Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013) User Reviews

the younger, the paler

[lasttimeisaw · 6/10 · 4 October 2013]

A prequel of the colossal moneymaker DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME (2010, 7/10), which dominated the box office of Chinese National Holiday week (starts from 1st October) three years ago, and a similar (if not higher) lucrative income will repeat this year in the 7-days stretch too.

Saw the 3D version inside a hustle-and-bustle local multiplex with a full house audience, righteously Hark Tsui's strenuous endeavor in the state-of-the-art technology of visual stunt pays off handsomely this time, the film confidently dispenses awesome CGI full views to parade Tang Dynasty's palatial splendor, and conjures up a PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN derivative island quest, with nighttime cliff skirmish proffers a taut engagement of amazement, culminates with a sea dragon showdown to gratify the long-awaited anticipation. Also there are ample presentations of novel martial art feats (anti-physics notwithstanding) to cater for the target audiences.

But the film is at best to be referred as satisfying, compared to its predecessor, the whole "dragon king" case doesn't measure up to the intelligent reasoning required for a grave and ambitious scheme such as toppling over an entire nation, maybe it is because of a "young" detective Dee, not weathered enough yet. The freshly-recruited cast brings new and drop-dead gorgeous faces to the franchise (quintet of beauty,Chao, Feng, Lin, Kim and Angelababy in their prime appeal) , but they are all employed as chessmen to follow the procedure without any further digging into their personalities or plainly reduced to eye-candies. If one must pick the best from available, Carina Lau, majestically reprises her role as Empress Wu Zetian, years before the coronation, she already arbitrarily ministers the state affair behind the Emperor's throne.

Stating the obvious, the franchise enjoys an ongoing and surging bankroll which will secure further follow-ups, one advise to the screenwriters, don't defame the word "detective", in addition to cook a feast for eyes and ears, our brains also need something palatable to feed on. Plus if the ultimate weapon to quell the monster is poisonous food, maybe we should all pray for the huddled mass in any rate.

Elementary

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 4 October 2015]

Young Detective Dee is the adventures of a youthful Sherlock in Medieval China with state of the art CGI and a sea monster.

The film starts with warships sent by Empress Wu destroyed by an unseen monster. Young Dee arrives in the capital city intending to become a detective with the Da Lisi police force. He already has a rival in Yuchi.

However there is another monster attacking the city linked with a courtesan. Dee links up with a medic to find answers and gets the attention of the Empress.

The film is fragmented with many plot lines, its a while before we see Yee's ability in detective work. What we do get is a sprawling adventure with gargantuan set pieces mixed with impressive CGI and some sly humour.

At times the action overpowers the film which could had done been with being more concise. In some sense Young Dee is overshadowed in his own movie.

It is still an impressive introduction of recent Chinese action- adventure cinema.

A watchable fantasy action drama thriller epic

[YJLcool · 7/10 · 5 October 2013]

Tsui Hark is back again with his latest fantasy-action-drama-adventure-thriller epic - Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon, which serves as a prequel to Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame released in 2010.

The film tells how the young Dee rise to become a respectable detective for the Tang Dynasty, befriends the doctor Shaluo (similar to Sherlock Holmes and Watson) and his rival, Chief Commissioner/Detective Yuchi, unravels and solves an intriguing mystery case which involves a plot to assassinate the royal family and palace officials to overthrow the entire kingdom.

In order to fully enjoy the film, it requires some suspension of disbelief from the audience for some of the fantasy or action elements shown in the film such as riding a horse underwater, 'Kraken' beast, parasites that can change a person's looks and behaviour entirely, flying around fighting in the air, etc.

Although the wire-action choreography was great and well handled throughout the film, but the action scenes gets a little too much and it feels tedious to watch as the film moves on. It took away the focus of the mystery plot and a lot of potential character development required in the film. However, most of the lead and supporting actors did a fine job in portraying their character roles.

The CGI has improved a lot and looked believable and realistic compared with past Chinese big budget films. Overall, it's still a watchable, entertaining Chinese big budget production comparable to Hollywood standards.

Swimming dragon and catching detective

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 9 September 2014]

You have to have a soft spot for eastern movies and the fantasy world they are able to create. But then again, if you didn't why would you even bother watching or reading this, right? Maybe you are just curious because of the title. If that's the case, I'm not sure this is the best movie to start your "experience" with, but it is a very rock solid one and is entertaining.

The "detective" aspect is like an added bonus to the fight scenes and the humor that drives the movie throughout. The effects are pretty decent and fight scenes are very well choreographed. You don't have to have seen the previous movie to enjoy this either. A nice little movie to have fun with then

reasonably entertaining nonsense

[cherold · 6/10 · 17 August 2016]

There are plenty of entertaining action scenes in this movie, ranging from wire fu fighting to large scale CGI-monster fighting. These are imaginatively filmed and have some nice touches, even if here's nothing as good as the best action scenes from the previous Detective Dee movie, Phantom Flame.

In between action, there is a very poorly told story.

Actually, "story" is an exaggeration. It's more like a collection of incidents told in a particularly order. Everything just kind of happens. A ship battle results in disaster! A woman in a mask is in trouble! There's a merman! There are bandits! There's a new detective! There's a swimming horse! There are poison flowers! Everything is introduced by someone just saying, here is this thing that we need right now.

There's a general rule in film that if the hero is going to pull out a gun in the final act, you want to establish that he owns a gun earlier on. That doesn't happen in this movie. Instead, there's a problem, and suddenly someone says, I know who can help, or, I've got the solution right here, or, the solution is at this place let's go right now.

This is how a ten-year-old writes a story.

No character development, little motivation, no real coherence. Dee's Sherlock Holmes deductions are generally unpersuasive.

It's a dumb story, badly told, but the action scenes almost make up for that. Almost.

Traditional elements overrun by modern effects in a fast-paced but hollow fun ride

[kluseba · 7/10 · 3 September 2014]

"Di Renjie: Shen Du Long Wang" or "Young Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon" is a prequel to "Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Dragon Flame". It takes place in the beginning years of Tang Dynasty under the reign of the weak Emperor Gaozong and just a few years before his cruel wife Wu Zetian would take his position and declare the second Zhou dynasty for fifteen years. This second movie shows us a young detective who arrives at the imperial city and has to face a lot of adversary, jealousy and mistrust. The case itself features two different story lines. First of all, there is a giant sea monster controlled by a mysterious enemy that attacks the imperial fleet. The other story features the beautiful courtesan Yin who is about to be sacrificed in order to appease the Gods and therefor the sea monster but who gets first kidnapped by a gang of thieves and later on by a strange human lizard creature. Both stories are loosely bound together and lead the detective and his new colleagues and friends to an adventurous mission on Bat Island.

If you liked the first movie of the franchise, my guess is that you will also appreciate the sequel. It's really a matter of nuance if you prefer the first or the second movie as both pretty much have the same flaws and strengths. Just as the first instalment, the sequel convinces with elegant and typically exaggerated fighting scenes in Tsui Hark's unique signature style that goes back to classic Hongkong movies of the late eighties and early nineties like "A Chinese Ghost Story" or "Once Upon A Time In China". I must admit that the over-the-top fighting scenes on the ships towards the end of the movie are probably the most impressive sequences of both movies.

The modern elements can be found in several decent CGI effects for the monsters in this movie as well as during the destruction of the fleet and the showdown on and around Bat Island. I must admit that I thought that some of these modern elements did not fit to the historical settings which are colourful and beautiful to watch but not always authentic. It's simply strange to see ultra-modern visual elements in a movie that takes place in the seventh century. I prefer the more limited but authentic settings of more traditional Hongkong movies.

While the first movie had some more investigative elements, the sequel only features a couple of these. Detective Dee surely passes as a smart person and some of his investigative methods are still really impressive. Sadly, the movie quickly reveals friends and foes which means that there aren't any real mysteries to solve. The only element I would have liked to know isn't really answered after all. We don't get to know how the sea monster was created and how comes that it sometimes obeys the villains and sometimes it doesn't.

As for the acting, the leading actors do an average job as some of them lack depth. Angela Yeung is simply a good-looking woman in love with a poet, that's it. The makers of the movie could have chosen any of the many good-looking Chinese actresses as Angela Young's character lacks uniqueness and feels like a hollow puppet to me. The jealous chief minister portrayed by Feng Shaofeng, the young prison doctor played by Lin Gengxin as well as Detective Dee himself who is now portrayed by Taiwanese-Canadian actor Mark Chao instead of Hongkong actor Andy Lau who was a little bit more charming in my opinion, all have interesting characteristics but remain somewhat superficial. Instead of focusing on special effects, the makers of the movie should have worked a little bit more on the character development.

This sequel is a colourful, effect-ridden, fast-paced movie that doesn't fail to entertain and which includes a few impressive investigative methods, beautiful settings and stunning fighting scenes. On the other side, the story is much simpler than in the first film and the actors are mostly exchangeable or stereotypical as in the case of the crazy doctor for example. Fans of modern Hongkong cinema and historical fiction where traditional elements are overrun by modern effects will like this movie. Everyone else is invited to watch this fun ride once but more sophisticated viewers will probably forget about this film pretty soon. I still think that the concept behind this franchise has some potential and hope that there will be a third movie and that's why I'm willing to rate this film seven points instead of only six.

Copy from the Pirate of the Carabean

[somjai63 · 7/10 · 4 October 2013]

At the ending of the scene, the Dragon appeared. It attacked the ship. Suddenly I realized that I saw this scene before.

Yes, it was from the Dead Mans Chest big octopus scene from the Pirate of the Caribbean. The producer seemed to copy it from American Movies. It is not original.

Pirates of the Caribbean The Kraken Battle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq8EGbz4Puw

If you compare it, it is the same identical plot.

The title is not suitable for the story. The actors performed well. Feng Shao Feng is a rising star from the TV hit. I'm Chinese but I don't speak or understand Mandarin. I watch the Chinese drama and movies from Youtube or viki.com.

Sadly AMC theatre was empty. I and one couple were the only audience on thursday at 4:40 At AMC Bay (Emeryville, CA).

The movies should translate in English; not subtitle. I had trouble following it because it changed too fast. Too much fighting and I'm not sure about the story. That is one problem I don't care for Chinese movies. It is all about fighting and lacked of plot. I hook on Korean drama.

I also digged up some of the producer past movies. And, they were terrible. This one is amazingly well done as far as using the technology to create the product that is good as Hollywood.

The rare sequel even more riveting and enthralling than its predecessor, Tsui Hark sets a gold standard in blockbuster entertainment in Chinese cinema

[moviexclusive · 8/10 · 2 October 2013]

Legendary Hong Kong director Tsui Hark returns to the Tang Dynasty Sherlock Holmes character which, three years ago, gave his then-flailing film career a much needed shot in the arm. A prequel that sees Taiwanese actor Mark Chao stepping into the titular role once played so memorably by Andy Lau, 'Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon' also sees Tsui Hark building on his much-lauded maiden stereoscopic movie 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' by delivering a 3D spectacle that puts many of its Hollywood counterparts to shame. Yes, this is one of the rare films which boast of the 3D format that we will actually recommend paying to extra dollars just to see it with a pair of glasses on - and that is, we may add, from watching the 2D version no less.

Following a rousing prologue that sees the mighty navy of the Tang Dynasty decimated at sea by a massive underwater creature, Chao's opening narration establishes the time and place of the events that follow. It is 665 AD, the joint reign of Emperor Gaozong (Sheng Chien) and the Empress Wu Zetian (Carina Lau) during a time when the country is at war with the Fuyu kingdom. Dee is set to take a job as a magistrate at the Dalisi based in the capital of Luoyang, an organisation whose mission is to keep the peace and investigate any disturbances.

No thanks to the superstition of the common folk, the beautiful courtesan Yin Ruiji (Angelababy) is held as sacrifice to the sea monster at a temple. After he lip-reads a plot by some bad men to hold her ransom, Dee rushes to her rescue, only to be confronted by a human-like reptilian beast that slips away in the melee. Unfortunately for Dee, he isn't that lucky, his initiative to take action on his own earning the wrath of the head of the Dalisi, Yuchi Zhenjin (Feng Shaofeng), who throws him into prison.

Dee's rivalry with Yuchi is one of the recurring themes of the story, which pits the two as intellectual equals racing to crack the case before Zetian has the latter's head for incompetence. It is in prison that Dee meets the Uighur prison doctor Shaluo Zhong (Lin Gengxin), who will become an effectual sidekick Dee relies on for advice - especially as it becomes clear that the explanations he seeks to the phenomena going on around them are medical in nature.

Reunited with his 'Dee' scribe Zhang Jialu, Tsui Hark spins an intriguing mystery revolving around a nefarious conspiracy to overthrow the entire kingdom and its noblemen by an obscure fishing tribe known simply as the Dongdoers. Tsui's penchant for the fantastical remains intact here; and while the earlier 'Dee' had a talking deer, this one figures to throw in a white horse that can swim above and under water on its way to uncovering the origins of the 'Kraken'-like gargantuan monster as well as the half-human, half-reptile animal that seems obsessed with Ruiji. Granted that it does require some suspension of disbelief on the part of its viewer, but Tsui ultimately leaves no stone unturned in rationalising every single detail of his twisty plot.

More so than in the first 'Dee' movie, this one finds Tsui on a much more assured directorial footing juggling a detective story with a good bit of palace intrigue and even tongue-in-cheek humour thrown in for good measure. One of the most amusing bits of the movie is the antidote Shaluo and his master (Chen Kun) comes up with to purge the palace officials of the parasitic infestation taking root in them, a truly delightful little detail that Tsui even uses to end the movie on a high note in a special scene in the middle of the closing credits. Tsui's storytelling is brisk and engaging from start to finish, connecting the dots ever so fluidly from clue to clue as he pieces together a mesmerising tapestry of schemes and secrets.

Enabling his work at top form is an excellent technical team, most notably Kenneth Mak's exquisite production design, Lee Pik-kwan's opulent costumes and Bruce Yu's overall immaculate image design. It is as sumptuous a period epic as you have ever seen, and a most exciting one at that thanks to veteran action director Yuen Bun's cornucopia of gravity-defying wire-ful sequences. Bun and Lam Feng's choreography here most resembles that of Tsui's earlier 'wuxia' pictures, their integration with plenty of impressive CGI work clearly a product and testament of Tsui's vivid - and rather awe-inspiring - imagination that had also undoubtedly conceived the action in 3D right from the get-go.

Amid the visual spectacle, it is to the actors' credit that their characters remain more than one-dimensional. Feng does solid work as the stern Yuchi whose initial strong distrust of Dee gives way to admiration and even respect. Carina Lau doesn't have much screen time as the Empress, but where she appears, is never less than captivating in her regalness. But perhaps the greatest surprise here is Chao, who tempers Andy Lau's showiness with quiet charisma and wry intelligence that gives the titular character a more down-to-earth but no less humbling stature.

And once again therefore, Tsui Hark is back at the very top of his game with yet another outing of this Tang Dynasty sleuth. Coupling a finely spun mystery with splendid visuals and spellbinding martial arts action, Tsui cements his 'Dee' franchise as Asia's answer to Guy Ritchie's 'Sherlock Holmes'. Indeed, the title of this movie is a befitting metaphor of Tsui's own work here, he the metaphorical sea dragon that has risen from the depths of his own doldrums to set the gold standard in blockbuster entertainment for Chinese cinema.

A Solid 7 out of 10 Movie. Well worth watching for the action.

[swordsmax · 7/10 · 29 February 2016]

If you enjoy eastern kungfu movies, this is a good one to watch. It has some plots in it as the "detective" name implies. The plots are not so deep, but does a decent job to make you keep guessing as to who is behind the evil plot and what will happen next.

The fight scene is well choreographed and plots are pretty well tied together. The CGI is OK, not great when they try to do the ocean scenes, but much better on land fighting scenes. The slow-motion camera work made up for any flaws.

Dee is portrayed as very cunning and perceptive individual.

At the end of the day, it is a kungfu movie. A decent one to sit through for entertainment and plot intrigue.

Nothing like the first film, it's all fantasy, the first was science.

[donovan2419-913-598940 · 3/10 · 15 January 2016]

The first film, the Phantom Flame was a true intellectual adventure. We start to think we are watching a fantasy, with talking deer and such, then Dee figures out the tricks and it's all science or at least science fiction. There was a strong attempt to keep the story grounded in reality. I know the fights still used all the wire stuff, but it did not seem has hokey as in this movie.

This film is just pure fantasy from the start, with phony fighting and monsters. What's weird is they had a good story with a plausible scientific plot, then they threw all this phony stuff on top of it. I found myself laughing at it several times and not in a good way.

Why bother with the logical story, if you are going to have magic all around it?

The Sherlock Holmes of the Tang Dynasty is back in this outstanding adventure!!! Read on to find out why you MUST watch this!!!

[bobbystryker · 9/10 · 10 November 2013]

I may be late watching this but boy am I glad I did!

It really is a rare phenomenon when a sequel outshines its predecessor but I strongly feel that this is one of those occasions.

The original Detective Dee, starring Andy Lau as the uber detective in ye olde China (Tang Dynasty), was a love hate affair for me. I liked the premise of watching a genius Sherlock Holmes style detective in ancient China, incredibly smart, adept at martial arts; it had all the ingredients for a brilliant character. The outcome, although not bad, just felt underwhelming and never quite lived up to my expectations. There was very little super intelligent crime-solving going on; the crime itself was not that interesting and the end result was just another Andy Lau movie.

It looks like director extraordinaire, Tsui Hark, has since then really perfected the character. He's taken all the best elements from the original and fine-tuned them to produce this excellent movie.

The story opens with an impressive attack on a royal fleet of ships by a mysterious sea monster, the eponymous beast of the title. This of course leads to high alert and panic in the city as towns-folk worry they have upset the gods. In a bid to make the gods happy, the simple towns folk plan to sacrifice the beautiful courtesan Yin (Angelababy). Meanwhile, detective Yuchi (Feng Shaofeng) is given a mandate and time limit within which to find out what is really going on by Empress Wu (Carina Lau). Failure to break the case within the allotted time will mean his death.

Our hero, Dee Renjie (Mark Chao), arrives in the capital of Imperial China with a special commendation to be enlisted as part of the cities special police force. Before our young hero can even formally introduce himself to head Detective Yuchi, he stumbles on a plot to kidnap Angelababy by not only a group of thugs but also by a swamp monster man.

Dee's superior intellect is apparent right from the outset, he can see things others can't, sees connections and figures out puzzles quicker than anyone else. This of course does not go unnoticed by Empress Wu.

Much to detective Yuchi's annoyance, Dee is soon appointed head detective in charge of the case. But the humble detective Dee makes it clear he is not in the Imperial city for power, he simply wants to help people and uphold the law. He makes it clear that they must work together. Can Dee's intellect, Yuchi's fighting skills and help from their trustworthy assistant Dr. Watson Dr. Shatuo Zhong (Lin Gengxin), break the case??

I really enjoyed this movie. At first I was concerned that a younger cast may make the on-goings less believable, but quite to the contrary, they got the age skew of the cast just right. The cast was fresh and, in the absence of baggage associated with big name leads, allowed for the characters to be realized and fleshed out much better. There is excellent chemistry between our lead, his doctor assistant and rival lead detective Yuchi. It's great watching them work together to break the case. Angelababy is great as eye candy but that's all she really is this time round, much less proactive than her character in Tai Chi Zero and much more the classic damsel in distress.

Special mention needs to be made of the special effects, especially in the end sequence. I believe Tsui Hark enlisted the help of South Korean special affects maestros and the outcome is really pretty great.

The movie may be a tad long, but I never felt it was lagging or getting boring in the way I did with the 2010 movie. In fact, I really didn't want the movie to end! I really enjoyed watching the story unfold, watching the trio investigate and piece together the puzzle. The excellent direction and acting ensured I was right there with them as the mystery unfolded. Some moments of perfectly timed humour (make sure you stay for the post-credits scenes) helped to further ensure I was hooked from start to finish.

Dee is a great character, ultra smart, righteous and street savvy. He may be excellent at fighting but he's not the best. This just served to make the character more believable than the Andy Lau incarnation who was just too good at everything.

A great movie and a really great character, this movie managed to hit all the points the original missed. I can't wait for the next Detective Dee movie!

The only thing that would be better is a Sherlock Holmes and Detective Dee team up movie, but I guess I should keep dreaming.

Highly recommended!

Rating 9 out of 10

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If it's all finished, it's really a big series

[yoggwork · 6/10 · 20 February 2019]

The vase is beautiful and the music is pleasant. Unfortunately, besides pretending to be mysterious, the story has no trap at all, that is, telling a story in a straight line. In other words, the best part of the film is the sketch of the ending story. If it's all finished, it's really a big series.

Was I watching another film?

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 4 October 2015]

I'm surprised at overwhelmingly positive reviews for this film on here, because I feel like I watched a different film. Okay, I didn't like the original DETECTIVE DEE to begin with, so perhaps expecting to enjoy this one was doomed from the outset, but I had no idea I'd be sitting through one of the dumbest, most CGI-laden fantasy adventures since EMPEROR AND THE WHITE SNAKE.

If this is the way Chinese fantasy cinema is going, then I despair. YOUNG DETECTIVE DEE: RISE OF THE SEA DRAGON is a hopeless mess of a film, a sprawling action-adventure chock full of some of the worst CGI you'll ever see. As this is a 3D film, the viewer is constantly assailed by extremely poor looking CGI weapons flying out of the screen, but that's not enough. There's CGI jumping, CGI horses, CGI buildings, CGI backdrops, CGI everything really. Only the sea monster itself is a halfway decent bit of CGI. Everything else looks horrible, fake, like in a poor PC game.

The plot is nonsensical and long-winded and even when the villain is apprehended it somehow goes on for another hour or so. The actor playing the youthful Dee is wooden and uninteresting and with no big names in the cast list you're struggling for something to enjoy. The comic relief guy with the ape's arm is okay, I suppose. Tsui Hark seems to have plowed THE AVENGERS for inspiration, what with the incessant CGI action and the big angry green bloke, but his film is a total failure by comparison. YOUNG DETECTIVE DEE is a dog of a film, one that's packed to the brim with action but constantly bores you nonetheless.

A Sequel That Surpasses...

[resslerama · 6/10 · 25 June 2014]

I fall squarely in the camp of those who prefer this sequel to the original... I found Detective Dee to be a better made film in the sense that the acting was strong, time was spent on character development, tighter production values, etc., but somehow it was far from satisfying to an American sensibility. The Dee character wasn't strong or clever enough, the writing didn't come to a satisfactory conclusion, and the story was poor in both pacing and structure. There was hardly any 'detective' to Detective Dee.

This prequel, though lighter weight and more far-fetched in almost every other way, is at very least more entertaining. The characters are clearly drawn with obvious strengths and weaknesses, the film moves at a fast clip and yet manages to avoid being too confusing, and the first ending, the fight on Bat Island, delivers a sufficient payoff. Unfortunately Tsui Hark can't keep himself from concluding with a huge and derivative effects sequence, but at that point the film was essentially over. And don't miss the mid-credits comedy bits, cute enough to be worthwhile.

Overkilling

[adittyabarua · 6/10 · 8 August 2018]

Sense some HOMES there,but thinks that's all right..the story has some nice turning points.good to go movie..

Great, awesome, see it!

[jimlacy2003 · 8/10 · 12 February 2014]

I watch a fair amount of Asian cinema so I've seen a lot. This movie really stands out!

First of all the quality and quantity of special effects are very good. The interaction between the main characters, the mix of dark story lines, and the humor suburb. Overall the underlying story is interesting and compelling.

It's great fantasy fun!

I'm surprised this movie doesn't have a higher rating and appears to have had not much of a presence here in America. It's too bad there is no English dubbed version (not that I know off), and, or, they just didn't market it enough for a Western audience. A lot of people will probably just bump into this movie late at night at one time or another and be pleasantly surprised.

If you like action movies, epic fantasy stories, etc., you are probably going to love this movie.

Fairly generic Chinese Wu Shu action drama...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 18 June 2019]

I didn't know that "Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon" (aka Di Renjie: Shen du long wang") was directed by legendary director Tsui Hark. So of course, seeing this definitely put some expectations to the movie.

I must admit that while this Wu Shu action drama definitely has a good production, the storyline just failed short of being overly interesting. The plot and script just felt too generic and failed to stand up to the usual level of movies from Tsui Hark.

The acting in the 2013 movie "Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon" was actually good, and they had some nicely cast Chinese actors and actresses in the movie to perform the various roles. Now, I am not overly familiar with Mark Chao (playing Dee Renjie), but he definitely carried the movie quite well.

There is a lot of action in the movie, lots of wire-fu of course, as this is a Wu Shu martial arts movie. So expect lots of over-the-top jumping around and performing feats that no one ever could actually do. So that is of course an acquired taste, some like it, some don't.

For me, then "Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon" just felt like Tsui Hark embarked on a journey of wanted to accomplish a little bit more than he could muster here. And the movie felt like it didn't come full circle, leaving me somewhat disappointed when it ended.

"Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon" is definitely watchable, however it is not a movie that stands out as being remarkable in the mainland Chinese cinema, nor is it the finest moment in Tsui Hark's director career. Watchable sure, but mildly enjoyable.

Good WuXia Film from Tsui Hark

[vince_lee15 · 9/10 · 27 September 2013]

This is the first time i write a review at IMDb, please go easy on me, thanks! I was not expecting high on this movie because i was accompany my friend to watch it, what this movie got? High def quality in video & audio - checked! Good kungfu fighting scene - checked! Battle with sea monster(better than Pirate of the Caribbean) - checked! With these 3 factors, it already worth my money and time spent in the cinema! Acting is average among the casts, but Carina Lau definitely nailed it, WuZheTian is alive with her acting! The story is average, although it want to be like Sherlock Holmes, but the case they investigating didn't left much clue, just waiting the director to show us. Overall, it is the best Chinese WuXia film i watched in the recent years!

Stop with the CGI! JUST STOP

[ronaldocarey · 4/10 · 18 October 2019]

Ok, I know Tsui Hark as that extravagant movie maker but with substance. However, if one compare this movie to its predecessor, he will find this disappointing. That's because of the poorly executed CGI. It has ruined a lot of Chinese movies.

Sherlock's Previous Life

[westsideschl · 8/10 · 24 February 2014]

OK, perhaps a bit cultural centric but if you imaginatively wanted to know what Sherlock was doing in a previous life long ago, well, quite a long time ago then Dee is your man.

Haven't decided yet whether he needs a Watson since he's so Renaissance capable.

Great sets, graphics - hopefully they did their research and most (excluding the fantastical parts, of course) of the visuals are authentic recreations.

Martial arts scenes were typical wire with a bit more spins and tumbles and even more not so believable jumps. Acting is OK but not important as this film is about thought provoking storyline and dialogue. Speaking of dialogue it would be helpful if the subtitles stayed on a bit longer as we have to process both language and the visual nearly at once.

Great movie!

[dasa108 · 10/10 · 7 December 2020]

When you have a great story, a good character, a budget to do practically whatever you want and a talent for spawning something visually appealing, you come to a movie like this. Another wonder of Tsui Hark, with a story as elaborate as it is amazing. It is a film where the improbable and the impossible becomes everyday, where you must give yourself to the experience of immersing yourself in a fantasy world where wonder is the food of our eyes and ears. Detective Dee must again solve a problem that has dramatic elements and where betrayal is dormant in every frame. Great entertainment that ensures a dazzling experience.

A Visually Gorgeous Appetizer that won't Entirely Quench your Thirst for Entertainment

[totalovrdose · 8/10 · 21 January 2015]

Empress Wu (Carina Lau) will not allow the enemy forces invading Baekje Kingdom to win. She orders a garrison of warships to bring assistance to their allies, but the calm seas they are to sail upon are immediately fraught with peril, as an unseen monster completely decimates everything in its path. It is a colossal loss, and the beginning of the film that is Young Detective Dee.

Dee (Mark Chao) arrives in Luoyang, under orders to become a detective with the Da Lisi, the Capital's police force. Working alongside him in his quest for answers is Yuchi (Shaofeng Feng), who has little faith in Dee's capabilities, and a doctor, Shatuo (Lin Gengxin) who Dee appoints to assist. But the mountainous paranoia and fear gripping the Capital escalates when it's revealed there isn't just one monster attacking the city, but two, one of which is directly linked to the beautiful courtesan Yin (Angelababy).

What is most impressive about the film Young Detective Dee is its flawless ability to come together, after originally feeling so fragmented at the beginning, with a vast quantity of plots being moved about like pawns in a chess game. At the same time however, this is potentially its greatest flaw, the chronologically directed film being tied together in a nice little bow. In the end, there are no unanswered questions, and because of this, the film fails to stay with you after the credits have finished.

Although the movie is titled 'Young Detective Dee', Mr. Chao's Dee, despite been very likable and intelligent, occasionally seems to be out-staged by Mr. Feng's interpretation of Yuchi, a feat accomplished by their similar screen presence. Though Yuchi is the direct opposite to Dee, the film seems to fail in its attempt to develop Dee as the lead character.

The feature contains a number of the stereotypes often found in Chinese action films, including brilliant fight scenes, an intriguing conspiracy, and a gorgeous young woman, although Young Detective Dee also incorporates a wealth of beautiful visuals. The special effects are exceptionally outstanding, rivaling Hollywood's technical capabilities, and the acrobatic fight scenes, if not occasionally a little fake, are just as effective, but even more so with Kenji Kawai's impressive score. Moreover, the use of humor brings a lively sense of amusement, and nicely prohibits the film from becoming too serious. In a feature which contains fantastical elements, the logical explanation to this uniquely original case, which incorporates science and medicine, is a highly interesting concept, however, this originality does not stem throughout the entirety of the feature.

Some of Dee's detective skills mimic those seen recently in the American adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, while a number of the weapons share a similarity with those wielded in the Guillotines. A number of the ocean scenes will in all likelihood remind viewers of Pirates of the Caribbean, while one particular action scene set on a cliff, appears to be ripped right out of GI Joe Retaliation. Each of these particular components are fabulously executed, although the 'been there, done that' feel leaves the viewer hungry for something more.

Furthermore, a number of the action scenes seem to continue for longer than they should, and though each will surely entertain, this is accomplished by sacrificing the viewer's interest. One thing I fundamentally enjoy about Chinese cinema is I am almost always wowed by their action scenes, and though the scope and ambition of Young Detective Dee was massive, I was never hanging off the edge of my seat. On top of this, a number of the action scenes failed to employ any sense of realism, and even suspending one's own disbelief cannot justify how some of the characters are able to walk away unharmed from the massive fights they endured.

Young Detective Dee is a solid action film that won't keep you guessing, but will certainly keep your attention with its outstanding visuals. Though American films often have an over reliance on special effects, Chinese features are seldom similar in this respect, and this particular film's attempts to potentially impersonate a Hollywood feature is a decision that should not be attempted again lightly.

Best <3

[atorresnh · 10/10 · 13 October 2018]

*************************************** Best, é apenas isso .. merece 10* ***************************************

Style over substance

[TheBigSick · 28 July 2018]

The plot and character development are catastrophic, and simply lack any sense of believability. The visual effects are cheap and lousy. Some actors are just amateurs and give really bad performances. Yes, the production design and music score are OK, but they're just negligible compared to the defects.