Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bruce B

  
  One over the top power packed film, Doesn't get any better, plenty of action packed scenes. The acting and costumes are unreal, Can't imagine on the big screen or in blue ray. 5 stars 4-10-12

• Lewis C

  
  Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame boasts some amazing visuals and action scenes, but the disjointed story and clunky subtitles stop it from being as good as it could have been. There's more than enough imagination, action, and mystery here to keep one… More
  Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame boasts some amazing visuals and action scenes, but the disjointed story and clunky subtitles stop it from being as good as it could have been. There's more than enough imagination, action, and mystery here to keep one entertained, but a few tweaks could have made this an even better movie.

• Jason S

  
  While it looks great and the acting is good the film dives into the silly way to often. About halfway through I fell asleep due to boredom and awoke to find the last twenty minutes very enjoyable.

• danny d

  
  i watched this with five other friends who "laugh tracked" the film the whole way through. i was the lone voice of pleasure as although this is a very bizarre movie in so many ways, i thought it to be wonderfully weird. expect many elements of fantasy in this historical… More
  i watched this with five other friends who "laugh tracked" the film the whole way through. i was the lone voice of pleasure as although this is a very bizarre movie in so many ways, i thought it to be wonderfully weird. expect many elements of fantasy in this historical epic, not just in the method of action sequences but in the story itself. the mystery could have been bolstered by more creativity, but overall i enjoyed this film.

• Zack B

  
  It took a few days for me to process this one well enough to review it. The pros? Visually stunning (especially for a film with only a $20 million dollar budget), a fantastic mesh of beautiful and ridiculous fight choreography, delightfully campy at times, and a magic deer delivers… More
  It took a few days for me to process this one well enough to review it. The pros? Visually stunning (especially for a film with only a $20 million dollar budget), a fantastic mesh of beautiful and ridiculous fight choreography, delightfully campy at times, and a magic deer delivers exposition. The cons? Lack of coherency goes too far, the film drags in a number of places, the budget clearly affected the quality of the cinematography (which gets in the way of the otherwise magnificent aesthetic), and the magic deer that delivers exposition turns out to be not-so-magical after all. Much of the confusion may be cleared up for any fans of the numerous myths and stories about Detective Dee and his influence on the Tang dynasty, but I'm doubting that's many folks who are reading this right now. When it excels, usually when it goes to sheer ridiculousness (see the trailer for the poor deer's demise) or poetic action, the film is vastly enjoyable. When it tries to get serious, plot twisty, or even political at times, I wonder why I'm being asked to make sense of a world that should clearly operate sans reason and logic. And yet choice after choice after choice gets made, and at times the storytelling ability seems very high. So while I never subscribe to the formula of genre and appreciate movies which complicate our typical categories, I couldn't help thinking this one needed a more specific direction, because the second it gets muddy, it's a very poor movie indeed. Can't really recommend it, unless you want bits and pieces of brain candy and can make-out with someone the rest of the time...

• Greg S

  
  When court officials start spontaneously bursting into flames as her coronation approaches, Empress Wu suspects a conspiracy and hires the one man she believes can uncover it: Detective Dee, whom she imprisoned years ago for treason. It's a mix of mystery, intrigue, fantasy,… More
  When court officials start spontaneously bursting into flames as her coronation approaches, Empress Wu suspects a conspiracy and hires the one man she believes can uncover it: Detective Dee, whom she imprisoned years ago for treason. It's a mix of mystery, intrigue, fantasy, spectacle, and kung fu; what's not to like?

• Steve K

  
  Fun Indiana Jones/mysticism hybrid film about royal and court intrigue in ancient China. A little long in the tooth but has lots of eye candy, some great fight scenes, and a nice sense of humor.

• Mark H

  
  Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a eye popping cartoon fantasy. The details are where the spectacle shines. There's a towering Buddha statue being constructed that is a particularity majestic set piece. The production design is phenomenal. To Western… More
  Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a eye popping cartoon fantasy. The details are where the spectacle shines. There's a towering Buddha statue being constructed that is a particularity majestic set piece. The production design is phenomenal. To Western audiences it's reminiscent of pictures like Crouching Tiger or Hero. But Detective Dee is more fanciful than either of those flicks. It's ridiculously over the top, verging on the convoluted actually. The action is a blend of CGI and martial arts and it's dizzying display that is a wonder to behold. The feature is a comic book brought to life. Not unlike the classic movie serials that were made in the U.S. from the golden age of 1936 to 1945, the narrative has all the hallmarks of those short subjects. We've got the hero, the sidekick, the heroine, the heavy. There are multiple cliffhangers, each one more hair-raising than the next. The difference is it's all done within the context of China during the Tang dynasty. It's fun to watch but there's not much depth behind it. Overall the movie succeeds in spite of it's flaws. Wu Zetian, the empress of China, isn't particularly likeable. She exiled our protagonist in prison for 8 years because she didn't like his opinion of her. He's released solely because she needs his help. The chronicle is criminally overlong and it's plodding in parts. You'll feel every single one of those 122 minutes, And yet, there's a lot of visual style and creativity to love here. How can you not admire a story with a talking stag? The fight choreography is courtesy of master Sammo Hung and it's powerful, as expected. The whole film is a visually impressive spectacular. Your eyes will be engaged the entire time. Your brain? Not so much. Detective Dee is an enthralling piece of cinematic hokum.

• Tsubaki S

  
  With the right sensibilities to mix the supernatural, martial arts, a detective story and historical drama Detective Dee is a blast to watch. Tsui Hark still can do it. Of course, it helps that the script is tight, and the entire cast spot on. Add Sammo as the action director and you… More
  With the right sensibilities to mix the supernatural, martial arts, a detective story and historical drama Detective Dee is a blast to watch. Tsui Hark still can do it. Of course, it helps that the script is tight, and the entire cast spot on. Add Sammo as the action director and you just can't say no to this. Is an spectacle done very much right, another lesson for big movie studios in how to do an ellaborated action movie that doesn't insult the audience's intelligence.

• Dean M

  
  A solid story with georgeous cinematography from the legendary director Tsui Hark, who is the gun responsible for <i>Once Upon a Time in China</i> and getting John Woo's action career off the ground, is well at home with this comically bizarre fantasy. This period… More
  A solid story with georgeous cinematography from the legendary director Tsui Hark, who is the gun responsible for <i>Once Upon a Time in China</i> and getting John Woo's action career off the ground, is well at home with this comically bizarre fantasy. This period film has an interesting mystery at its heart with lots of red herrings and twists. The story follows Detective Dee (Andy Lau) as he's brought out of his political imprisonment to investigate a series of murders during the lead-up to the coronation of the first female Emperor. There some plot inconsistencies and problems, but they're small. The lead actors are all very good, including Lau, Bingbing Li, Carina Lau, and Chao Deng. All in all, it's a compelling film not overloaded with action-for-the-sake-of-action that looks at an interesting period in China's history.

• Justin Y

  
  <i>Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame</i> has a nice mixture of action and fantasy thanks to director Tsui Hark.<p>An enticing opening sequence starts the film off before the title even appears on screen. From this point forward it is an… More
  <i>Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame</i> has a nice mixture of action and fantasy thanks to director Tsui Hark.<p>An enticing opening sequence starts the film off before the title even appears on screen. From this point forward it is an investigative journey to the end. The story never digresses and this is because there are multiple pieces to the puzzle that easily fill up a film that is just under 2 hours.</p><p>The effects are mixed, but are hardly a blow in the grand scheme of things. The martial arts choreography is splendid which include some stand out weapons along the way. There is a little disappointment when it comes to the camera angles and editing, but overall the action is enjoyable.</p><p>The casting is good all around with some special appearances. Andy Lau is a fine choice for Detective Dee, while Li Bingbing and Deng Chao favorably round out the investigative trio.</p><p><i>Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame</i> pleases on many levels and it is a Chinese mystery worth viewing.</p>

• Donnie D

  
  If there is anything lacking in the Martial Art genre is mystery. Detective Dee is not your conventional Martial Art film which will distant some audience, but for me it was a welcome the genre. Detective Dee is not for everybody and the story will keep some away… More
  If there is anything lacking in the Martial Art genre is mystery. Detective Dee is not your conventional Martial Art film which will distant some audience, but for me it was a welcome the genre. Detective Dee is not for everybody and the story will keep some away for several reasons. For starter our detectives over explain the crime scenes. As much as I like details in movies, I found it tiring to read (or hear the optional dubbed version) about how a chemical works to combust someone into flames from the inside. Over Explaining should be the least of your worry if you're a fan of the genre as Detective Dee includes star Andy Lau fighting against CGI talking Deers. Now back on track to the story, it`s fascinating only when it`s not focusing on over explaining. This uneven pace in storytelling is really distracting and takes you out of the experience. Just as when you think the movie is getting interesting it'll stop and explain what happened in a scene. The case itself is quite interesting as it`s unusual and taking you to visually stunning locations. Which includes the Phantom Bizarre which is heavy on special effects, inside of a 60 foot tall Buddha, the empress palace are among the locations to name a few. One common characteristics in the Martial Art movie i've seen is often simplicity. You won`t find that here thanks to the many unique characters the movie has to offer. Sure they won't be anything special, but they stand out among the genre that gives too many characters trying to redeem themselves or fighting against the oppressing Chinese. Each of them have their own goals, motivation, and a past to conquer which gives our detectives and the rest of the characters their own personality. Despite the uneven pace and over explaining the crime scenes, Detective Dee is saved by a fascinating cast of characters and a unusual take on the genre. Alright now the actual Martial Art which will, once again, divide audience. It`s heavy on wires work, special effective heavy, and some action scenes actually last longer than necessary. Yet they're visually appealing. Where else are you going to see Andy Lau fight a Deer with Martial Art or against a mysterious phantom that can multiply. Though the action scene themselves aren't spectacular, they are unlike anything you'll see in the genre. Leading actor Andy Lau does a good job, though his performance here wasn't as engrossing like his previous efforts. The movie acting come from actresses Carina Lau and Li Bingbing. Carina Lau performance as We Zetian was excellence, engrossing into the movie, and flawless in her portrayal. Li Bingbing was just as fantastic, mainly because she has more screen Carina Lau and is involved in most of the action scenes. The rest of the male cast weren't bad, but they easily got overshadowed by the women in terms of acting. The special effects are good and there is a lot of surprises. The CGI is not, though some effort was put into it. Overall Detective Dee has great production values. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flames is an unconventional movie combining Martial Arts and Mystery to good results. If you want to experience a Martial Art movie unlike any other, this is the movie for you. With great characters and a great cast Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flames is worth checking out.

• Mike N

  
  While it mostly apes various splinter genres of the Chinese historical epic / fantasy action film, Detective Dee adds a visual panache and keeps a certain story integrity to make the style feel at least somewhat unique. The central mystery is probably over-explained at times, and I… More
  While it mostly apes various splinter genres of the Chinese historical epic / fantasy action film, Detective Dee adds a visual panache and keeps a certain story integrity to make the style feel at least somewhat unique. The central mystery is probably over-explained at times, and I never got a strong sense that Dee was a brilliant, Holmesian detective (to match what the story kept insisting to the audience), despite (or maybe because of) Andy Lau's over-serious countenance. But there are a few wonderfully-realized sequences (such as the Phantom Bazaar scenes) that kept the film from falling into completely boring rehash. Though the film is probably 20 minutes too long and needed a lot of tightening in the script, I'm keeping my eye open for any possible future Detective Dee films.

• Jason T

  
  This is basically China's answer to Sherlock Holmes except when you put this kind of talent on screen, combine it with a guy like Sammo Hung behind the martial arts choreography, and throw in some great cinematography and you have yourself a legit movie that stands on its own.… More
  This is basically China's answer to Sherlock Holmes except when you put this kind of talent on screen, combine it with a guy like Sammo Hung behind the martial arts choreography, and throw in some great cinematography and you have yourself a legit movie that stands on its own. Absolutely loved the blend of fantasy and steampunk into a period Chinese movie... it sounds weird but once you watch the movie it just works.

• Chihoe H

  
  The cast, costume designs and cinematography are good enough reasons to give "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame" a try, and the fantasy-action mystery steeped in history and superstitions only add to a well-rounded narrative. Although the visual effects were… More
  The cast, costume designs and cinematography are good enough reasons to give "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame" a try, and the fantasy-action mystery steeped in history and superstitions only add to a well-rounded narrative. Although the visual effects were a hit and miss, the martial arts choreography provides a spectacle on film, paying homage to popular Chinese martial arts film of decades past.

• Dedy N C

  
  Epic movies with Andy Lau? Do you know what Im thinking? Heroes Died... There are people that like Heroes that died in ending, but others are hate of that if everytime watched epic Chinese movies the ending show that the heroes died. 1st Time That was snap in my mind. But I… More
  Epic movies with Andy Lau? Do you know what Im thinking? Heroes Died... There are people that like Heroes that died in ending, but others are hate of that if everytime watched epic Chinese movies the ending show that the heroes died. 1st Time That was snap in my mind. But I watched it, Nice movies, Investigator... Good for people that loves history like me... Still there are some heroes died, but Andy Lau (Detective Dee) lives but... hehehe33. Just Watch It!

• Alec B

  
  The first half, when its absolutely insane and nothing makes any sense (there is a talking deer that is rather amusing), is far better than the second. In all honesty, the attempts made to logically answer the mystery is rather boring. There is also an unpleasant sexism here, and… More
  The first half, when its absolutely insane and nothing makes any sense (there is a talking deer that is rather amusing), is far better than the second. In all honesty, the attempts made to logically answer the mystery is rather boring. There is also an unpleasant sexism here, and while I understand that the period in which the film takes place that was not unusual, the depiction of Empress Wu as nothing more than a scheming shrew isn't really fair. Also the "lesson" The Dee character gives her at the end is pretty offensive.

• Lesley N

  
  A combination of Tang Dynasty setting, kung fu fighting , detective plot, spontaneously combusting characters and talking reindeer.... what more could you want? Easy on the eye too. <img… More
  A combination of Tang Dynasty setting, kung fu fighting , detective plot, spontaneously combusting characters and talking reindeer.... what more could you want? Easy on the eye too. <img src="http://www.bjcarnival.com/uploads/allimg/c110304/12c22FSGJ0-4I14_lit.jpg">

• Jay R

  
  Decent flick. Would have liked to see some more fight scenes but the visuals were stunning and the story was decent enough.

• Anthony V

  
  This a throwback to the great Tsui Hark films of the 80s and 90s (Swordsman II and Chinese Ghost Story, etc). It plays like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" meets "Hellboy". The performances are terrific with Andy Lau dead on as Detective Dee, to the point where… More
  This a throwback to the great Tsui Hark films of the 80s and 90s (Swordsman II and Chinese Ghost Story, etc). It plays like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" meets "Hellboy". The performances are terrific with Andy Lau dead on as Detective Dee, to the point where you forget he's Andy Lau and only see him as the character. Lots of whimsy and surprises combine with great action sequences to create a world we hope to re-visit.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings