Rating: B
Dir: Wei Zhang
Star: Lin You Wei, Chen Rui, Hong Si Yang, Wang Ting Wen
a.k.a. River Beast
From the start, this one is a bit different. It declines to follow the usual six-minute rule, where online audiences have to be reeled in before they need to pay for the movie. Rather than a bang, this opens instead with an atmospheric sequence where a couple on a boat get menaced by an unseen presence in the water. It’s closer in tone to the opening of Jaws than most Chinese monster movies. But do not make the mistake of thinking it’s going to go all subtle and atmospheric on you. It’s not long before the titular, salamander-like creature is stomping through the streets of Tianjin, after an ill-considered attempt by authorities to blow it out of the water.
On the way back to its natural habitat, it snares a little girl, Ling Long (Wang) off the river-bank. Quite what it intends to do with her is left vague: I’ve a feeling it isn’t good. Equally unclear is why she doesn’t make any attempt to escape its lair in the sewers. Anyway, big mistake. For her father is Gu Zhi Yuan (Lin), who is either a former cop or gang member, depending on whether you believe the synopsis or the subtitles. He’s a widower, bringing up Ling Long with the help of his sister-in-law, journalist Tang Xiao Wei (Hong). Now, they have to track down the monster, after discovering it was the by-product of poorly conceived medical experiments.
It’s clear from early on that, if anyone can bring back Ling Long, it’s her father. While the film as a whole bears more than a slight resemblance to The Host, the largest bit of larceny is restaging the opening scene from Léon: The Professional. Seeking information, Gu pays a visit to a local mobster who is “entertaining”, dispatching all his minions before appearing out of the shadows behind hum, asking pointed questions, and vanishing the way he came in. It’s such a shameless steal, one can only appreciate its audacity. It’s not Wei’s sole bit of style: see also the decision to unfold the end credits in complete silence, albeit before the post-credit scene pointing to a sequel.
Which I really would not mind. This is only 68 minutes, but packs a lot in, and is constantly lively and energetic – albeit with a little too much running round the sewers, and repeated yelling of “Go to the ambush hole!” (Quite what the “ambush hole” might be, is left vague. I’ve feeling it isn’t good). The creature is rendered well, and doesn’t muck around, even getting to go full King Kong at one point (top). There’s a decent plot too, with corrupt government officials – it’s a period piece, so can get away with depicting things that could never possibly happen in modern China – and a scientist who may or may not be insane. Throw in likeable characters and you’ve got something which I enjoyed a lot.
This review is part of our feature, When Chinese Animals Attack.