In recent years, there have been a number of films in the Chinese-language film market that have grossed more than 100 million yuan, and although these films have been commercially successful, their quality is often disappointing, and these films have obvious flaws in terms of script, acting and plot. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of 10 such films, which have achieved remarkable box office results but are hardly complimentary in terms of content quality, and we hope that through the analysis of these examples, the industry and audiences will pay more attention to the quality of the films, and promote the development of Chinese-language films to a higher artistic standard.
1. "Hello, Li Huanying" box office: 5.413 billion
Although the movie "Hello, Li Huanying" played some outdated time-traveling memes, the final emotional reversal did touch the hearts of the audience, however, the processing of this reversal seems cumbersome and lengthy, lacking streamlining, and the script seems to have a strong sense of patchwork and scattered structure. Jia Ling's sincerity and praise of mother's love are understandable, but the film's presentation is reminiscent of the Thanksgiving Conference in elementary school, the plot is too deliberately sensational, this form is difficult to resonate with the audience, even the true feelings are over-exaggerated, making people feel that the emotional expression is too blunt.
2. "Man Jianghong" box office: 4.544 billion
Filled with lengthy power struggles, unbearable, poorly casting, and actors' performances, the film is filled with a collage of elements from Zhang Yimou's previous works, but instead of generating new sparks, these elements seem stale. Treating patriotism as a commercial operation is not only a blasphemy of the patriotic spirit, but also a contempt for the audience's intelligence, from the plot to the acting, to the theme and the box office, it is a mockery of the audience, as if the audience has become a kindergarten student, blinded by hypocritical patriotic feelings.
3. "Detective Chinatown 3" box office: 4.523 billion
The third part of "Detective Chinatown" continues Chen Sicheng's vulgar style, the film is full of luxurious scenes and speechless advertising placement, there is no aesthetic at all, and what is more embarrassing than the second part is that the plot sublimation of the film seems abrupt and naïve. Despite the excellent performances of Japanese actors and European and American music, the mash-up feels inconsistent, the storytelling lacks empathy, and the vulgar flattery and shoddy production make it seem insincere, the reasoning relies in part on anecdotes, and the jokes seem patchwork.
4. "All or Nothing" box office: 3.85 billion
The plot clues are disappointing, the character image is thin, the sense of reality is lacking, the plot design is as disappointing as an improper operation case, there is no realistic weight, and the so-called large-scale spectacle is only catering to the curiosity of some audiences, lacking real anti-fraud significance. The film is full of elements that cater to a self-righteous audience, and loses its cautionary and educational nature, and I don't think the uncut version or part of the plot will save the film, because its incendiary nature is difficult to change, and even a few changes can't hide its inherent problems.
5. "Disappearing Her" box office: 3.524 billion
Trying to borrow from parts of "The Invisible Guest" and "Manslaughter" but failing to innovate, Chen Sicheng's market acumen picks the right theme, but his personal image and disrespect for women call into question his motives, and the characters in the film serve the plot, showing labeling, and the performances appear fake and contrived. The story design is too fabricated to be immersive, and in addition, the image of the capitalist's daughter as a love brain seems extremely unrealistic, more like the product of male fantasy, which is difficult to convince.
6. "Hot and Hot" box office: 3.282 billion
Trying to win the box office by moving the audience, but this shoddy format is really disappointing, the film scandalizes female characters other than the protagonist, even passers-by, and the so-called feminism is just a disguise. The dilemma in reality is far from the plot in the movie, the film seems to be detached from reality, instead of continuing to make this kind of meaningless film, it is better to make "The Biography of Jia Ling", to show the audience a good way of life of the bourgeoisie, and maybe it can bring more box office and audience resonance.
7. "Lonely on the Moon" box office: 3.103 billion
It ends in tragedy, but its over-rendering of male heroism is uncomfortable, the film tries to play a heroic triumphant song, but the effect is not ideal, the pattern of happy twist is still limited, although the setting is set on the moon, but the narrative focus is still on the meaning of men's survival. Compared with the high concept of "The Wandering Earth", the most shocking clip of "Lonely on the Moon" is the Moon Mourning Hall, which may be the uniqueness of science fiction films in today's market, however, the current film market is full of main themes and happy twist films, and the audience's choice has become narrow.
8. "Chinese Captain" box office: 2.912 billion
"Captain China" tells the story behind the crash, but the film's narrative is too lengthy and lacks climax, and although the film shows the professionalism of Liu Chuanjian and other crew members, the film's presentation is bland and cannot match its real heroic deeds. The special effects in the film are excellent, but the overall film lacks the shocking power it deserves, it seems decent, and it fails to fully show the greatness of the archetypal characters and archetypal events, which makes people feel that the film is not worthy of the excitement and shock of real events at all.
9. "This Killer Is Not Calm" box office: 2.627 billion
"This Killer Is Not Calm" is full of farce elements, the jokes are lackluster, although it is somewhat improved compared with last year's "Hello, Li Huanying", but it still lacks soul, the sensational part of the film seems embarrassing, the adapted script seems perfunctory, and the character motives and plot are like child's play. Wei Xiang's performance has made people feel physically uncomfortable, and Ma Li's female star image is not convincing at all, not so much a remake of "Magic Hour", but another repetition of "The King of Comedy", which is difficult to satisfy.
10. "Monster Hunt 2" box office: 2.237 billion
Positioning itself as a young family film, but the story is too simple and bland, it looks like a side film, although the monster shape is still ugly, but the story does not continue the highlights of the first part. Tony Leung's addition failed to improve the overall quality of the film, but instead made the other actors redundant, the characters of Huba and his parents were marginalized, celebrity cameos and promiscuous scenes made the film seem disorganized, and the original creative shemale world was simplified to a point of disappointment.
Looking back on these ten films with a box office of over 100 million yuan but worrying about their quality, people can't help but feel the current situation of the Chinese film market, the misalignment between the box office and quality is not only regrettable, but also has a negative impact on the audience's aesthetics and the healthy development of the market. Although the success of these films is beyond reproach in business, the creative attitude and market orientation exposed behind them are worth pondering, and I hope that future Chinese film creators can take this as a reference, pay attention to content and quality, let the box office and art go hand in hand, and jointly promote the progress and development of Chinese films.