“VR Fighter” Theatrical Poster
Director: Tang Qiaojia
Cast: Fan Siu-Wong, Yiyi Jiang, Diego Dati, Jiang Yi-Yi, Wang Zhipeng, Song Ziqiao, Tang Hu
Running Time: 80 min.
By Paul Bramhall
The web movie has become something of a cultural phenomenon in China. While what can be considered the first official Chinese web movie is up for debate, it’s a trend which has continued to grow at a rapid rate since their inception in the mid-2010’s. Fuelled by the trifactor of a rapid uptake in smartphones, a successful 4G network rollout, and the boom of online payment systems like Alipay, the number of web movies being produced per year in China currently sits in the hundreds. While it’s easy to disregard such output – these are ultimately throwaway productions that don’t go beyond 80 minutes, likely to be watched on a smartphone during a commute to work – the Chinese web movie industry has also become a place that Hong Kong stars of yesteryear can continue to find work.
One such former star is Fan Siu-Wong. Known for his roles in the likes of cult classic Story of Ricky and Ip Man, after an embarrassing turn as a gay butler who lusts after Lee Min-ho in 2016’s horrendous Bounty Hunters, Siu-Wong threw himself into the world of web movies like they were going out of fashion. Since 2018 he’s headlined the likes of Wolves Action 2, Taoist Master, The Bravest Escort Group, The Bravest Escort Group 2: Howling Wind, Monster Undersea, Monster Undersea 2, Southern Shaolin, and Special Mission – it’s possible to go on. The nature of web movies needing to hold a viewer’s attention, and resist the temptation to tap into TikTok or Instagram, has seen the kung fu and monster genres come to the fore, with Siu-Wong frequently dabbling Continue reading →
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