Back when Hollywood tried to enter the Chinese theater market (Before Covid-19 and Trump's tariffs changed everything), The results were ... OK, for how non -elegant as you would imagine. Sometimes, let's be fair, the studio found organic ways to descend into the Middle Kingdom, as when Meg included several lead Chinese characters (making the title attack on the third act of the Sanja Bay, to feel less accidental). Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the spectrum, there is an "Iron Man 3", which featured Kimo from experienced Chinese actor Wang Xuke for no apparent reason ... unless you happen to watch the continued Chinese cut of the film.

Exactly this particular environment Pedro Pascal has found himself on the heels of his twist Favorite horny Dornish Hot-head, Oberin Martel, of "Game of Thrones". For his first endeavor in the world of Tentpoles, Pascal chose to go with the "Great Wallid" in 2017, a joint production of China/United States that Matt Damon had starred and respected Chinese director Angang Jimu ("Raise Red Lantern", "Hero") Eyelo (Then best known for his writing on Damon's "Burn" films) and the author of "World War Z", Max Brooks. With a premise involving other world-attacking creatures attacking ancient China, the whole company seemed to be an original, imaginative blockbuster of the east-run-west, which Hollywood and China were supposed to do together.

Or do it? Since film marketing focused a lot on Damon's view of horsetail by saving the people of China from aliens, people developed understandably worried that this was just an excuse for Hollywood to erase more white savior nonsense than our heads. (Obviously as much as it may seem in 2025, the whole situation also opened a lot of people's eyes on the fact that Asian audiences have A. a lot Different relationships with the national team in the media rather than Asian-American film movements.

But in the truth? That's much nicer than that.

From the moment we meet them, it is obviously Damon and Pascal's characters in the "Great Wallid" - a pair of European mercenaries that pamper China in the hope of getting their mys on a profitable powder - not the heroes of this story. Not only that, but also every other Wester who appears in the film (namely, an Englishman played by Willem Dafo) is shown equally selfish and disinterested in helping everyone, but himself, even after learning that the whole "monsters of space that attacks China" (ie the cause of China is formed. Wallid).

The Chinese waters of the film, on the other hand, are shown as unwavering unselfish, to the degree that becomes impossible for Damon's Fortune soldier no To admire them and eventually try their way of thinking. In the end, the "Great Wallid" is less nationalist than The controversial spy thriller of Angang "Cliff Walkers" (only the champion of Eastern Collectivism over Western individualism), but it is unmistakably propaganda. However, in context, most likely the American supporter of the film, the legendary images, saw this as a sure way to complain to Chinese audiences, while also using Damon as a carrot to hang in front of the noses of those states.

Of course, the "Great Wallid" is pro-Chinese propaganda does not mean that it is deprived of artistic merit. (The good knows that we Americans are the last people who need to walk with their fingers in other countries to make a shameless ingoing party.) No, the questions with the film are much more basic than that; Namely, his conspiracy and characters are insincere and flat, while the bold colors, the hot emotions and the blinding action of Angang Vucosia are known to be replaced here with lazy, sexual, sexual, spectacle for flap and shaking (except for culmination). No wonder the fluent film received the world on the way to losing about $ 75 million (after The deadline).

However, Pascal is released well, portraying his character as a charming scandal, which sincerely is still much more interesting than Damon's reform anti -hero until the end of the film. Even when the film fell flat on his face, it was obvious that he was going to places.