Epic, Unusual ‘Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame’

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Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – The roots of the cinematic obsession with wizards, the force and middle earth can be traced back somewhat to the tradition of the martial artist, and the magical realism that is practiced in that genre of films. “Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame” packs in action, magic politics and fantasy in a tale based on a real Chinese empress.

This is an epic story, with larger-than-life heroes and villains. Everything is on a grand scale, including the ability of the martial arts fighters, the soap opera of the mystery and the vastness of a statue of Buddha that is in the center of the story. Director Hark Tsui and action choreographer Sammo Hung (”Kung Fu Hustle”) team up to combine history with the flirtation of warrior fantasy, to reveal the waste and hubris of attempting to secure a section of the world.

The year is 690 A.D., and the first Chiness female empress, Wu Zetian (Carina Lau), is about to be put into power. To celebrate this historical occasion, a giant statue of the Buddha is being erected right above the site of the coronation. The monument is nearing completion and being inspected when one of the supervisors spontaneously combusts from within his body. While palace forensic investigators are trying to figure out what happened, yet another senior official bursts into flames.

Close Shave: Andy Lau as Detective Dee in ‘Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame’ Photo credit: Indomina Releasing

The empress knows of only one man who can solve this mystery, and he is Detective Dee (Andy Lau), who was exiled and imprisoned by the leader eight years before. She sends of her most skilled attendants, Shangguan Jing’er (Li Bingbing), to fetch the sleuth, and that attendant’s job is to keep an eye on the rogue crime solver. As Dee takes on the case and gets deeper into it, he finds more obstacles, politics and betrayal, and must literally fight his way through them.

This is a somewhat confusing, multi-layered story, but the energy within it and the epic scope of it makes for an unusual treat at the movies. The ancient culture on display is fascinating, for it perpetuates both the strength of the warrior and the counterpoint of applying equal justice. The crowning of a female empress is not exactly welcomed, and the glimpse into those power maneuverings was one of the highlights of the film.

Great care also is put into the action sequences, and the high level of creativity given them is heroic eye candy. There are improbable leaps and bounds like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” but that seems now to come with the territory. In one sequence, a rain of arrows come upon Dee and Shangguan, and they move counter to them in a mad dance, combining martial arts moves with Fred Astaire. There are also perplexing monsters in underground caverns to deal with, and the resulting confrontations are cat-and-mouse spectacular.

The film contains symbolism accentuating the arrogance of man over a higher power. It’s not so much that the giant Buddha is overseeing the world, as it is being the watchful eye over the empress and her artificial earthly power. She is bound to fall, like all leaders eventually. There was something very 9/11 about it, with the giant structure becoming a target for potential destruction. Detective Dee is a truth seeker and justice bearer, he works mostly as a check against power and not as a representative of it, so his nature is one of purity against the darker arts of designated overlords.

Ready for Action: Andy Lau in ‘Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame’ Photo credit: Indomina Releasing

The re-creation of the ancient era and the special effects are also monumental. The death by spontaneous combustion was both horrifying and fascinating, and the large statue of Buddha looked appropriately out of proportion with the village below. The movements of the fighters and palace warriors were effectively fluid, using digital technology to reproduce history rather than outer space or middle earth.

The title is amusingly opposite to what the film represents. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame sounds like a cheap knock-off of “Nancy Drew and the Case of the Giant Buddha.” In fact, maybe Nancy Drew could be digitally re-mastered, placed in 690 A.D. China, and become compelled to spontaneously combust.

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com