But no, the film's action set pieces are not only thrillingly large-scale, but visually rapturous, despite a preponderance of computer-generated imagery. There are a handful of well-choreographed and well-directed, Damon-centric action sequences, but it's very easy to be seduced by scenes that focus on impersonal warfare. You can imagine how hard that philosophy might be to enforce given that it demands a big enough budget to focus on two warring armies' clashing maneuvers. The army works together as a unit, just as the Tei Tao do. The film's action scenes also exemplify a sense of precise, shared responsibility that one rarely sees in action-spectaculars. In that sense, the scene where William admits that he killed a Tei Tao 'alone,' without the aid of Tovar or his slain mercenary colleagues, is a significant reminder of the film's communal ideology: William, as an undisciplined loner, must prove that he's worth just as much as a selfless Chinese soldier. On the contrary, the impassive faces of the Nameless Order's soldiers remind us that all of these people, together, are remarkable.

Each crowd shot in this film is remarkable, but not because director Zhang Yimou ('Hero,' ' House of Flying Daggers') and his assistant directors know how to direct extras. They launch themselves at their enemies using pulleys, bungee cords, hot-air balloons, boulder-spewing catapults, and many, many arrows. But eventually, William and Tovar's agendas drift apart after William becomes seduced by the formal control and selfless zeal that defines the Nameless Order.Īnd who wouldn't be impressed? The Nameless Order marches around in colorful suits of armor that come in hues of indigo, crimson and cerulean. William and Tovar are initially unmoved by the Nameless Order's considerable plight they want to make their fortunes by stealing gunpowder from their hosts, and selling it to European traders. The monster, they are told, is a 'Tei Tao,' one of a horde of creatures that attacks the now-famous Great Wall of China once every 60 years. Damon and Pascal play William and Tovar, respectively, wandering European mercenaries who are captured by the Chinese army of the Nameless Order shortly after they slay a mysterious green monster.

The great wall movie wiki