'The Great Wall' is amusing, unimpressive
By Setenay Mufti | March 13“The Great Wall" (2016) -- released Dec. 15, 2016 in China and Feb. 17, 2017 in the United States -- blends bits of Chinese history and mythology with good old American heroism to create, if nothing else, an entertaining action movie. It all begins with two European mercenaries named William Garin (Matt Damon) and Pero Tovar (Pedro Pascal), who have traveled to China in search for explosive “black powder” to aid them in battle.They hit the Great Wall and are captured by soldiers of the Nameless Order, led by General Shao (Zhang Hanyu) and his protegee Commander Lin Mae (Jing Tian), but the soldiers are busy expecting the incoming threat of the Tao Tei, large reptilian monsters that attempt to breach the Wall and lay siege on all of China. William and Lin take a liking to each other, but as the danger of total oblivion becomes imminent, William is faced with the choice of escaping or staying to fight.
