Directed by:
Hu GuanComposer:
Andrew KawczynskiCast:
Haoming Yu, Yi Zhang, Wu Jiang, Qianyuan Wang, Xiaoqing Liu, Ethan Juan, Chen Yao, Kai Zheng, Xiaoming Huang, Ailei Yu, Jingwu Ma, Jiuxiao Li, Youhao Zhang (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Shanghai 1937. Its been 3 months since Japan launched the invasion of China and Japanese forces must take down the Si Hang Warehouse without further delay. As the Japanese army closes in, 400 soldiers stay holed in the warehouse to defend the city at all cost, in an epic battle that will last 4 days and 4 nights. The fighters include a ragtag band of brothers whod managed to successfully dodge military service; now theyre forced to fight, literally, for their lives. With the battle playing out in full view of both the expat Americans and Europeans living across the Su Zhou River, and the local Chinese civilians, the battle of the so-called Eight Hundred Heroes made world headlines; it was the first to be broadcast live around the world. (Cine Asia)
(more)Videos (1)
Reviews (3)
The highest grossing film of 2020 (460 million) is an instant classic and the best war film of the last ten years. From start to finish, it's an adrenaline-fueled, atmospheric, brutal and uncompromising ride as we follow 800 Chinese soldiers defending a warehouse in the middle of Shanghai from an enormous Japanese army. The spectacular visuals and attractive cinematography are so great that several times I felt like pausing the film to take a picture. The film rushes incredibly forward, it hardly leaves the battlefield as we follow the brave Chinese tasked with defending the warehouse for five whole days from waves of enemy soldiers. I liked that the action is everything one can expect in the war genre. Gorgeous and well thought out stealth action, sniping people trying to escape across a bridge, air raids, suicide bombers, close range knife fights and engaging firefights. As you watch, you feel like you're with the soldiers in the middle of a mad carnage where bullets are flying and tearing everything apart. The level of violence is really high and it's a joy to watch. I must also praise the great cinematography, the awesome sound design, where every siren or gunshot gives you instant goosebumps, and I enjoyed the characters, who don't get that much space, but there's a favourite for everyone. The atmosphere engulfed me like no film has in a long time and already at least five scenes have a chance to become iconic. An absolute must for fans of history and spectacular warfare. A gem to be archived! Anyone who gives less than three stars is permanently unfriended and will become Infernal Enemy numero uno. Story*****, Action*****, Humor>No, Violence*****, Entertainment*****, Music*****, Visuals*****, Atmosphere*****, Suspense*****. 10/10.
()
This is the second film about the Second Sino-Japanese War I've seen within a short time, and, honestly, yesterday's film was much more powerful. The Chinese creators really leaned into melodrama this time around, which is a real shame because otherwise, they stuck closely to the actual events. The story of defending the warehouse against the overwhelming Japanese forces was already a gripping subject for a film. The plot was unnecessarily stretched out which felt like a disservice to the bravery of these undisputed Chinese heroes. The film also shed light on a troubling aspect: how the defenders of democracy at the time shifted from their original stance of non-interference (in Asia) to later directly betraying their allies in Europe.
()
I was quite cautious with the reviews; most people were praising the film almost to the heavens, so I had to see for myself whether it was as good as they said. First off, the film deals with a real historical event where the last eight hundred Chinese soldiers defended a warehouse in Shanghai against the Japanese. I understand that the filmmakers might have embellished things to fit their vision (though there wasn’t too much melodrama, so I’m giving them a pass), but that doesn’t change how packed this war film is! Once you settle into your seat, the movie immediately hits you with a barrage of adrenaline-pumping moments. Personally, I find the action sequences to be the best aspect; the filmmakers delivered a spectacle that is hard to forget (now I understand the $80 million budget). The sound design was perfect, as was the editing, which I didn’t find chaotic but rather clear and well-organized. I get that the characters are somewhat sidelined, but I see this as a major reason why the film can’t claim the top spot in the genre. Nevertheless, the audiovisual quality is top-notch. A surprising 8/10.
()
Gallery (91)
Photo © Youplanet Pictures
![The 800 - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/166/378/166378204_82b76b.jpg)
Ads