Action Movie ‘Wolf Warriors 2’ Takes Chinese Nationalism to a New Level
Chinese action movie “Wolf Warriors 2″ has dominated the summer box office, setting a country record with approximately 525 million US dollars in ticket sales in just 13 days since it opened in July.
Directed by and starring Wu Jing, the movie is a sequel to 2015's “Wolf Warriors.” The plot will feel familiar to anyone who has seen a Hollywood action movie. The movie tells the story of Leng Feng, a Rambo-like soldier played by Wu, who ventures into an African war zone and saves hundreds of lives from the bad guys.
A participant of an online round table hosted by the investigative journalism platform, the Initium, argued that the movie’s huge success was not organic, but the result of authorities’ careful manipulation.
In fact, a large number of government and army-affiliated media outlets have published positive reviews about the movie, claiming that the protagonist who appears unbeatable represents soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army and that the movie elevates Chinese nationalism to a new level.
Netizen reviews of the movie vary. On Weibo and WeChat, social media platforms which are heavily censored in China and occupied by patriotic discourse, the majority of the comments are positive:
“After watching “Wolf Warriors 2,” you feel very fortunate that you are born in China.”
While on Douban, a popular art consumption and rating website, there are also critical reviews alongside comments that praise the film:
“Watched the premiere. This movie is horrible and unreasonable, a dream of idiotic patriotism. A display of military equipment, jeopardizing all physical logic. I have to say those who have the money can act recklessly.”
