Didn't see a discussion thread of wandering earth 2 so I thought I'd make one.

Went to see this yesterday and I thought it was a pretty fun if cheesy scifi flick. CGI was on point, unlike some other chinese movies. Space elevator scene was pretty cool: (Here's a edited version from the original longer sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQfVHGNMykg) It's definitely a "just turn off your brain movie", cause things like the massive amounts of fuel needed for everything are not even discussed. But hey people like superhero movies too.

I don't know why, but every non Chinese actor has pretty terrible dialog. The acting is poor. And also there were several moments where I'm sure the western actor was speaking Chinese, and then they poorly dubbed over them speaking English, so the lips don't match.

The film was surprisingly lacking in Chinese propaganda, but had plenty of pro Russia propaganda. If you can cringe through that it's a pretty good movie. And currently has 97% audience score on RT.

There's definitely a third movie in the works seeing as how there's a central theme of >!someone watching throughout the film, and it's never revealed who is behind everything.!<

I think it's also pretty clear that the AI MOSS >!can see into the future somehow, seeing as how he mentions events that haven't even happened yet.!< This also matches with the scene cards that >!tell the audience major plot events before they are going to happen.!<

There's also possibly >!another group that can see the future, or are in the future because signals keep being picked up on earth that show dates of major events before they happen.!<

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egg-rolling t1_j6li3ai wrote on January 31, 2023 at 4:08 AM

#1,644,338

Fan of the series.

I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s pro-Russia propaganda. The most significant poke at Russia would be their nukes have no safety and two triggers. I think it’s more directed towards the Chinese stereotype of Russians.

In the first movie, it also depicted Russian astronauts bringing vodka into space station. Another stereotype.

Overall I think I can read the favored tone towards Russian tho. But I would probably just rule it to “poke fun at them” since to Chinese viewers this is also a “new year” movie so some comedic stuff are included

Shillbot888 OP t1_j6lkr47 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 4:32 AM

#1,645,212

Replying to egg-rolling (#1,644,338)

They made a joke about them. But every heroic westerner in the series has been Russian. Seems like they want to paint a positive image of Russia.

I guess at the end of the day it's no different to American movies showing Americans as heroic.

Some reviewers complained about Americans being portrayed as dumbasses. But I think that's fair seeing as how Hollywood movies treat Asian characters as comic relief.

I'm guessing this thread is being downvoted by those with the same opinion as those reviewers.

egg-rolling t1_j6luvi4 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 6:14 AM

#1,648,376

Replying to Shillbot888 (#1,645,212)

I think ultimately the director wants “the world to save the world”. In the first movie, more than one of the engine was fired up to blow up Jupiter, instead of solo heroism that one team saves the day. In the second movie, astronauts from all nations volunteered as a symbol of courage for mankind. Granted the story was told from China’s perspective but I think it just happens to be they chose China’s wandering earth plan instead of other countries’ proposal.

If I am a Brazilian fan, I can still write a fan work on how Brazilian astronauts contributed and saves the day within the same universe.

GnosisYu t1_j6pazi1 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 10:58 PM

#1,689,097

Well, The wander earth 2 (WE2) actually has at least two covert plots. In the first elevator explosion scene, those missiles not only destoried the elevator, but also crashed the unfinished Ark space ship. Initially, there were 4 projects proposed in UN or UEG and one of them was the Ark spaceship project which could only carry 3000 persons to colonize a new planet. US was pro-Ark and pro-digital-life until the first iginition of planet engine. That explains why US was not so involved in the first half of the movie.

Another covert plot is about MOSS. He is behind all of these crises and I think you already noticed that. But the movie also secretly depicted a hidden duel between AI and human. The restoration of Internet was actually finished 12 mins earlier than the final countdown (This was indicated by the time provided in the movie) and it was MOSS who faked the failure of restoration to either annihilate or test the human race. Zhou insisted an on-time iginition because he noticed that and forced AI to make a choice, either die together or live together.