Not only marking the return of the actor to the action period genre, the film also carries on its shoulders the expectation of reviving the traditional martial arts style that was once the "soul" of Chinese television.
Vu Lam Linh" is inspired by the character Trien Chieu in the classic Three Heroes Five Meanings. However, instead of building a perfect Nam hiep like many previous versions, the crew chose a more edgy and everyday approach.
Zhan Zhao of Yang Yang is no longer a "god-made" model who only knows how to act heroically and righteously, but a person who is hurt, torn and always stands between the boundaries of the law and personal emotions. This is considered the biggest difference that helps the film gain attention right from the announcement stage.
In terms of advantages, "Vu Lam Linh" possesses many factors that can help the film create good effects. First is Duong Duong's commercial appeal after a series of successful ancient costume projects before. The "Shaoxia" appearance and action scene acting ability are still a great advantage of the male actor. Many viewers commented that just his black shirt and sword-wielding image in the rain evoke the golden age of Chinese martial arts films.
In addition, the participation of Chuong Nhuoc Nam and Phuong Dat Luan helps the star lineup have a more youthful color, suitable for the current audience group.
Another plus point lies in the production part. The production unit is Chinh Ngo Duong Quang - a name famous for its meticulousness in images and scripts. According to Chinese media, the film crew limits the abuse of special effects, instead focusing on designing real combat scenes in many contexts such as boats, rain or narrow spaces to increase authenticity.
However, going along with great expectations is no small pressure. In recent years, audiences are increasingly picky about martial arts films. Many projects have been criticized for being "spiritually good but lacking martial arts", too beautiful but lacking a feeling of dust and heroic spirit, which is the core spirit of this genre.
Duong Duong herself also faces pressure to prove her acting after some controversies in previous projects. Trien Chieu is a classic character that has been associated with the memories of many generations of audiences, so any change in image building is easy to create controversy.
In addition, "Vũ lâm linh" also has to compete in the context of the saturated Chinese historical drama market. The element of nostalgia or large investment alone may not be enough to help the film explode if the content lacks depth.
However, the fact that a seriously invested martial arts project is broadcast at the present time is still a positive sign for the Chinese screen. If successful, "Vũ lâm linh" may open up an opportunity for traditional martial arts films to truly return after many years of being overwhelmed.
