chinese man as the main suspect. This intriguing setup had the potential for sharp social commentary and gripping storytelling. Unfortunately, the execution is so terrible that it completely wastes any potential the plot had.

Chen Sicheng's direction is all over the place, resulting in a jumbled mess of scenes where Chinese characters face abuse from white racists, justice is obstructed with assumptions of guilt, and white families would rather see their daughters dead than have a Chinese grandchild! The humor misses the mark, often feeling forced and awkward against the serious backdrop of a murder case. The characters are flat and underdeveloped, and the performances are equally disappointing, with actors struggling to deliver their lines or add any real depth to their roles.

It's really sad to see a franchise that started with so much potential fall apart like this. "Detective Chinatown 1900" is a weak attempt that fails to hit the mark on any level, leaving viewers frustrated and let down. This latest entry is a textbook example of how not to make a film that is a complete waste of time for everyone involved. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this cinematic disaster!

Despite a broad brush of very serious subjects the movie is trying to deal with. The Magical Native American man/ a certain idea of Native Americans is resurrected from the Hollywood golden age of cowboy movies, in order to immediately be subverted, a multilayer plot gives even the tiniest characters some closure by the end, and the intrigue remains whole until the very end of the movie, even though it leans more on the side of a gory comedy rather than an investigative drama, or maybe a mix of the two, but, I guess such is life itself as well.

This all ends with an instructive exchange, a sort of a meta-dialogue, between two secondary characters, tycoons, talking about taking ascendance in the world through "power wields everything and, money, wields power" , and indeed , this movie is in of itsellf, showing that the Chinese movie studios can indeed take ascendance as a new, welcome tool of diversifying the sources of power in this world, through their ability of making fun movies which can get the money needed for that.

While Detective Chinatown 1900 tries to blend comedy with a dark chapter of history, its tonal imbalance weakens the overall experience. The film relies too much on exposition rather than strong storytelling, making its mystery feel contrived and overly reliant on coincidences. Comedy feels misplaced given the heavy subject matter, and while the cast delivers solid performances, the writing struggles to treat its audience with intelligence. A more serious approach, with only minimal humor, would have made for a much stronger film. Ultimately, it's a forgettable entry that fails to leave a lasting impact.

Though I had high expectations for this movie for being much spoiled of how great it is, I was still pleasantly surprised by Detective Chinatown 1900. As a Chinese immigrant, I'm proud that it's a mainland Chinese director who decided to touch upon topics of immigrant laborers, the Yellow Peril, and the Chinese Exclusionary Act, and further at how well this part of history is adopted, recreated, and incorporated with the overall storyline of the movie --- as it goes, Chen Sicheng is a true merchant in terms of selecting film subjects. Chow Yun-Fat gives hell of a performance for a multilayered Chinese-American hero: a loving father, an approachable elder, a cunning diplomat, and an authoritative (mob) leader. Bai's speech at the court is a rare scene of cultural outcry that struck me personally and inspired new reflections.

Notice how I never mentioned the "detective" bit of the movie? The crime/investigation storyline is decent but not amazing compared to the rest of the franchise, complexity and portrayal wise. Some parts of the murder even took me out in terms of the absurdity and logistics, which leads me to question if the director has a thing with pregnant women (cue his last film Lost in the Stars).

Overall, enjoyable comedy, ambitious multi-storylines, and great performances across the board. Keep in mind, however, that this film is targeted toward the Chinese market/audiences and it's meant to educate, provoke, and moralize, perhaps in a way you might not agree with.

It only seems right to address the elephant in the room when setting a movie in a California Chinatown in the 1900s. Chinese Exclusion Act, working conditions for Chinese labourers who built the transcontinental, etc. All seem relevant and could create a very interesting background if done correctly. Detective Chinatown 1900 beats these over the heads of the audience to the point it's out of place. I think it's more effective to give the audience room to ponder these topics.

When the movie isn't focusing on those travesties or diving into more modern day nationalistic propaganda, it's still weaker as a buddy cop movie than any of the trilogy save a few action scenes.