The Great Wall Review: 6 Ups & 5 Downs

By Jack Pooley / February 17, 2017

3. Plot & Characters Are Virtually Non-Existent

If you're looking for a compelling narrative and well-drawn characters, you've absolutely come to the wrong place. The Great Wall is a movie concerned with big set-pieces and elemental ideas, but little in terms of nuance and intelligence.

The narrative is extremely thin and doesn't go far beyond "guy shows up to help Chinese army kill green monsters", while the characters are pure archetype and you'll probably struggle to even remember most of their names.

It is a film centered around its action more than anything, which isn't a huge problem, but if you're expecting something as well-written as some of Zhang Yimou's other movies, you'll be disappointed.