"The Curse of Turandot" is a documentary film released on Netflix that explores the infamous "curse" associated with the opera "Turandot" by Giacomo Puccini. The curse revolves around the mysterious deaths and misfortunes that have plagued the production and performers of the opera throughout its history. The documentary delves into the origin of the curse, which is believed to stem from a combination of the tragic circumstances surrounding Puccini's death and the superstitions associated with the opera's themes. Puccini passed away before completing the final act of "Turandot," leaving it unfinished. This added an air of mystery and darkness to the opera, which is centered around a young princess who challenges suitors to answer three riddles. Failure to answer correctly results in the suitor's execution.

The Curse of Turandot (2021)

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Curse Of Turandot - An Interesting Chinese Remake of a Classic Italian Opera (Review)

I’m not the world’s biggest fantasy movie fan, in fact with the exception of the two Yin Yang Master movies and the Enchanted Phantom, I dont think I’ve ever really enjoyed the Asian fantasy genre.

But that didn’t stop me from enjoying this! Maybe I don’t watch enough fantasy movies to know the good ones from the bad ones, but I know what I enjoy in a movie, and this movie had some of those elements in it.

This is based on an opera by an Italian composer, and features a very decent cast. I’m going to tell you why I enjoyed The Curse of Turnadot.

What's this movie about?

His Great Majesty the Khan sends his soldiers to the land of Malvia to initiate talks and develop a friendship, however his general has other plans, deciding to slaughter all the citizens.

Malvia holds a secret treasure: three bracelets that when combined, provide the host with immeasurable power, but inflicting a horrible curse. The Queen of Malvia sends her son with his martial arts master to be saved from slaughter by the General, who finds the bracelets and submits them as gifts for the Khan’s daughter Turandot.

She takes a liking to the bracelets, but the curse overcomes her body, and if she doesnt find her romantic suitor who can defeat the curse by the time she turns 18, it will completely consume her body.

In comes Blue Eyes, the royal son of Malvia. But suffering amnesia, he doesn’t know this until he sees the visions created by the bracelets that unlock his memory to defeat the curse inflicted upon the princess.

Why You Should Watch

I kind of made that sound a little more complicated than it was, because I found all the online synopsis’ of this film to be really lacking in storyline elements.

Again, not being a fan of fantasy films, I am not sure if this is a great story by fantasy standards, but I enjoyed it.

There is an attempted mixture here of western and Chinese fantasy elements, that’s good enough but definitely skews more towards the Chinese vision of what fantasy is.

Thus, this means we get a lot of flying and jumping, a lot of dance-like fighting scenes but also a lot of strange characters that make little sense in the general context of the film.

For example, take Liu’er, the younger “sister” of our main character Blue Eyes, or Calaf, which is his real name. She’s a character that's supposed to be around 12-14 years old, but she is played by 27 year old pop singer Siyi Lin from the Chinese version of AKB48 known as SNH48. There is a scene where she uses her whips to beat down some palace guards: men who are twice her size and strength, yet there is another scene later on where is rendered helpless by just two of the princess’ female bodyguards. It’s a bit of weird fantasy logic that makes no sense.

But I did like most of the performances in this movie, including Siyi Lin. She was terrific. Personally I thought Dylan Sprouse ripping out fluent Mandarin was quite interesting, but reading his profile there is no indication he can actually speak Mandarin, so that was a pleasant surprise.

Action movie fans will be curious about the casting of several action movie stars. Taiwanese actor Collin Chou from many great Hong Kong action films takes up the role of Sifu Zhou and shows off some average sword fighting skills. Certainly nothing too impressive considering his back catalogue.

Likewise with the casting of Wen Jiang as the Khan. Wen Jiang starred and directed in my favourite Chinese action film - the absolutely insane Let The Bullets Fly . But in this film he is just relegated as being a passive royal character. He does it well, and has the right voice for royalty, but its hardly a stretch of his skills.

But Hu Jun on the other hand, as the General, he is typically fantastic. He always seems to be play the bad guy in movies - he has the right look, and in parts of this movie, he shows off that he definitely has the right body for the role.

So that just leaves us with Xiaotong Guan. I’ve only seen her in a handful of films, such as The Captain where she plays a nerdy flight enthusiast in a completely unnecessary role, and last year romantic flop Oversize Love, and while I think she a has a cute innocence to her, I’m not convinced she can play a bad character as well as someone like Dongyu Zhou or Zifeng Zhang could have.

It sounds like I didn’t enjoy the film, but I really did. I enjoyed the special effects the most. Being a fantasy setting means that reality can take a back step, and that shows with the firework scenes, when the characters conjure up some impressive looking patterns. These scenes made even more impressive by the fact they were done by Australian effects house Rising Sun, who have a very stellar back catalogue of effects production in both Hollywood and Chinese cinema. Go Aussie!

But, the ending was a bit of a let down. I’m not too sure what I expected, except I know I didn't want a happy ending where everyone gets married and lives happily ever after. And while thankfully we don’t get that ending, the ending we do get feels very strange and really not something I saw coming.

Overall

What we have here is a very big budget fantasy romance movie that eschews the traditional romantic plotline for something that's a little unexpected. But with a great cast of Chinese and International actors, including French actress Sophie Marceau and Swiss actor Vincent Perez, colourful eye popping visuals and great special effects, this is the kind of popcorn fantasy movie that I enjoy.

I’m not sure it will leave a lasting impression on me, and it won’t make my Top 10 best or worst lists, but for 2 hours I enjoyed what this movie had to offer. And I have a suspicion this will end up on Netflix shortly if you’re really wanting to watch this.

If you’ve seen this, what did you think?

Film Music Reporter

1. I’m Just Ken (from Barbie)
2. What Was I Made For (from Barbie)
3. The Fire Inside (from Flamin’ Hot)
4. Road to Freedom (from Rustin)
5. Keep It Movin’ (from The Color Purple)
6. Am I Dreaming (from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)
7. It Never Went Away (from American Symphony)
8. High Life (from Flora and Son)
9. Dance The Night (from Barbie)
10. Can’t Catch Me Now (from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes)
11. Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People) (from The Killers of the Flower Moon)
12. Quiet Eyes (from Past Lives)
13. Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven) (from Asteroid City)
14. Meet in the Middle (from Flora and Son)
15. Superpower (I) (from The Color Purple)

Failure to answer correctly results in the suitor's execution. The curse gained momentum when numerous incidents occurred during the early performances of "Turandot." The documentary recounts stories of accidents, injuries, and even deaths that have befallen cast members throughout the years.

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These incidents include stage collapses, falls, and accidents during rehearsals and performances. Some believe that these misfortunes are a result of the opera's dark themes and the unfinished nature of Puccini's work. One particularly eerie occurrence that the documentary explores is the death of various sopranos who have portrayed the lead role of Turandot. These tragic events have fueled the belief in the curse and have led to speculation that the role itself is cursed. The documentary interviews surviving cast members who recount their experiences and share their thoughts on the curse. "The Curse of Turandot" also delves into the psychological impact that the curse has had on performers. Some confess to experiencing feelings of dread and unease while rehearsing and performing the opera, knowing the history associated with it. Others express skepticism and dismiss the curse as mere coincidence and superstition. The documentary provides a thought-provoking analysis of the curse and raises questions about the power of belief and superstition in the world of art and performance. It interviews experts in the field of opera and folklore to shed light on the historical and cultural context surrounding the curse. Overall, "The Curse of Turandot" is a captivating exploration of the mysterious and tragic events that have haunted the production and performers of this renowned opera. Whether one believes in the curse or not, the documentary offers a fascinating insight into the power of legends and superstitions in the world of art..

Reviews for "Supernatural Suspense: What's Really Happening in Turandot on Netflix?"

1. John Doe - 1/5 stars - I was extremely disappointed with "The Curse of Turandot" on Netflix. The plot was confusing and lacked any depth. The characters were one-dimensional and I couldn't connect with any of them. The pacing was slow and there were too many unnecessary scenes that added nothing to the story. Overall, it felt like a complete waste of time and I would not recommend it to anyone.

2. Jane Smith - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "The Curse of Turandot" but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The concept had potential, but the execution fell flat. The acting was mediocre at best and the dialogue felt forced. The special effects were also subpar, making certain scenes look cheesy and cheap. It had the potential to be an engaging fantasy series, but it ended up being a forgettable and underwhelming experience.

3. Sarah Johnson - 2/5 stars - "The Curse of Turandot" on Netflix was a letdown for me. The storyline had promise, but it quickly became convoluted and hard to follow. The pacing was inconsistent, with some episodes feeling rushed and others dragging on. The character development was lacking, and I found it hard to empathize or root for any of them. It's a shame because the production value and cinematography were decent, but the weak script and direction ultimately ruined the viewing experience for me.

4. Michael Thompson - 1/5 stars - I regret wasting my time on "The Curse of Turandot" on Netflix. The plot was boring and predictable, and the dialogue was laughably bad. The performances were wooden and lacked charisma, making it hard to invest in the characters. I couldn't understand the motivation or purpose behind many of the decisions made by the writers. Overall, it was a forgettable and poorly executed show that I would not recommend to others.

5. Emily Adams - 1/5 stars - "The Curse of Turandot" was a disappointment from start to finish. The story was messy and poorly constructed, leaving me confused and uninterested. The pacing was all over the place, making it hard to engage with the narrative. The acting was subpar, with the cast delivering dull performances that lacked any emotional depth. It had the potential to be a captivating fantasy series, but it ended up being a forgettable and frustrating watch.

Solving the Curse of Turandot: Debunking Myths on Netflix