In recent years, Koo Tin Lok has long since become a new generation of Hong Kong film tycoons.
As an actor, he keeps making movies, just to build a few more Hope Primary Schools, and his state is to work and work.
As the Hong Kong Performing Artists Association, it helps sick artists and friends, such as Lee Shau Kee, one of the four evil people, Lu Haipeng, an old drama bone, and Li Jianren, "Like a Flower", and also sent living money and masks to some old artists during the epidemic.
As the owner of the film company, the established Tianxia Film Production Company has been supporting new local directors in recent years, investing in some small-cost films to add more possibilities for Hong Kong films, such as "Uncle Against the Current", "Trish", "Mother's Magic Boy" and so on.
Of course, the movie tycoon Gu Zai also has his own pursuits, as a mecha fan, he has always fantasized about making his own mecha science fiction film.
As early as 2009, he had this idea, and in 2013 he began to think about how to write the script, the creative part was the most difficult, it is said that it was reconceived two or three times, the plot, the story structure, the background of the times, these are all changed and changed.
The preparatory work was completed, and filming officially began in 2017, with filming in the mainland and Hong Kong, and it was not officially completed until 2019, and then entered long-term post-production.
The film was originally named "Contradiction War", the original director was Chen Musheng, and finally the name was changed to "Tomorrow's War", and the director also became Wu Xuanhui, who came from computer stunts.
From having ideas in 2009, to the project in 2015, to the official release in 2022, Gu Zai has truly achieved "ten years of grinding a sword", not only opening up a new genre for Hong Kong movies, but also China's first mecha hard science fiction blockbuster.
After spending nearly 10 years and a total investment of 450 million Hong Kong dollars (more than 57 million US dollars and 387 million yuan), Gu Zai insisted on not using foreign teams, and before the film began shooting, he acquired many post-production, digital special effects and special effects makeup companies, and the special effects of "Tomorrow's War" were all domestic.
Why do you insist on this, because Gu Zai feels: "If you use a foreign team, it is easy to do, because you can't learn things, if you shoot again, it is also to let people help you, you will never learn." ”
At the same time, Gu Tianle also wants to prove that Hong Kong's special effects have reached the international standard. According to what he mentioned in the live broadcast, the special effects company has undertaken many projects.
At this moment when Gu Zai realized his dream, many friends in the circle actively responded to help him publicize, such as aunt Li Ruotong, Rong Zu'er, Gao Yuanyuan, etc., who said: "Mecha is not the exclusive romance of men", "Who said that only boys love mecha, girls also love it well!" ”
There is also Wu Yanzu, who directly confesses Gu Zai: From today on, he is my mecha male god!
"Tomorrow's War" was officially released for 3 days, and the box office has exceeded 200 million, but this result is obviously not ideal, and there is still a big gap between the opposite comedy science fiction film "Lone Moon".
01, the advantages and disadvantages are obvious
The film originally started with a score of 6.6, and now it has dropped to 6.5, which is a passing work, and it is a science fiction film with obvious advantages and disadvantages.
First of all, the advantage, of course, is the special effects technology, compared to Hollywood's investment of hundreds of millions of dollars, "Tomorrow's War" only spent more than $57 million, every penny was spent on the blade.
Most of the scenes in the film are built in real-life, the scenes are magnificent and fantastic, the collapsed buildings, road battles, "Pandora" matrix, each scene presents the most realistic visual scenes, representing the highest level of special effects in Hong Kong films.
Then there is the clever combination of mecha and Hong Kong-style fighting, and the most distinctive genre films in Hong Kong are undoubtedly action movies, from the fist and foot kung fu of Wang Yu and Bruce Lee to the kung fu comedies of Jackie Chan Hong Jinbao, and even police films, zombie films, and martial arts films, which are also cloaked in action movies.
"Tomorrow's War" is very clever, knows how to play to the strengths and avoid the shortcomings, under limited conditions, combined with the most mature action films in Hong Kong, in the hard science fiction film to reproduce the fist to iron, hard bridge hard horse realistic martial arts style, is equivalent to opening up a new audiovisual style.
The disadvantages, of course, are plot issues, and do not jump out of the logic of Hong Kong police films, although they involve family affection, brotherhood and love, but they do not dig deep and float on the surface.
The most criticized estimate is that after the discovery of the inner ghost, the first time is not to notify the headquarters, but to call the internal ghost to inform, I found you. This is indeed a hard injury.
A netizen commented that when watching the movie: Hong Kong films have appeared, and they have begun to fight aliens (plants). After watching it: Hong Kong films can become ghosts in the end even if they fight aliens.
Overall, "Tomorrow's War" is a qualified popcorn movie, and Gu Zai has really tried his best, which is worth encouraging.
02, "anti-drug" three brothers
During the live broadcast of GuZai, a reporter asked him, who did Ding Peng and Yang Guo choose? A: Yang Guo. Who did Yang Guo and Xiang Shaolong choose? Answer: Xiang Shaolong. Who did Liu Qingyun and Zhang Jiahui choose? Gu Zai blurted out Liu Qingyun.
Sure enough, Liu Qingyun and Gu Tianle were running in both directions, and only Zhang Jiahui's world was injured.
In "Sweeping Drugs", Liu Qingyun chose Gu Zai, abandoned the "slag slag Hui", and let Zhang Jiahui contribute to the famous scene.
By the time of tomorrow's war, Gu Tianle and Liu Qingyun were still good buddies, and the two lived and died together and fought together to the end.
Poor Zhang Jiahui frowned at the beginning, just telling everyone that I am a villain, I am a villain, and it is brothers who have come to cut me.
Gu Zai's reason for choosing Liu Qingyun is very simple, the two have cooperated many times and have a tacit understanding.
In "Best Bra" and "Perfect Baby", they are the best brothers in the world, working together to develop new products.
In "Rhapsody of the Ghost Horse", one imitates Xu Guanwen and the other learns From Xu Guanjie, paying tribute to the brilliant Xu classic comedy.
Er Dongsheng's tear-jerking movie "Can't Forget", they came to a relay to take care of Cecilia Cheung. Then to the New Year film "Wheezing Gu Gu New Year's Wealth", he played another round of mahjong.
In the urban romance film "Love Your Bed", the two do not intersect much, but impart experience to each other.
The "Eavesdropping" series, from finance to village houses, tests everyone's humanity.
In addition, there are "Escape Heaven", "Dangerous City", "Poison". Admonition" and other works, the next "Sweeping Poison 3" will continue brotherhood, this kind of friendship, it is no wonder that Gu Zai invited him with a meal.
03. A brief history of the development of Hong Kong film science fiction films
Hong Kong's first science fiction film, dating back to Wu Hui's "Big Winter Melon" in 1958, can also be understood as a cross-over film, from the beginning of the People's Republic to modern Hong Kong, see all the novelties.
But the real sense of science fiction, or Wang Jing's father Wang Tianlin in 1959 directed "Two Fools in Space", although the visual effects are relatively rough, but can not resist the pioneering spirit of Hong Kong filmmakers.
Then there are several sci-fi films produced by Shaw in the 70s, "Chinese Superman" and "King of orangutans" starring Li Xiuxian, the former imitating Ultraman, the latter remake "King Kong", Shaw has ambitions to enter the international film world, but the quality is much worse.
In 1983, Zhang Guoming filmed "Interstellar Blunt Tire" with the support of Shaw, and there was still no trace of jumping out of imitation, which obviously had elements of "Third Type Of Contact" and "Star Wars".
Wang Jing has also filmed science fiction films, 1986's "Magic Jade", the first cooperation with Andy Lau, and it is also Zhang Min's debut. Later, Wang Jing filmed "Super School Bully" and "Future Police".
Hong Kong mecha film, before "Tomorrow's War", can think of is 1988's "Iron Armor Invincible Mary", which is Xu Ke's first attempt at science fiction themes, expressing the theme that human nature is more cold and dark than robots.
When it comes to Hong Kong science fiction films, it is natural not to forget Ni Kuang's "Wesley" series, from "The Legend of Wesley" in New Art City, to "The Original Zhenxia and Wesley" starring Zhou Runfa Qian Xiaohao, to Xu Xiaoming's "Wesley's Overlord Unloading Armor", in addition to "Wesley's Old Cat" and "Wesley's Blue Blood Man" and so on.
In addition, Du Qifeng's "Three Heroes of the East", Zhou Xingxing's "Hundred Variable Star Jun" and "Yangtze River Seven", more or less have science fiction elements.
Most of the Hong Kong science fiction films listed above are soft science fiction, or cloaked in the cloak of "pseudo-science fiction", playing with comedy and action elements.
"Tomorrow's War" is of great significance, not only is Gu Tianle's attempt with faith and dreams, but also an important step in the hard science fiction of Hong Kong cinema, which is bound to leave a name in the history of Hong Kong cinema.
Hard science fiction themes, unlike other types of films, can raise the level of the entire film industry chain, from capital to talent training, which greatly increases the possibilities.
As a film tycoon, Gu Tianle has this responsibility, which is really rare, although "Tomorrow's War" is different from the science fiction film in his mind, but he can see the intentions of Hong Kong filmmakers, and they have not failed the audience.
If "Band of Seven" is a "farewell", then "Tomorrow's War" is the beginning, two films are now being released, like the fate of the dark arrangement, students who like Hong Kong films can watch. (Author: 11)