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The first few minutes of the film would remain close to my heart, especially because the pace reminded me of period drama-type films like ‘The Draughtsman Contract’ (1982) and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ (2005). Elements of fantasy are also present throughout the film, and somehow they fit in quite nicely. It must be said though that certain parts can be challenging to grasp, regardless of the language barrier. I picked this movie only because I realised I had to delay watching the much talked about book-to-film adaptation ‘The Garden of Evening Mists’.

The later part of the film is where most of the fighting scenes take place. So by this point, the pace of the film, you could say, is vastly different from when it started. You’ll also get a rough idea of the tea plantations in China.

With a runtime of about two hours, this film is rated P13 in Malaysia. Cast members include Jackie Chan, whose deceased parents used to work for the French ambassador in Hong Kong, Charles Dance, who had a major role in ‘The Imitation Game’ (2014), as well as the Austrian-American former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger. Please note that this film is a sequel to the 2014 film ‘Forbidden Kingdom’.

Many Russian and Chinese names made this film come to fruition. The audio is in part-English and part-Chinese. Subtitles are available.

The film is marketed as ‘Viy 2: Journey to China’ for the Chinese audience.

The film was released in Malaysia 9 January 2020.