"Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame" is an entertaining movie that couldn't be mistaken for anything else but what it is: a Hark Tsui's movie.
Detective Dee, an all-charm Andy Lau, has been in prison for 8 years because he opposed the wife of the deceased Emperor and her growing power. But after some mysterious killings happen just before she is to become Regent Empress, he is called back to help.
And little more. The plot is just empty air. You have some betrayals, some mysterious deaths, some investigation done by detective Dee, but really, the plot is little less than an excuse. There is almost zero detective work and little tension.
What it lacks in plot or character development (it doesn't help that everyone is overacting, something typical on the other hand in this type of movies), it more than makes up for in flashy set ups, nice fights and colorful environments (even if the CGI work can be... well, lacking). Tsui Hark knows how to make everything look amazing and the atmosphere is just great, and all the set ups are really cool (as the underground city). It all looks so good that it ends up leaving the viewer with a feeling of a wasted opportunity. Tsui Hark doesn't care much for pace or plot, more about set ups, pieces and fights. The movie could have been much better if it was more balanced. As it is, it is an enjoyable time in front of the screen, but don't go expecting much more.
Detective Dee, an all-charm Andy Lau, has been in prison for 8 years because he opposed the wife of the deceased Emperor and her growing power. But after some mysterious killings happen just before she is to become Regent Empress, he is called back to help.
And little more. The plot is just empty air. You have some betrayals, some mysterious deaths, some investigation done by detective Dee, but really, the plot is little less than an excuse. There is almost zero detective work and little tension.
What it lacks in plot or character development (it doesn't help that everyone is overacting, something typical on the other hand in this type of movies), it more than makes up for in flashy set ups, nice fights and colorful environments (even if the CGI work can be... well, lacking). Tsui Hark knows how to make everything look amazing and the atmosphere is just great, and all the set ups are really cool (as the underground city). It all looks so good that it ends up leaving the viewer with a feeling of a wasted opportunity. Tsui Hark doesn't care much for pace or plot, more about set ups, pieces and fights. The movie could have been much better if it was more balanced. As it is, it is an enjoyable time in front of the screen, but don't go expecting much more.