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The Great Magician

2011 2h 8m History Drama Romance List
Reviews 41% Audience Score 250+ Ratings
A Chinese warlord (Ching Wan Lau) hires a conjurer (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) to help him impress a resistant concubine (Zhou Xun). Read More Read Less
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The Great Magician

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Audience Reviews

View All (42) audience reviews
brosef d If you like Chinese history, you'll love this film. The set design is A+++, the magic is well presented & CGI not obvious, and the acting rather strong. Underrated gem! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I am really enjoyed this movie even it already passed 10 years later. If you are interested in asian culture, you definitely should't miss " The great Magician". All the actors are super stars from China mainland and Hong Kong in recently 30 years. So many bizarre amusement scene in this movie make me associations " Nightmare of Alley". Photography is stunning, brings me time traveled to old time Beijing. In the early 1900s Beijing, Japanese conspire to conquer China and manipulate the restoration of Qing dynasty by win over the warlords general" Lei Daniu" and his adjutant Liu Kunshan, meanwhile general Lei robs a 7th wife "Liu Yin " who born in a martial arts family , Lei tries best to win LiuYin's affections and he's holding her father captive. Dad is a very famous magician and he knows the whereabouts of a scroll that holds the key to mind control, but none one can force him to talking. Liuyin 's fiance Magician Chang Hsien (Tony Leung) return to Bejing from Europe, with his trusty show troupe are plotting a way to overthrow the warlords as well and save his master ( Liuyin's father)and fiancee. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review thomas l A colorful Hong Kong-China comedy of errors with a large cast and a story that keeps you interested until the very end with lots of stand up performances, led by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Lau Ching-wan . Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A clever dog is still a dog. A revolution in China breaks out and takes down the Qing Dynasty. To prove their power over the dynasty, the revolutionaries kidnap a leader of the Qing Dynasty's daughter. The Qing Dynasty make plans to sneak back into power. Meanwhile, a strange magician arrives in the middle of these events and starts making appearances everywhere. He is angling to rescue the kidnapped girl due to a romantic history they have. "I know these walls can't hold you. How long before you escape?" Tung-Sing Yee, director of Full Throttle, Endless Love, Lost in Time, One Night in Mongkok, Drink-Drank-Drunk, and Triple Trap, delivers The Great Magician. The storyline for this is pretty intricate and the performers are fun and fascinating. There are some special effects that were a bit overdone but the acting and action were solid. The cast includes Tony Chiu Wai Leung, Xun Zhou, and Ching Wan Lau. "Forget her. She's being rude as usual." I grabbed this off Netflix because I am a fan of most Tony Chiu Wai Leung's films. This was entertaining and fun to watch unfold but I wouldn't say this is one of the favorite films of his (Infernal Affair, Hero, In the Mood for Love, etc). Overall, I would recommend seeing this but I wouldn't make this my first picture to view of Tony Chiu Wai Leung's. Grade: B- Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member light hearted, whimsical, well acted and thoroughly entertaining. This little gem coming out of china is great for a night time viewing on netflix in a sea of lesser choices on the streaming giant. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Comments were boring, but it seems a deeper meaning inside as Derek Yee's movie may not easy. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Great Magician

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A Chinese warlord (Ching Wan Lau) hires a conjurer (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) to help him impress a resistant concubine (Zhou Xun).
Director
Tung-Shing Yee
Screenwriter
Tin Nam Chun, Ho Leung Lau, Tung-Shing Yee
Genre
History, Drama, Romance
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Runtime
2h 8m
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