dante lam

OPERATION HADAL Scores Official Trailer Ahead Of Theatrical Release From Well Go USA

Mercenaries have occupied an offshore platform in Chinese territorial waters by force. The Chinese Navy sets sail to repel the invaders as the Jiao Long commando team prepares for a fierce fight in the deep sea. Such are the details for Operation Hadal (f.k.a. Operation Leviathan) for its North American theatrical run from Well Go USA. Dante Lam directs this, the threequel entry to his previous two patriotic actioners, Operation Mekong, and Operation Red Sea. Operation Hadal stars Xuan Huang, Yosh Yu, and Bryan Larkin. Catch the official trailer and poster below!

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OPERATION LEVIATHAN: Official Trailer Revealed For Dante Lam’s Patriotic Action Threequel Epic

Lee B. Golden III

Continuing a string of patriotic action dramas that began with 2016’s Operation Mekong, Dante Lam returns to the maritime trenches for Operation Leviathan, billed as a sequel to 2018’s Operation Red Sea. The official trailer is now online ahead of the film’s January 29 release from Bona Film Group. Operation Leviathan stars Huang Xuan, Yu Shi, Zhang Hanyu, and Duan Yihong, and finds the Chinese military back on the battlefield in the aftermath of a civil war when unrest stirs in a foreign country in lieu of a deadly conspiracy. Also starring are Jiang Luxia, Wang Yanlin, Li Chen, Bryan Larkin, and more. Catch the trailer below!

THE BATTLE AT WATER GATE BRIDGE Review: Dante Lam’s Ceremonial War Epic Is Brought To A Bloody, Brutal And Sobering Close

Lee B. Golden III

Consider yourselves still invited to check out Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark, and Dante Lam’s The Battle At Changjin Lake as its ceremonial pro-Communist China sequel now remains on deck for its UK release with director Lam’s The Battle At Water Gate Bridge (a.k.a. The Battle At Lake Changjin II). The events of the first film tie directly into the second with actors Wu Jing and Jackson Lee among the numerous names and faces shepherding the story of the members of the People’s Liberation Army in its efforts to beat back the Americans during the Korean War. The new film tackles the PVA’s latest mission, which is to blow up a bridge that is strategically vital to the Americans’ retreat, and the multiple attempts at doing so between every firefight and freezing temperature. The patriotic and jingoistic sentiments are still present but not as much as in the first film, while its more […]

THE BATTLE AT LAKE CHANGJIN Review: An Immersive Patriotic Wartime Epic

Lee B. Golden III

The concept of watching three hour movies is nothing new. All the same however, neither is the shared sentiment of arduously watching a movie with such an extenuating runtime, although whatever the case may be, a film like The Battle At Lake Changjin is just the kind of film you would expect to see have three major directors on board. The Chen Kaige/Tsui Hark/Dante Lam-helmed Korean War period epic immerses moviegoers into this latest chapter from world history, one that’s become a major global box office hit as the most expensive mainland-produced Chinese film. Its ceremony hasn’t been without its share of disaccord, however, in the wake of dissenting opinions and criticism regarding historical accuracies and brouhaha over its inherently propagandistic overtones and nature. Do with those aspects what you will, regardless of your culture or creed. The Battle Of Lake Changjin certainly lends quite the bang for the box […]

THE RESCUE: Key Art For Dante Lam’s New Action Thriller Signals A December 18 Day-And-Date Release

Lee B. Golden III

Peep the gallery above as new key art was unveiled this week as an official announcement for Dante Lam’s long-awaited action thriller, The Rescue, now stakes a pre-Christmas December 18 day-and-date release from CMC Pictures in China, North America, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. The move comes after an extenuating delay for the film among other titles due to the ongoing pandemic. Early screenings gave the film rousing reviews prior to its previous Chinese Lunar New Year release for January at the time, then pushed to December and ultimately delayed again. The film marks a fourth reunion for director Dante Lam and actor Eddie Peng following 2013 MMA drama, Unbeatable, and patriotic action thrillers Operation Mekong and Operation Red Sea. Also starring are Jules Hartley, Will Tomi, Aldo Quintero Torres, Zhilei Xin and Lyric Lan. Billed as one of the most expensive Chinese films ever made, costing $100 million […]

THE RESCUE: CMC Officially Announces North American Release Plans For Dante Lam’s Explosive Action Epic

Lee B. Golden III

CMC Pictures is making it official this week with release plans for director Dante Lam’s explosive Chinese action epic, The Rescue. The film is now slated to open on January 24 in the U.S. and Canada in time for the Chinese Lunar New Year, playing in all major markets ahead of its China, Australia, New Zealand and UK rollouts. Billed as one of the most expensive Chinese films ever made, costing $100 million dollars to produce, The Rescue stars Eddie Peng (Rise Of The Legend, Operation Mekong, Immortal Demon Slayer) as the maverick captain of a Chinese rescue team that must quell its internal upheaval, and embark on death-defying land, sea and air mission to save survivors of a fiery offshore catastrophe. The Rescue marks the first cinematic venture to showcase the China Rescue & Salvage (CRS), a lesser-known division of the Chinese Coast Guard. Founded in 1951, the unit […]

Dante Lam’s THE RESCUE Trailer Dares You To Crush Your Fears!

Lee B. Golden III

A brand new official trailer is out nowadays hailing director Dante Lam’s latest ambitious cinematic feat, The Rescue, which opens next year on January 25. The trailer comes just as Lam took to a major media event in Shanghai to promote the film alongside his cast. Eddie PENG stars as GAO Qian, the captain of an Emergency Response Unit that engages in chopper rescue missions and the up-and-coming XIN Zhilei as FANG Yuling, his beautiful and outspoken pilot. Together they must race against the clock to save lives on every mission. The Resuce has especially been a big deal for the duration of its headline coverage in the past year in change – several years and making and touting more than $100 million for its budget with key hires like Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and British production designer Martin Laing (Titanic). From these to the reported […]

THE RESCUE Teaser Unleashes Fire And Fury In Dante Lam’s Latest

Lee B. Golden III

During the course of events at FilMart in Hong Kong, the official teaser for Dante Lam’s big budget action epic, The Rescue, arrived online from Emperor Motion Pictures. Operation Mekong star and director Eddie Peng and Dante Lam reunite for the fiery new thriller that centers on an emergency rescue operation and his pilot girlfriend, whose team find courage and camaraderie in adversity. Also starring are Carlos Chan, Zhilei Xin (Brotherhood Of Blades 2) and Ian Wang (Operation Red Sea). Oscar-winning Cinematographer Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Forbidden Kingdom) lends his services along with British production designer Martin Laing (Titanic, Avatar). A February 2020 release is tentatively in tow so stay tuned.

Cine Asia & London’s PimpShuei To Host OPERATION RED SEA Screening Party This Tuesday

Lee B. Golden III

Cine Asia and London’s PimpShuei are hosting a screening event and party on Tuesday, October 16 at 7:00pm for Dante Lam’s latest hit, Operation Red Sea. The event arrives two weeks prior to Cine Asia’s slated Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Download release on October 29. Loosely based on the 2015 uprising in Yemen, Operation Red Sea centers on the Chinese Navy’s eight-member Jiaolong Assault Unit, trapped behind enemy lines when a rescue mission bookends into foiling an even deadlier terroristic threat. Following suit from Lam’s explosive 2014 espionage action adventure, Operation Mekong, Operation Red Sea became the most successful film of the year at the Chinese box office and the country’s second highest grossing film of all time. It has also been selected by Hong Kong as its contender among several entries from Asia in the foreign-language Oscars category. Actor Zhang Yi leads the cast with Johnny Huang and Du […]

OPERATION RED SEA Runs In The U.K. This October

Lee B. Golden III

I took sometime to edit one of my older reviews glitched in the transfer of my site back in July and somehow the darn thing redated itself for today’s date. It’s hilarious. I don’t get computers at all! BUT, I do get announcements and it just so happens that the piece I was updating happens to be my review for Operation Red Sea which came out earlier this summer on Blu-Ray here in the U.S.. As it stands, Cine Asia is now on deck to bring the film to the U.K. on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital this October with pre-orders now available. Get ready for the most thrilling action movie event of the year with Operation Red Sea… Terrorists are plotting to obtain nuclear materials, putting the lives of hostages and citizens in jeopardy. Only one Elite Force team has the skills, knowledge and firepower to execute Operation Red Sea […]

Win A Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack Of Dante Lam’s OPERATION RED SEA

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is proudly releasing famed action director Dante Lam’s explosive Operation Mekong follow-up, Operation Red Sea, on digital, Blu-ray and DVD on July 24. Not to be outdone by weeks of waiting however, we’re giving away five copies of the new combo pack with a deadline set for the day of it’s release. When a terrorist plot to obtain nuclear materials is hidden under the cover of a violent coup, only the Chinese Navy’s elite Jiaolong (Sea Dragon) Assault Team have the deadly skill and precision needed to take on the situation. All you have to do is e-mail us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com – be sure to apply “OP RED SEA” in the subject headliner, and answer our triva question: “What was the name of Gao Gang’s dog in Operation Mekong?” On the day of the deadline, five winners will be contacted and asked for an address where we […]

Review: Dante Lam’s OPERATION RED SEA Never Runs Dry

Lee B. Golden III

Action auteur Dante Lam’s latest offering, Operation Red Sea, runs high on military might for its +2 hour runtime. Most of the film relies heavily on the orchestra of all things that go boom but lends the few obligatory small doses of poignance and drama to enduce empathy among its key characters for a film with such a large cast. Actor Zhang Yi plays Yang Rui who leads the Chinese Navy’s eight-member Jiaolong Assault Unit for the film’s narrative loosely based on the 2015 uprising in Yemen. Certain areas of the story are reworked with the crux of our story set in the nation of Yewaire and behind enemy lines where for Rui and his unit, a rescue mission now comes abruptly packaged with foiling an even deadlier terroristic threat. Lam’s script, written with Feng Ji, doesn’t try too much to be anything more than it is, as there are […]

OPERATION RED SEA: Chinese Navy Commandos Fire Away In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Writer and director Dante Lam is no Michael Bay. Gladly he doesn’t need to be with his 2016 box office hit, Operation Mekong lending all the viewable proof you could want despite not being a perfect film. Thus, he’s since stuck to what works and with Operation Red Sea being central to those efforts as we mark another notch on the belt for Chinese military action cinema. Famed action director Dante Lam returns with this explosive follow-up to his 2016 box office smash OPERATION MEKONG. When a terrorist plot to obtain nuclear materials is hidden under the cover of a violent coup, only the Chinese Navy’s elite Jiaolong Assault Team have the deadly skill and precision needed to take on the situation. Gearing up for a February 23 release in select theaters, Well Go USA is pushing forward once more in its representation and with an official trailer to make […]

Dante Lam’s OPERATION RED SEA Hails A Mighty Battlefront In The First Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Legendary director Dante Lam’s Operation Mekong follow-up, Operation Red Sea, still doesn’t have a release date. However, we now have a full trailer courtesy of Emperor Motion Pictures which all but guarantees its place among the pantheon of recent patriotic Chinese actioners. The Jiaolong Assault Team, one of the special forces of the world’s largest military force, People’s Liberation Army, is given a potentially fatal assignment, leading a small eight-man unit to evacuate Chinese residents from a North African republic in the throes of a coup d’état. The squad strategically makes a two-pronged rescue attempt but is tragically ambushed, resulting in heavy casualties. At the same time, the terrorist leader manages to steal the incriminating evidence against him along with essential material for the manufacture of nuclear arms. The Jiaolong Assault Team is fully aware of the importance of ensuring such material is forever removed from the terrorists’ hands. Operation […]

EIFF 2017 Entry, ELITE FORCE: OPERATION MEKONG, Heads To UK DVD And VOD This July

Lee B. Golden III

After partaking in the current line-up at the Edinburgh International Film Festival through next month, CineAsia will be accomodating the UK home releases of Dante Lam’s award-winning action thriller, Elite Force: Operation Mekong. The film is one of China’s highest all-time grossers of 2016 and is soon to be followed up by Lam’s upcoming Hong Kong thriller, Operation Red Sea which opens later this year. Following a sudden international crisis when Chinese commercial vessels are ambushed on the Mekong River, an elite team of narcotic officers are dispatched to the Golden Triangle region, on evidence the attack resulted from a notorious drug cartel operating in the area. Led by Captain Gao Gang (Zhang Hanyu), who partners with intelligence officer and undercover specialist Fang Xinwu (Eddie Peng), this team embarks on a death-defying mission to bring the ultimate takedown of a ruthless drug lord. With ferocious action direction from Tung Wai […]

Dante Lam’s OPERATION RED SEA Unveils Explosive Behind-The-Scenes First Look!

Lee B. Golden III

Legendary director Dante Lam proved he could still put butts in seats for last year’s ripped-from-the-headlines action thriller, Operation Mekong, earning $173 million dollars in China. This time he’s returned and within the production of his follow-up, Operation Red Sea which is being housed at Emperor Motion Pictures who are selling the film internationally at Cannes. The Jiaolong Assault Team, one of the special forces of the world’s largest military force, People’s Liberation Army, is given a potentially fatal assignment, leading a small eight-man unit to evacuate Chinese residents from a North African republic in the throes of a coup d’état. The squad strategically makes a two-pronged rescue attempt but is tragically ambushed, resulting in heavy casualties. At the same time, the terrorist leader manages to steal the incriminating evidence against him along with essential material for the manufacture of nuclear arms. The Jiaolong Assault Team is fully aware of […]

OPERATION MEKONG Announces Its U.S. Summer Release!

Lee B. Golden III

Acclaimed director Dante Lam’s 2016 action thriller, Operation Mekong, was not without it’s share of interesting dialogue regarding its subject matter. Its ripped-from-the-headlines narrative centered on the 2011 incident that occurred along the Mekong river involving a criminal drug ring in Myanmar, otherwose serving as the premise for another hopeful entertaining hit at the box office. And so it was as it became one of the highest grossing films in China at the time, and with North America in its sites, the film has officially landed at its new home at Well Go USA. Release dates are announced for May 2 on Digital HD, and on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack & DVD on June 6 with the artwork seen just below. Amazon.com already had pre-orders up and running so have at it! PLANO, TEXAS. (April 24, 2017) – “… for action film buffs, Christmas has come early” (Edmund Lee, South China […]

[UPDATED] OPERATION MEKONG Commences This Friday In North America And Canada

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is putting the word out this week for its simultaneous release of director Dante Lam’s latest, Operation Mekong. An official U.S. trailer is not yet online but we’ll post it at the very bottom of this page should it go live before the film’s September 30 release this Friday. Check out the official poster below! SYNOPSIS: Two Chinese commercial vessels are ambushed while traveling down the Mekong River in the waters of the Golden Triangle, one of the largest drug-manufacturing regions in the world. 13 sailors are executed at gunpoint, and 900,000 methamphetamine pills are recovered at the scene. The Chinese government immediately sends a band of elite narcotics officers led by Captain Gao Gang (Zhang Hanyu) to the Golden Triangle to uncover the truth behind the murders. Tea field owner and Golden Triangle-based intelligence officer Fang Xinwu (Eddie Peng) joins the investigation. After it is discovered […]

Catch The Latest Action-Packed Trailer For Dante Lam's OPERATION MEKONG

Lee B. Golden III

Beast Stalker and Unbeatable helmer, acclaimed filmmaker Dante Lam’s career is certainly a mixed bag for some as of late. His most recent affair will hit screens in Asia on October 6 with the new action thriller, Operation Mekong and it certainly doesn’t hold back on spectacular action as far as I’m concerned, although that leaves much else to be determined for the rest of the film despite some of its best efforts. SYNOPSIS: Inspired by the true story of a merchant vessel operating in the Mekong River Delta in 2011 that was attacked by bandits leaving 13 people dead. Chinese authorities team up with police forces from Thailand, Laos and Myanmar to launch an investigation into the incident when a massive stash of drugs is found on board. Eddie Peng and Zhang Hanyu star. The latest trailer is online courtesy of Distribution Workshop and you can view it below!

Dante Lam's OPERATION MEKONG Unfolds In The Explosive New Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Fans of those who’ve enjoyed the latest work from festival-acclaimed director Dante Lam and have been waiting can now breathe with a sigh of relief. With a release date now pending for the new action thriller, Operation Mekong, the first official trailer is online and in full form with a story pulled from the headlines, and told with a compelling display of action, drama and danger. SYNOPSIS: Inspired by the true story of a merchant vessel operating in the Mekong River Delta in 2011 that was attacked by bandits leaving 13 people dead. Chinese authorities teamed up with police forces from Thailand, Laos and Burma to launch an investigation into the incident when a massive stash of drugs was found on board. Lam reunites with his leads for sports dramas, Unbeatable and To The Fore, actor Eddie Peng with Zhang Hanyu from The Taking Of Tiger Mountain also starring. Watch […]