Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
Seen it?2010 | 123 min | Action, Adventure, Drama, Mystery
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (80% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing and action fans. If you loved Escape from New York, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 3 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
- It's in Chinese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
When the future empress Wu Zetian's two courtiers die in a mysterious fire, she gets Di Renjie, a former detective and rebel, released from prison to solve the mystery of the fire.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
80% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.6 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
7 wins and 13 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$52 million worldwide on a $13 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 31K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Tsui Hark
- Andy LauDetective Dee
- Li BingbingShangguan Jing'er
- Deng ChaoPei Donglai
- Tony Leung Ka-faiShatuo Zhong
- Carina LauWu Zetian
- Richard Ng Yiu-honWang Lu (before face-lift)
- Teddy RobinWang Lu (after face-lift)
- Liu JinshanXue Yong
- Yao LuLi Xiao
- Wang DeshunXiazi Ling