Empress Wu Zetian is erecting a giant statue overlooking her palace. On a visit to the statue, Master Jia is mysteriously incinerated. The supervising builder, Shutao, is interrogated by officer Pei Donglai. Officer Shangguan Jing'er - in service of the Empress - is sent to find Detective Dee to solve the mystery.
On arrival at the palace, Dee is reinstated as royal detective and him and Shangguan try to solve the mystery of the phantom flame, which burns its victims from inside and incinerates them in a black flame. He has to crack the case before the coronation of the Empress.
The film offers loads of action and adventure with spectacular set pieces and impressive visuals. The wire stunt effects are maybe a bit too much for my liking, but in general the stunt choreography was excellent.
'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame' is an involved story that takes many turns and there's twist character reveals as well. This is a highly entertaining high fantasy film that offers so much more than just a detective story! It's also an entirely different kind of whodunit murder mystery. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!
On arrival at the palace, Dee is reinstated as royal detective and him and Shangguan try to solve the mystery of the phantom flame, which burns its victims from inside and incinerates them in a black flame. He has to crack the case before the coronation of the Empress.
The film offers loads of action and adventure with spectacular set pieces and impressive visuals. The wire stunt effects are maybe a bit too much for my liking, but in general the stunt choreography was excellent.
'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame' is an involved story that takes many turns and there's twist character reveals as well. This is a highly entertaining high fantasy film that offers so much more than just a detective story! It's also an entirely different kind of whodunit murder mystery. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!