Copywriting|Luo Sheng
Editor|Meow Sansan
What is the easiest theme in the domestic film market to harvest at the box office in recent years?
Some say it's a comedy, some say it's an action movie, and some say it's a suspense movie.
In fact, the theme that really relies on data to speak is-
War films.
In 2021, "Changjin Lake" won a box office score of 5.7 billion in one fell swoop, squeezing "Wolf Warrior 2", which has been the box office champion in film history for 4 consecutive years, off the altar.
Subsequently, this kind of main theme war film quickly squeezed the market, with the box office of "Operation Red Sea" being 3.6 billion, "Changjin Lake Water Gate Bridge" being 4 billion, and "Eight Hundred" being 3.1 billion, each of which had outstanding results.
It's just that if you watch too many themes of the same genre, the audience will inevitably suffer from aesthetic fatigue.
In 2023, "Volunteers: Heroes Attack" will only win 860 million at the box office, which is obviously unsatisfactory for this kind of film with a big director and a strong lineup.
The second and third parts are still on the way, and if there is no excellent content, I am afraid it will be difficult to surpass the classics.
From a popular theme to a difficult "hard bone", will no one dare to touch war movies again?
01 Yu Hewei takes the lead
"Reinforcements Arrive Tomorrow" does not focus on the campaign to resist US aggression and aid Korea, but the big battle in the story is enough to be called "heroic".
The camera is focused on one of the famous battles in the world's military history -
Battle of Hengyang.
Audiences who are familiar with this period of history know that at that time, Hengyang was known as "Little Shanghai", and the wartime tax revenue ranked second in the country in the occupied area, and the arrogant Japanese side tried to take Hengyang in one fell swoop with 110,000 soldiers.
However, our side has only 18,000 troops, of which the militia accounts for more than 3,000 people.
It stands to reason that this is an impossible task without reinforcements.
However, in the end, our army held its position for 47 days, suffered 16,000 casualties, killed 48,000 enemy troops, and the casualty ratio of both sides reached 1:3, which delayed the pace of the Japanese army's "opening up the mainland communication line" and indirectly led to the resignation of Hideki Tojo.
Such a desperate battle can be filmed, and it will naturally have a certain appeal.
What's more, the chief producer Liu Heping is not simple, a national first-class screenwriter, and has created many classic historical dramas such as "Ming Dynasty 1566" and "No War in Peking", and his ability is beyond doubt.
Of course, the most interesting part of this drama is the casting.
As soon as the words "Yu Hewei" came out, how many people's hearts fell to the ground?
This actor will play the role of Fang Xianjue (played by Yu Hewei), the commander of the Tenth Army of the Ninth Theater in the play, who is dignified but not high, and the order of "Please be sure to stick to it for ten days" is heavy, serious and solemn.
Yu Hewei, who is wearing a military uniform, is completely different from the common image on TV dramas, which will surely bring the audience a different viewing experience.
Another actor, Wang Jinsong, was also pleasantly surprised.
In the trailer, his style is very subversive.
For example, he has big silver teeth on his mouth, and he looks very heroic, so he should be a rich businessman.
In the face of the national disaster, the characters are willing to come forward, and there is a high probability that there will not be a good ending, but it is definitely enough to tear up, and I look forward to the drama bones to stage textbook acting skills.
In addition, the strength of the heroine Wan Qian also reassures the audience, in the trailer, she appeared without makeup, and her simple military uniform has a sense of heroism and tenacity on her body, and her eyes looking up at the sky can't help but make people tremble, and the appeal is too strong.
There are also Li Guangjie, Cao Lei, Tan Kai, and Yin Fang, all actors familiar to many audiences.
At first glance, there was nothing wrong with this lineup to be released in theaters, but when I saw the name of the second male lead, the hanging heart was completely dead.
02 Traffic actors, don't touch the main theme
is a good movie with a main theme, do you have to choose a traffic actor to ruin the reputation?
That's right, the second male number of "Reinforcements Arrive Tomorrow" is a young student-
Yang Yang.
His current popularity has reached the level of "ten thousand people", and in "Fireworks in My World", he can play the firefighter as a greasy boss, and he can still be expected to play the image of a good soldier?
Sure enough, among the simple military roles, only his appearance reveals a "cupped" temperament.
Whose soldiers still wear sunglasses on the battlefield, can they see clearly where the enemy is hiding?
Even if he is riding a horse, Yang Yang's back must be as straight as if it has been implanted with a steel plate, worthy of the legendary "Duan King", and he will never forget to maintain his idol baggage at any time.
But director, is it appropriate for you to see for yourself?
No matter how he dresses up, Yang Yang can't hide the feeling of a traffic actor, and he can't fit in with other people, which makes the box office of the whole movie precarious.
In fact, it's not just this drama that is controversial in casting.
In the past two years, the main theme of domestic film and television dramas has been tilted towards traffic, and the essence of the theme has long been forgotten.
For example, the movie "Volunteers: Heroes Attack" is directed by Chen Kaige, and naturally his son Chen Feiyu is indispensable.
But in the movie, he performed the temperament of a ruffian and a ruffian, and his line skills were not up to par, even if he blackened his face, he was only funny, and he didn't have the iron-blooded demeanor of a soldier, so don't come out and be ashamed.
There is also a movie like "Peacekeeping Anti-riot Team", which focuses on the peacekeeping police, and has to invite Wang Yibo, a little fresh meat with fine skin and tender meat, to play the leading role, isn't this pure to let the audience play?
What's even more ridiculous is that Zhu Yawen has not appeared for two minutes, and he looks more policeman than Wang Yibo in civilian clothes.
How many film and television dramas have caused word-of-mouth overturning because of the joining of traffic actors?
It is true that their appearances can make movies or TV series gain a certain amount of attention, but their acting skills are not good, their temperament is not matched, and they have to achieve the opposite effect after all, so the directors should wake up!
03 Conclusion
"Reinforcements Arrive Tomorrow" was originally a film worth looking forward to, with a good team, a lot of drama, and a respectable script, but unfortunately the director found Yang Yang to serve as the second male lead.
His popularity has reached a certain level, and his appeal in the film industry is pitiful.
"Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms", "Urgent Pioneer" both hit the street at the box office and word of mouth, Yang Yang acted in the movie again after 4 years, is anyone really still buying it?
Of course, there may be audiences rushing to Yu Hewei, Wang Jinsong and others to watch the movie, but it does not prevent the reputation of this new work from being in a dangerous situation.
The director is still a bad move, a mistake, a wrong step, I just hope that Yang Yang will not act in the movie this time, and affect everyone's hard work.
At present, the movie has been scheduled to be released in major theaters from June 28th, and this date is also the date of the Battle of Hengyang that year, I think the main creative team also hopes to pay tribute to those heroes and soldiers who stick to their positions and protect the country with their flesh and blood.
As for the specific situation of the film, everyone will wait and see!
So do you want to go to the theater to see this movie?
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