Viy 2: Journey to China 魏2：中國遊記.

Russia / China coproduction that infuses swashbuckling adventuring with some decent martial arts.

aka Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask

aka The Mystery of Dragon Seal

Directed by Oleg Stepchenko

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Flemyng, Helen Yao Xingtong, Jackie Chan

Mandarin with English Subtitles

2017

Approx. 124 mins

Viy 2: Journey to China is a Chinese Russian coproduction and a sequel to 2014 Russian film Viy. The good news is that Viy 2 can to some extent work as a standalone film but the result is the lack of character progression for some cast members because it assumes you are familiar with these characters, though this does not really detract from the overall proceedings.

Cartographer Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) charters a course to China to map out the far east. Aiding Green is fugitive Lan (Helen Yao Xingtong) who happens to be the daughter of Master (Jackie Chan) and harbours ulterior motives in joining Greens journey. Master is locked up in the Tower of London overseen by Warden James Hook (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Green’s travel leads him to a village of tea makers which is enslaved by an evil witch (Ma Li) masquerading as the princess. The witches intention is to obtain the Dragon seal that will allow her to gain control of the all-powerful Dragon. Meanwhile Miss Dudley (Anna Churina), Green’s spouse suspects Green of being up to no good and sets on her journey to find Green. Miss Dudley reluctantly enlists the help of Peter the Great and eventually they all collide at the Chinese tea village and all take on the evil witch.

British actor Jason Flemyng best known for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, makes a return as Jonathan Green for most part he is well versed in his role mixing comedic quips and kind hearted nature with ease but oddly enough he disappears for large portions of the film allowing every other character to be centre stage. Helen Yao barely registers with a very underdeveloped character and Ma Li as the protagonist lacks the prowess or charisma to truly sell her villainess role. Viy 2 is not really a Jackie Chan starring vehicle but an extend cameo along with action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, together they have a combination of approximately 30 minutes screen time and that screen time is welcoming. They both provide pleasing appearances and star power but Schwarzenegger as a British warden is stretching it a bit too much.

The creative team knows that by putting these two action juggernaut together on screen that a fight scene is necessary, thankfully for fans the two action icons do throw down, though not spectacular by any means its serviceable with some flashes of inventiveness and sprinkling of amusing humour. It's just that at times it feels that Schwarzenegger hulking presence against Chan’s grace and agility is never put to proper use. Action beats do appear every now and again which tend to be well staged and possess some very old school Hong Kong movements. The finale is an impressive combination of CGI and live action martial artistry, pitting Yao Xingtong against Ma Li who conjures multiple versions of herself. The fight is balletic utilizing some very wushu stylings combined with some well-tuned wire work. Fights are handled by Jackie Chan regular He Jun who has worked on Little Big Soldier, Dragon Blade, Railroad Tigers and The Knights of Shadows: Between Ying and Yang.

There are some well-designed mechanical creatures on display that are reminiscent of something from John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China (1986) but there powers and there technological skills are underutilized. Viy 2: Journey to China draws a lot of inspiration from Pirates of the Caribbean with a mixture of swashbuckling and fantasy elements though the budgetary constraints are apparent with it's less than stellar CGI and rather uninspired back grounds. The lighting is also bit off the mark with everything looking artificial. The use of green lighting emitting from some buildings feels at odds within the urban city set. The story is also hard to buy into as it jumps around from character to character without anyone actually developed. The huge cast of characters results in a very bloated film and some script refinements and tighter editing would have greatly benefitted the film and at just over 2 hours there are moments that can bore. It’s clear attempts to tap into the Chinese market with its huge cast of Chinese actors and Chinese setting could have been welcoming but it never settles in comfortably so the end results fail to satisfy both markets.

Yet for all it's short comings there is mild enjoyment to be had with some inoffensive escapades and some very well choreographed fights.