Starring Matt Damon, Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Andy Lau and Willem Dafoe

Directed by Zhang Yimou

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, out now

A tired mercenary helps to defend China’s Great Wall against a threat he can barely comprehend…

This is that comparative rarity at the moment – a blockbuster movie that isn’t based on a pre-existing IP (whether it’s a superhero or a previous film series) – and equally rarely, I regret not seeing this on the big screen. Director Zhang Yimou brings an epic scale to this international co-production with some truly astounding effects, and some very impressive production design: some of the sets that you’ll swear had to be created by computer graphics were built for real, as the extras demonstrate.

It’s not the most original story in the world, but it’s entertaining and engaging; if you find there are a few plot jumps, check out Mark Morris’ enjoyable novelisation which sorts these out admirably (whether through his own interpolation or by using scenes cut from the final movie). It’s quite definitely not a tale of the white man coming to save the poor Chinese, as some made it out to be – if anything, at least for the early part of the film, the white man in question (Damon’s mercenary) is far more of a hindrance than a help. The film switches easily, as appropriate, between languages, with the audience occasionally ahead of the Western characters.

You may wince occasionally at some of the performances (Willem Dafoe in particular) but let’s be honest, this isn’t a film that you’re watching for the deep characterisation and the Academy Award level acting: it’s the action sequences and the novelty of the environment. The Lord of the Rings used its New Zealand location to good effect, but these had been seen on the small screen before; China is considerably less well known.

Verdict: It’s not ever going to rate as one of Matt Damon’s greatest performances or movies, but there’s much more to enjoy here than the original reviews would have you believe – an entertaining 103 minuets. 7/10

Paul Simpson

The Great Wall is available now on digital, 4K Ultra HD, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and on demand from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Legendary Pictures