Double World (2020) Review

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Starring Peter Ho, Henry Lau, and Chenhan Lin. Fresh to Netflix comes Double World. A warlord organises a tournament where each clan sends their 3 best warriors to compete.

Robbed of a theatrical release due to COVID 19. Double World is rescued by Netflix and rightly so. A big-budget release from the producer the Monkey King trilogy. This undoubtedly would have been a box office smash.

Double World is an action fantasy adaption of the MMORPG Zhengtu. In a post-war China, the land is divided between two warring nations Northern Yan and Southern Zhao.  A peace was agreed upon but after 10 years the cracks are beginning to show. Following a failed assassination on the Southern Kings life, the grand Tutor proposes a competition. The winner gains the title of grand field marshal and will be tasked with bringing peace to the nation by defeating the north. Each of the southern Yan clans, 8 in total must send it’s 3 best warriors to compete.

The movie starts with two assassins trying to kill the king. The attempt fails, one assassin is outright killed while the other is dragged away by a giant bear dog thing, I assume she is also killed.

The scheming Grand Tutor (Hu Ming) proposes the contest but his ultimate goal is to overthrow the king himself.

We are then taken to Qingyuan where one of our main heroes Dong Yilong (Henry Lau) is getting into trouble by stealing water. He is caught and held by the guards. The settlement leader gets everyone’s attention and announces the creating of the contest and their clan must send 3 warriors. Yilong volunteers himself alongside our other main hero Chu Hun (Peter Ho) who weirds a broken metal spear. Later one we hear the story of the broken spear and Chu Hun motives to enter the contest.

The guard who caught Yilong also volunteers, the 3 set out for the capital Phoenix City. Travelling across a huge desert they are attacked by giant sand scorpions. The 3rd member the guard is killed. As the two travel the dessert they encounter a young thief Jinggang (Lin Chenhan) on the run from other clans’ entrants as she has stolen their scroll which they need to enter the contest. After losing the scroll she eventually becomes the 3rd member of the team completing our trio of heroes.

The contest is not just a martial art or fighting contest. The first event the clans are tasked with making it across a huge spike filled pit which is covered in large steel chains. After the clans make it halfway, giant metal death spheres start rolling out. It’s all quite spectacular.

The 2nd event the clans need to obtain an egg from the cave of the monster king. I say cave but it’s more like a mountain. The monster king which is a giant dragon serpent isn’t the only danger in the cave.

Everything builds up to quite an epic final battle. Most the movie is CG but apart from the beasts and monsters which still look good, you can hardly tell. The CG sets look truly amazing, from the giant sand storm that engulfs our heroes to the mechanical phoenix city.

The costumes, armour and weapons also look fantastic. Especially Jinggang huge sword. It looks epic.

As spectacular as everything is, ultimately the movie feels like it’s missing something. The battles feel like they should have been more epic or more of a struggle. Yilong and Chu Hun never truly look like they are in trouble. The story is easy enough to follow but then there are the sub-stories like with the slave they encounter played by Luxia Jiang and her relation to Chu Hun. It just felt like it wasn’t needed.

Ending on a high note. Double World is definitely worth watching even if you’re outside its target audience just for the amazing sets alone. The end kind-of leaves it open for a sequel as Yilongs story feels incomplete.

Double World is available on Netflix now.

Rating 3/5 belts