In the current context of Chinese enterprises "going global", the anti-terrorism protection theme of "Wolf Pack" seems to keep pace with the times and close to reality. The film tells the story of a Chinese company that signed a pipeline cooperation project with the local government in order to develop natural gas resources in Central Asia, but was sabotaged by foreign forces.
The screenwriter devised a plot in which a European energy group secretly supported a local extremist group to attack a Chinese project because of the damage to its interests, which is especially appropriate in the current situation.
The volatile situation in Central Asia, where China's interests abroad are often threatened, requires strong security measures to protect it, which is a realistic need reflected in the film.
In the film, the "Wolf Squad", a private security company hired by the Chinese side, carried out a decisive and powerful counterattack against the terrorists' sabotage attack plan, and successfully smashed the other party's conspiracy three times.
Through the rapid response and skilled combat skills of the elite troops, the film has created an effective image of the overseas security forces of mainland enterprises, showing their firm will to prevent problems before they occur and protect national interests.
This design coincides with the current reality of threats to Chinese companies' facilities and personnel in Asia and Africa. Through a brave and sophisticated security team, the film conveys to the audience the firm posture of Chinese power to defend its rights overseas.
The crew of "Wolves" put a lot of effort into the production process, requiring the restoration of the real combat environment. The director led the whole group to Central Asian countries for field trips and experienced the local topography firsthand.
This provides a valuable reference for setting up the scene in the later stage, and also allows the actors to better understand the background atmosphere. The details of the tactical equipment and weapons in the film are strictly controlled by military consultants, and strive to meet the standards of professional military.
Actors are required to use jargon and perform realistic combat deployments. The degree of attention paid to these details is relatively rare in commercial films. With professional military consultants, it is possible to avoid unreasonable plot troubles and make the whole war scene more realistic.
This meticulous control also helps the actor get into the role faster and get out of a professional combat state. Through rigorous detailing, the film creates real and credible combat scenes, presenting the audience with a delicate and complete world of war.
In terms of the careful selection of action stars, "Wolf Pack" can be said to have gathered the top fighting forces in China today. The actor Zhang Jin once had a shocking rivalry with Donnie Yen in "Ip Man 3", and his action stunts are among the best in domestic action movies.
This time, Zhang Jin will show a skilled image of a military film hero. The heroine Jiang Luxia has starred in many action blockbusters, and her martial arts attainments are profound, and she will once again show the grandeur and wildness of female power in the film.
Li Zhiting, who was born as a singer, did not hesitate to train hard for this role, and finally deduced his agile fighting mobility. Audiences who have watched previous works naturally know that these top action stars gathered in "Wolf Pack" are all powerful actors, and their super fighting ability will dedicate a dazzling action visual feast to the big screen, raising the standard of action movies to a new height again.
It can be said that "Wolves" has high quality in terms of plot design and production of action scenes, and should have achieved a better market response. But due to the distributor's missteps in publicity and promotion strategy, the film did not get the attention it deserved.
The slogan "Wolves Warriors" chosen by the filmmaker is very reminiscent of the routine production of commercial films, giving people the feeling of a low-quality action movie. And the trailer does not highlight the real highlights and features of the movie.
In the early days of the release, many key theaters did not get many shows, and the filmmakers failed to seize the opportunity to create a topic in advance. All kinds of omissions in promotion have led to the box office of "Wolves" being in a relatively bleak state after its release, which is indeed regrettable for a high-quality movie.
We can only hope that in the next release process, it will gradually improve its market fortune through word-of-mouth communication.
In the current environment where China's annual output of films is as high as 1,000, there are very few commercial films that really pay attention to internal quality. In order to chase hot spots and maximize benefits, many capitals have produced a large number of works that lack connotation.
And the movie "Wolf Pack" still has made great efforts in the script, scenes, and actions under limited conditions, and this spirit of excellence is worthy of recognition.
It represents the good wishes of some filmmakers in the industry who want to improve the intrinsic quality of their works and present better works to the audience. Even if it didn't succeed in the market, it deserved the support of its peers.
Such a quality work can also urge the entire industry to pay attention to the content strength of the film to a certain extent, rather than simply chasing hot spots and return on investment. Let's continue to support and encourage commercial films with sincerity and ideas, and use box office actions to give them more room to survive.
As a cultural product that combines artistry and commerciality, film needs to take into account the diversity of different themes and styles in its development. If the allocation of resources is determined only based on the current hot spots, it will be difficult to achieve the healthy growth of films.
A film like "Wolves", which is relatively niche, but has a more detailed script design and production process, also needs to gain soil for survival in this industry. But the reality is that these genres are often harder to get funding support.
If all the money flocks to homogeneous commercial blockbuster competition, it will be detrimental to the overall innovation and progress of the film. Only when films of different genres can coexist and develop can film art continue to open up new possibilities.
Therefore, the film industry needs to be more tolerant of different styles and genres of filmmaking, so that it can become a positive force for progress.
In the eyes of many people, action movies are easy to give people the impression of light plots and fists and legs. But "Wolves" proves that action movies can also work content and achieve good viewing results.
The screenwriter didn't stop at superficial action scenes, but designed the setting of terrorists in Central Asia, as well as a complex villain with inner motives.
These enrich the connotation of the movie and allow the audience to think more in the process of watching. The portrayal of character and inner world is an important way to further improve the quality of action movies.
It is not enough to only have external action performances, but also need internal emotional tension as support. "Wolves" proves that action movies can also work on connotation, which is an important step forward for our domestic action films.
This will also bring a richer cinematic experience to the audience, allowing them to see more possibilities of action movies.
"Wolves" is a very sincere work, and we can feel the filmmaker's pursuit of quality and the intention to tell a good story. While it's a bit of a shame in the current market environment, that doesn't detract from its value as a well-crafted masterpiece.
We will continue to look forward to and support the emergence of such a conceptual commercial film. It is also hoped that the entire film industry can learn from its lessons and jointly promote the progress of China's commercial films.
Movies are going to return to content and quality here, rather than relying on gimmicks and hype. Only by establishing solid internal skills can Chinese action movies innovate and break through on the international stage in the future.
Let us work together to promote the return of Chinese films to themselves and move towards a higher goal.