The Curse of the Black The Curse of the Black is a popular legend that has intrigued people for centuries. It is said to have originated from an old pirate ship called the Black Pearl. According to legend, the ship and its crew were cursed by a vengeful witch. The curse turned the crew into immortal skeletons and condemned them to sail the seas forever. The curse is said to have been placed on the Black Pearl after the crew stole a forbidden treasure from an ancient temple. As punishment for their greed, the witch placed a curse on the crew, ensuring that they would never find peace or rest.

The curse of turandot

Promotional material of The Curse of Turandot Photo: Maoyan

Chinese romantic fantasy film The Curse of Turandot has earned the “honor” of being the worst movie of 2021 after the hashtag for the worst movie of the year began trending on Chinese social media on Sunday.

The Curse of Turandot has a flashy list of famous people attached including director Zheng Xiaolong, who once directed the hit Chinese ancient costume drama Empresses in the Palace, reliable actors Jiang Wen and Hu Jun, actress Guan Xiaotong and foreign actors Dylan Sprouse and Sophie Marceau.

Released in the Chinese mainland on October 15, the film only grossed 18.90 million yuan ($ 2.95 million), according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.

Media reported that the film’s screen share reached 20.7 percent on its premiere day, only slightly lower than that of The Battle at Lake Changjin. However, this quickly fell to 9.6 percent due to poor word of mouth.

The film only has 3.2/10 score on Chinese media review platform Douban.

Many Chinese moviegoers complained that the actors are just playing themselves without any spiritual communications.

Though the film draws inspiration from the well-known opera Turandot, it comes up with a nearly new story based on a Chinese novel name Sansezhuo (three-colored bracelet).

Some film observers commented that the biggest problem for the film is that Zheng films it the same way as a TV drama, which led to a chaotic story narrative.

Shi Wenxue, a film critic based in Beijing, told the Global Times that the poor performance of The Curse of Turandot is mainly because the story’s core did not really respect the Chinese audience but tried to “please” moviegoers by using some Eastern elements.

“The film’s biggest bug is that the story is not a good story or an Eastern story. The production team just tried to add many Eastern elements to please Chinese audiences without having true soul, just like Disney’s Mulan,” he said.

He pointed out that Chinese and foreign co-produced movies usually prefer fantasy themes as they tend to be easier to understand for both Eastern and Western audiences. However, the story of The Curse of Turandot itself is a bit too naive and lacks conviction.

Besides The Curse of Turandot, some Chinese netizens also listed reputed Hong Kong director Ann Hui’s film Love After Love, starring Ma Sichun and Eddie Peng, as the worst film of the year for its poor adaptation of Eileen Chang’s story Aloeswood Incense: The First Brazier.

Ouch. Chinese Netizens Roast New Film “The Curse of Turandot”

As punishment for their greed, the witch placed a curse on the crew, ensuring that they would never find peace or rest. They would be forced to sail the seas, unable to touch land or feel any sense of permanence. The curse brought a plethora of misfortune to the crew of the Black Pearl.

“My friend recommended that I watch this film because it’s so bad that it’s good”

The Curse of Turandot , a Chinese romantic fantasy film based on the Italian opera Turandot , debuted in China on October 15.

Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, The Curse of Turandot adapts the fantasy opera by famed Italian composer Giacomo Puccini for contemporary Chinese movie theaters.

The film explores the love story between the cursed princess Turandot and an orphan named Calaf who vows to save the princess by lifting the curse. It stars well-known Chinese actress Guan Xiaotong, as well as actors Hu Jun and Jiang Wen.

Western viewers may be familiar with the movie because of the starring roles given to American actor Dylan Sprouse and French actress Sophie Marceau, the former of whom took to Instagram to speak on his experience while filming.

Chinese viewers are not keen on the movie despite its recognizable cast, and they are not shy in showing their disappointment.

On October 17, the topic ‘Use one sentence to describe how bad Turandot is’ ( #一句话评价图兰朵有多烂# ) began trending on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, stimulating conversations about the movie’s perceived shortcomings.

Some explained that they didn’t like the film because it failed to combine Chinese and Western elements properly. “As a transnational fantasy film, it lost the Chinese components, but it also failed to show Western elements,” film blogger @不知江月V notes .

Image via Weibo

Other netizens, well, hated it.

One netizen wrote, “My friend recommended that I watch this film because it’s so bad that it’s good.”

“I bet 500 RMB that there will not be a film worse than Turandot this year,” echoed film blogger @3号厅检票工员.

The roast continued on Douban , the Chinese review-aggregation website, where The Curse of Turandot had a rating of 3.7 out of 10 at the time of writing.

One Douban user wrote, “This film is worse than the bad examples used in textbooks.”

Another user commented, “I spent 13 RMB on this film, but now I want my money back.”

Nonetheless, some netizens took a more neutral stance.

Content creator @当阿波罗遇到雅典娜 cautioned against focusing only on the negative parts of the film: “Nothing is absolute. There are always two sides to every story. We should not ignore the strength of this film.”

After reading all these bad reviews, do you think it’s worth adding The Curse of Turandot to our list of bad Chinese films ? Let us know!

Cover image via Weibo

The Curse of Turandot (2021)

The plot follows Princess Turandot, who is cursed by a mysterious power emanating from three Mazovian bracelets that were given to her as birthday gifts. These bracelets’ life-draining effects cause the princess to become cruel, and gradually lose her humanity. Foreign princes who come to court her must solve three riddles, one for each bracelet, and only then will she be freed from the power of the bracelets. In the event any of the questions is answered incorrectly, the attempted solver would be put to death. One day, Calaf, an ordinary citizen, risks his life to answer the riddles to save her and inadvertently uncovers his own extraordinary past. (Source: Amanda N'Duka at IMDb) Edit Translation

• English
• magyar / magyar nyelv
• עברית / עִבְרִית
• dansk

• Native Title:图兰朵：魔咒缘起
• Also Known As:Turandot , Tu Lan Duo , Tu Lan Duo: Mo Zhou Yuan Qi , San Se Zhuo: Po Mi Chong Sheng , 图兰朵 , 三色镯：破谜重生 , 圖蘭朵 , 圖蘭朵：魔咒緣起 , 三色鐲：破謎重生
• Director:Zheng Xiao Long
• Genres:Adventure, Romance, Fantasy, War
• Tags:Hidden Past, Curse, Princess Female Lead, Ophthalmological Disorder, CGI, Master-Disciple Relationship, Cold Female Lead, Star Crossed Lovers, Color Blindness, Royalty(Vote or add tags)

• Country: China
• Type: Movie
• Release Date: Oct 15, 2021
• Duration: 1 hr. 51 min.
• Score: 7.2 (scored by 307 users)
• Ranked: #7702
• Popularity: #6153
• Content Rating: Not Yet Rated
• Watchers: 1,447
• Favorites: 0

Cast & Credits

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Reviews

Dylan Sprouse was what made me want to watch, the movie itself kept me watching . . .

I had been eagerly waiting to watch this movie ever since I had heard of and saw the the trailer not once but three times even.
I found it so refreshing to have an American actor that I had grown up watching (Suite Life on Deck) included in this production and I must commend him on his efforts and how well he portrayed his character it made me happy to see him speak mandarin.
I did quite enjoy this movie and although having never heard of the supposed opera it is based off, I found myself very much fascinated and besotted with the storyline. It was intriguing the way the story played out and I was stunned by the mesmerising visual effects which I was very impressed with especially the way the bracelets fused with her skin and how vibrant the fireworks were. It was also quite nice that it was more of a reversed damsel in distress as well, the amount of times she ended up saving him :D
I enjoyed the couple pairing and would have liked to have seen a bit more of them together after they had come to realise the truth and that were in fact on each others side all along having been innocent children at the time of the disaster cause.
Although the ending was somewhat obvious and to be expected it was still slightly unfortunate but it didn't leave me too disheartened as he continued onwards to achieve his dream.
To be honest I must have been too much into the movie as I didn't pay all that much attention to the music, oops, but I certainly enjoyed those that were cast for their roles very much and wouldn't mind at all watching it again if I got bored one evening.

They became feared and notorious pirates, but they were unable to enjoy their spoils. No matter how much treasure they plundered, it would turn to ash in their hands. The curse prevented them from finding any joy or satisfaction in their existence. Legend has it that the only way to break the curse is to return the stolen treasure to its rightful resting place. But over the years, many have tried and failed to break the curse. The crew of the Black Pearl has become known as the "undead pirates," and they continue to sail the seas, seeking redemption and release from their curse. The Curse of the Black has captured the imagination of many. It has been the inspiration for countless stories, movies, and other works of art. The idea of a cursed ship and its immortal crew has a certain allure and danger that captivate audiences. Ultimately, the Curse of the Black is a cautionary tale about the consequences of greed and the pursuit of forbidden treasures. It serves as a reminder that there are always consequences to our actions and that true happiness and contentment cannot be attained through ill-gotten gains. The curse also raises questions about the nature of immortality and the meaning of existence. Can immortality be a curse rather than a blessing? These are questions that the legend of the Curse of the Black continues to explore and ponder..

Reviews for "The Mysterious Powers Behind the Black Curse"

1. John - 1/5 stars - The Curse of the Black was a complete disaster for me. The plot was convoluted and confusing, with no clear direction or resolution. The characters were flat and uninteresting, making it impossible for me to invest in their struggles. The special effects were lackluster, and the overall production felt cheap and rushed. I was extremely disappointed with this film and would not recommend it to anyone.

2. Sarah - 2/5 stars - While The Curse of the Black had a promising concept, it failed to deliver on many levels. The pacing was incredibly slow, dragging the story and making it difficult to stay engaged. The acting was subpar, with wooden performances that lacked any emotional depth. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, further taking away from the overall experience. Though I appreciated some of the visual effects, they were not enough to salvage the film. Overall, I was left underwhelmed by this movie.

3. Mark - 2/5 stars - The Curse of the Black had potential but fell flat for me. The storyline was predictable and filled with cliches, offering nothing new or intriguing. The characters were one-dimensional, lacking any development or depth. Additionally, the pacing was inconsistent, with long periods of boredom followed by rushed and confusing action sequences. The film had some visually appealing moments, but overall, it failed to leave a lasting impression. I was disappointed by this film, especially considering the initial hype surrounding it.

4. Laura - 1/5 stars - The Curse of the Black was a waste of my time and money. The plot was nonsensical and poorly executed, leaving me confused and frustrated throughout the entire film. The acting was painful to watch, with awkward performances that lacked any believability. The dialogue was laughable, filled with cringe-worthy lines that took away any potential seriousness of the story. The only positive aspect was the cinematography, but even that couldn't salvage this disaster of a movie. I would advise anyone to steer clear of this film.

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