【電影簡(jiǎn)介】

唐高宗末年，高宗與武則天（劉嘉玲飾）力排眾議出兵攻打敵國(guó)，豈料艦隊(duì)出海遭遇事故損失慘重。年少的狄仁杰（趙又廷飾）初到洛陽(yáng)便卷入他人擄掠花魁銀睿姬（Angelababy飾）一案，幾經(jīng)波折解救睿姬并獲得大理寺卿尉遲真金（馮紹峰飾）信任，攜尉遲與沙陀忠（林更新飾）一同查辦“龍王案”，而睿姬昔日情郎元鎮(zhèn)（金范飾）則成為破案關(guān)鍵。與此同時(shí)，神秘人、巨型海怪以及有關(guān)皇族的安危的陰謀接連而至，洛陽(yáng)城陷入一片危機(jī)四伏之中。

【音頻文本】

When you decide to watch Tsui Hark's new film, "Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon," don't be fooled by its title. The word "detective" doesn't guarantee a detective story, but a crime-action film packedwith magnificent action scenes with the aid of upgraded filming gadgets and technique.

In his latest outing, the Hong Kong director presents a prequel to his 2010 box office hit, "Detective Deeand the Mystery of the Phantom Flame". The story traces the footstep of Tang Dynasty official, Dee Renjie,as he starts his political career in the capital city of Luoyang. His arrival coincides with a devastatingattack on the empire's naval fleet: an entire armada is allegedly annihilated by a sea dragon. Dee's boss,Yuchi, is charged to root out the attackers. He will need the help of Dee and many others to solve the case and uncover a conspiracy against the empire.

Just like many other contemporary detective films, for example the new Sherlock Holmes series starring Robert Downey. Jr., "Rise of the Sea Dragon" doesn't offer a satisfactory detective story. The audience wouldmost likely have an idea of what the story is all about after they've seen a quarter of the narrative, so there is no room for any kind of suspension at all. Perhaps, the directors of today are less willing to risk challenging the viewers' intellect. I guess we'll just have to keep paying for mediocre stories, unlessenough of us decided to otherwise make a difference.

Fortunately, Tsui Hark is the kind of director that likes to try new things. Tsui is previously known for his work involving the world of martial arts, or Wuxia, but in recent years, he's been seeking new ways topresent his world. In 2011, he adopted IMAX filming techniques when making "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate."This time, in "Rise of the Sea Dragon," he pushes himself further by filming 3D underwater scenes. His efforts were not un-rewarded, as many of the magnificent action scenes were reminiscent of "Pirates of Caribbean"--only better.

Tsui's enterprising spirit is also show in his selection of cast members. Apart from Lau Kar-ling, who plays the Tang Empress, all major characters are portrayed by younger generation actors and actresses. The new blood brings vitality to the cast, but also weakens the characterization.

Throughout his career, Tsui Hark has created many distinctive characters, but during his experiment with "Rise of the Sea Dragon," the director traded story and character development for greater visual spectacles, a stronger sense of modernity and better box office returns. For the audience, the visuals alone may be satisfactory enough, but is it really a good trade? Tsui Hark himself will be the judge of that.

On a scale of one to 10, I give "Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon" a seven.

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