In the glorious history of martial arts literature, Mr. Jin Yong's works such as "Dragon Babu", "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" can be called classics. This series of martial arts novels not only profoundly depicts the rivers and lakes, but also has become a source of inspiration for countless directors to adapt them into film and television works. However, the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", which has attracted much attention recently, has sparked fierce controversy among netizens, especially on the issue of the matching between the leading actors.
First of all, let's review the 94 version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", which was once all the rage. This version not only achieved the pinnacle in the ratings, but also won praise for Guo Jing and Huang Rong starring Zhang Zhilin and Zhu Yin. Their excellent acting skills and tacit understanding of their roles left a deep impression on the audience and became the best of the classics.
However, as time went on, the wave of remakes of martial arts classics also swept in. The new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is about to be broadcast, but it has been criticized by many netizens before it is released. One of the most striking issues is the degree of matching between the leading actors. Netizens said that Hong Qigong, who endured Mingdao, couldn't stand Mei Chaofeng's flamboyance over Huang Rong. This emotional mismatch has made many martial arts fans question the new version.
Especially in the recently released movie "Fengshen Bang", this Sha's popularity has risen sharply, however, the match between him and Guo Jing's classic role is not ideal. Guo Jing was positioned as cute and cute in the early stage of character design, but this Sha showed outstanding appearance and very capable qualities, which made the contrast between the two large and difficult for the audience to accept.
What's even more puzzling is that in the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", the choice of Huang Rong's role has caused widespread questions. Zhu Yin's version of Huang Rong is considered the most classic, but in the new version, it favors a different choice. Huang Rong's image not only needs to be sweet in appearance, but also needs to be quite eccentric and witty. Netizens questioned whether the actor of the new version of Huang Rong, Bao Shangen, could perfectly handle the role, and although Zhu Yin's version is regarded as a classic, the audience's expectations for the new version are still there.
In addition to paying attention to the leading actors, the appearance of some supporting actresses in the new version surpassed Huang Rong, which caused the audience to think deeply. Feng Heng played by Chen Duling, Mu Nianci played by Huang Yi and Mei Chaofeng played by Meng Ziyi all surpassed Huang Rong in appearance and temperament, giving the audience a unique feeling about the choice of roles.
However, the most interesting thing in the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is Ming Dao, the actor of Hong Qigong. Ming Dao used to be the representative of the Frog Prince, but now he is in the position of the leader of the beggar gang. This contrast made the audience question his ability to portray Hong Qigong in the play. An actor who is Xi accustomed to playing a rich son, how to interpret the eccentric and honest role of Hong Qigong has become the focus of attention of many audiences.
In the new version, the main character is not very good, but in comparison, the supporting characters are even better. Huang Yaoshi played by Zhou Yiwei and Ouyang Feng played by Gao Weiguang both impressed the audience. In particular, Zhou Yiwei, who successfully interpreted this character who is both righteous and evil, has become one of the highlights of the new version.
However, for He Rundong playing the role of Duan Zhixing in the play, the audience speculated about the upper limit of force. Although He Rundong is a super strong person in the play, such a setting may make the audience guess the development of the plot in advance, reducing the fun of watching.
In the casting, Yang Kang's role has also become a highlight. Jin Yong's description of Yang Kang in the original book is "Fengshen Junlang", and Wang Hongyi himself is also quite handsome. The audience generally believes that Wang Hongyi's Yang Kang is the most handsome Yang Kang in all film and television versions, and this appearance makes Mu Nianci's love at first sight more reasonable. Here, appearance is not only the presentation of the external image, but also a fit for the inner characteristics of the character.
However, the pairing between Mei Chaofeng and Chen Xuanfeng in the new version did not resonate with the audience. Mei Chaofeng played by Meng Ziyi and Chen Xuanfeng played by He He do not seem to have formed a deep sense of CP, which seems a little incongruous in the plot. Considering Meng Ziyi's status in real life, it is understandable that she will become the heroine, but this also makes the role of Mei Chaofeng seem a little unfair in the new version.
The acting skills of the actors and the quality of their work are emphasized as the key elements to attract the audience. Whether it is a leading role or a supporting role, the audience is more concerned about whether the actor can realistically restore the character and how good the overall work is. In the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", the audience raised doubts about Ming Dao being chosen as the role of Hong Qigong. The former Frog Prince now plays the leader of the Beggar Gang, a shift that has raised questions about his acting skills and character development. Ming Dao is now plump and his face is full of collagen, and the audience is skeptical that he will be able to successfully fill the gap in this look.
In terms of supporting roles, Huang Yaoshi played by Zhou Yiwei and Ouyang Feng played by Gao Weiguang have become the highlights of the new version. Zhou Yiwei successfully played the role of Huang Yaoshi, showing his image of both a sense of justice and an evil atmosphere to the fullest. And Gao Weiguang, as Ouyang Feng, broke through the audience's established image of him and showed excellent acting skills, which made people have more expectations for his role outside of Guo Jing.
As for He Rundong playing Duan Zhixing in the play, although he is set as a super strongman, the audience has speculated about his performance. This setting may make the plot seem too clear, lacking some suspense and space for the audience to explore. The audience may prefer to uncover the mystery step by step in the process of the character's growth, rather than revealing the mystery in advance.
In Yang Kang's casting, Wang Hongyi's appearance has become a major attraction. The audience unanimously agreed that his appearance was quite in line with Jin Yong's original description of Yang Kang, and he became the most handsome Yang Kang in all versions. Such character designs are more likely to resonate with the audience and make them more likely to be drawn to the story.
However, no matter how the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" goes, we cannot deny the immortal status of the martial arts world created by Mr. Jin Yong in film and television works. Works such as "Dragon Babu", "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" are still highly sought after by the audience after several adaptations. The characters and emotions created by Mr. Jin Yong have run through the memories of several generations of audiences.
In the field of martial arts dramas, the choice of actors is important, but what needs to be paid more attention to is the understanding and restoration of the original emotion and the core of the story. The audience's ardent expectation for "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is not only the nostalgia for Mr. Jin Yong's works, but also the pursuit of the spirit of martial arts. Film and television works are not only a stage for actors, but also a reinterpretation of classic plots, character personalities, and the inheritance of the spirit of martial arts.
In this endless wave of adaptations, the audience has some controversy over the choice of actors, but it is also worth paying attention to the inheritance and development of the story, as well as the presentation of Jin Yong's martial arts world. The charm of martial arts works lies in the chivalrous feelings, rivers and lakes, and profound discussions on the good and evil of human nature they convey. This tradition should be preserved and carried forward in the new edition.
Perhaps, the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" will present the original story at the same time, through the superb performances of the actors and the reasonable arrangement of the plot, to present the audience with a picture of martial arts with both innovation and tradition. Whether it is a breakthrough in character creation or a wonderful play in the plot setting, it is expected to become a new milestone in martial arts dramas.
Therefore, while we have doubts and expectations for the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", we also miss the legacy left to us by Mr. Jin Yong. As a part of Chinese culture, martial arts dramas will continue to provide a platform for audiences to explore values such as chivalry, benevolence, and loyalty through the inheritance and innovation of film and television works.