Entertainment Rebirth Rhapsody

Chapter 469: The main theme can still sweep the world

The premiere of "Operation Mekong" began amid the guests' anticipation.

The vast and boundless Tanggula Mountains appeared on the big screen. This is the source of the Mekong River in China. The movie gave everyone a majestic feeling at the beginning. The camera then flew forward from the snow-capped mountains, passed through the beautiful rivers and mountains of the motherland along the Lancang River, entered the Golden Triangle section of the Mekong River, and finally locked on a moving cargo ship.

In the first few minutes, the film explains the beginning of the incident with a heavy and depressing color and atmosphere. The crazy drug dealers and corrupt military officials of the neighboring country used the Chinese crew as scapegoats for drug trafficking. Seeing their compatriots being ruthlessly tortured and slaughtered, the guests present could not help but feel extremely aggrieved and angry.

As the camera turns, the incident spreads to the country, attracting the attention of the domestic police. The "809" task force is quickly established. With the appearance of the protagonist Sun Honglei, the opening title "Operation Mekong" falls from the sky with heavy but passionate music.

Unlike the original film, the first half of the film adopts a dual-line narrative, telling the development of events from the perspective of the two protagonists.

Sun Honglei's perspective represents China's dignity as a great power and the determination and will of the Chinese police to seek justice for Chinese citizens. Liu Ye's undercover experience shows the audience the chaos and disorder of the Golden Triangle, as well as the drug dealers' huge criminal network and their evil deeds.

The significance of Operation Mekong is self-evident to the audience. It not only reflects the Chinese government's zero tolerance for drugs, but also demonstrates the determination of our police to protect the safety and dignity of our citizens.

The dedication and sacrifice of the front-line police officers in two different positions moved all the guests present, especially the undercover police officer played by Liu Yezhu. In order to infiltrate the drug trafficking group, the damage he endured is unimaginable for ordinary people.

The main theme of the film is very flavorful, but the rhythm is very smooth and full of commercial elements.

If the first half of the film attracted the audience with its twists and turns and dangerous plot, then the second half was the various imaginative large-scale manhunts that fascinated everyone!

Action, gunfights, car races, and explosions are endless on the screen. While the audience is releasing their emotions, they are also brought into the excitement on the screen.

Waves of low exclamations continued to appear in the Great Hall of the People!
Shanhe's strength in storytelling is fully demonstrated in the film. The rhythm of the whole film is mastered to perfection and he tightly controls the audience, whose emotions fluctuate with the development of the plot.

The two-hour screening time seemed to pass by in a flash. When the crazy drug dealers were caught and taken back to China, the guests present realized that the movie had come to an end.

"Anyone who offends the Chinese people will be punished no matter how far away they are!"

Following the solemn oath of the Chinese police in the film, a line of subtitles appeared on the big screen for a long time:
I would like to dedicate this film to all the front-line police officers. Your names may be unknown to everyone, but your achievements will live on forever!
The Great Hall of the People fell into a moment of silence amid the majestic symphony. The first to stand up and applaud were the police representatives who were invited to attend. With tears in their eyes, they stood up collectively and applauded the movie.

Then everyone stood up and applauded. The applause was thunderous. Everyone expressed their sincere gratitude to the front-line police officers for their efforts and sacrifices. Everyone wants to live in a safe and harmonious environment, and it is these heroes in dangerous situations who bring safety and harmony!

During the event, the police representatives collectively turned around and saluted the guests with red eyes who applauded them. The applause did not stop, but became more and more enthusiastic, lasting for five or six minutes.

That night, "Operation Mekong" became the focus of the Internet, and the reviews of the film by directors, stars, and cultural celebrities appeared on the hot search list.

Zhang Yimou: "Although Operation Mekong is a commercial film, it has master-level performances in color, light, photography and rhythm control. What's amazing is that Shanhe is still making progress..."

Brother Chen Kai: "I don't need to say anything else. Shanhe's talent is well known. What impressed me most was the portrayal of the characters in the film and the imagination of the big scenes. I gained a lot from it!"

Feng Xiaogang: "I can guarantee that this movie will make at least 3 billion in China and at least 10 billion US dollars worldwide. It is so well made that it will easily beat Hollywood blockbusters!"

Jiang Wen: "Shanhe's talent for commercial photography is unmatched in the world, even Cameron can't compare to him. It's no exaggeration to say that he is a master of controlling emotions!"

Ning Hao: "A textbook example of a commercial blockbuster!"

...

The unanimous praise from the celebrities has made domestic movie fans eager to go to the cinema to see it.

On May 1st, "Operation Mekong" had its first day of release, and almost all the movie tickets were quickly sold out, with the midnight show even having been pre-sold out long ago.

As expected, Operation Mekong broke all domestic single-day box office records on the first day, but it also brought a little surprise. The film's midnight show broke 30 million RMB, and the first-day box office broke the 300 million RMB threshold, reaching a staggering 340 million RMB!

The film received rave reviews from the audience. On the first day, the number of viewers participating in Douban scoring exceeded 200,000, and the score reached an astonishing 9.8 points. Although there was a lot of flattery from Shanhe fans, it was enough to show that the audience highly recognized the film.

The praise from the film critics has been drowned out by the numerous comments from the audience.
"The best movie, bar none, it is both exciting and touching. Shanhe will never disappoint you!"

“Wow, cliff racing, jungle dashing, land explosion-proof tanks and surface patrol boats can all fly into the sky. Shanhe’s imagination is off the charts, far better than any Hollywood blockbuster!”

"I was very moved, especially the last scene of the film. Their names are unknown, but their achievements will live on forever! I praise the Chinese police officers. Thank you for your dedication and sacrifice!"

"Whoever offends China will be punished no matter how far away they are! This is so inspiring. I am proud to be a member of China. I have no regrets about joining China in this life, and I will be a Chinese in the next life!"

...

However, the surprises were not over yet. The next day, theaters across the country once again expanded the screening schedule of "Operation Mekong", and the single-day box office once again broke the limit, reaching 410 million yuan!
Three days before the May Day holiday, "Operation Mekong" broke the record of breaking 1 billion, reaching 1.12 billion, shocking the film and television circles across the country and even the world.

May Day is not a legal holiday in the West, but it happens to be a weekend. The biggest competitors of "Operation Mekong" in Europe and the United States are "San Andreas" which was released at the same time, and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" which will be released in the next two weeks.

Shanhe's reputation and appeal played a key role. It opened in 3,000 theaters and 4,000 screens in North America, and grossed 25 million U.S. dollars on the first day. Meanwhile, San Andreas, which opened in nearly 4,000 theaters and more than 5,000 screens, grossed 18 million U.S. dollars on the first day. The box office of China's mainstream movies actually beat Hollywood disaster blockbusters in North America!
"Operation Mekong" topped the North American box office weekly rankings amidst a chorus of astonishment.

"Operation Mekong" has a natural disadvantage in Europe and the United States. First, Westerners cannot appreciate the Chinese sentiments in the film. Second, Western audiences are not used to watching movie subtitles. In the West, subtitles are generally considered to be a way of watching movies for the deaf and mute. Third, they are not very accepting of Asian heroes. In their minds, Asians are mostly clowns.

However, "Operation Mekong" has covered up the above weaknesses with its smooth and refreshing plot, ups and downs of the rhythm, and exciting and cool large-scale real-life shooting.

On European and American websites, the Rotten Tomatoes rating of "Operation Mekong" reached 88%, and the critics' rating also unexpectedly exceeded 80%.

“An action commercial blockbuster that exceeded expectations. Hua Xiaqiu’s commercial talent is still underestimated!”

"Distinct characters, smooth plot, and cool scenes full of imagination. What else can you ask for in a commercial movie?"

"If you want to see trucks flying over cliffs, tanks flying over rainforests, speedboats soaring into the sky on the crest of waves and fighting helicopters, then go watch Operation Mekong. You can get everything!"...

Driven by the appeal of the mountains and rivers and the film's reputation, the box office of "Operation Mekong" increased again on Saturday, reaching 29 million US dollars, and 27 million US dollars on Sunday.

On the first three days of its release, "Operation Mekong", an authentic Chinese-language mainstream film, grossed 81 million U.S. dollars in North America, far exceeding the originally favored "San Andreas", and topped the weekly box office rankings.

This result far exceeded the expectations of Chuhe Film and Television and Disney. This is a film full of Chinese values. Before, Chuhe Film and Television and Disney did not have high hopes for the North American box office of this film. The film was too different from Western values. Their highest expectation was only 50 million US dollars in a single week, and this was assuming that Shanhe's appeal was at full capacity.

But the result gave them a big surprise!

The situation in European countries is similar to that in North America, but there are also some differences. European audiences are more receptive to commercial action blockbusters than North Americans. Every "007" series movie can achieve impressive box office data in European countries. The "Fast and Furious" series also has many fans in Europe, and even Jackie Chan's films have performed quite well at the box office in Europe.

"Operation Mekong" was regarded as a purely commercial action blockbuster and also conquered European audiences. Scenes of high-speed racing, action gun battles, flying tanks, and speedboat take-offs made European audiences feel extremely excited.

On the first three days of the release, the box office data from European countries gave Chuhe Films a bigger surprise: 85 million US dollars, which was even better than the North American box office!

"Operation Mekong" swept across Asian countries, topping the box office in Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia that week, and it was twice as popular as the second-ranked film.

Especially in Southeast Asia, perhaps because most of the film was shot in Southeast Asia, the scenes in the film not only attracted local Chinese, but also the natives of Southeast Asia were very excited.

Even the first week box office of this Thai movie, which is the location of the villain military, exceeded 27 million baht, equivalent to nearly one million US dollars. This box office can be ranked in the top ten in Thailand's single-week box office history!

In the first three days after the release of "Operation Mekong", the global box office was close to 400 million US dollars, far exceeding everyone's expectations.

The ones who were happiest about this result were not Chuhe Film and Television, nor China Film Group, but Golden Shield Film and Television and the Chinese police.

Not only will Golden Shield Films reap huge profits from this movie, but it will also become famous in the country. Not only has it perfectly completed the task assigned by its superiors, but its future development will also be smooth. It has become a consensus in the national film and television circles that they will make action movies with the main theme of police and gangsters.

The Chinese police had to be the ones to benefit the most. The publicity effect of "Operation Mekong" exceeded the expectations of all senior police officers. The film even exceeded the sum of all previous positive publicity.

Because of this movie, there was a wave of paying tribute to front-line police officers in the country. Drug enforcement police were praised by all walks of life, and the tribute at the end of the movie was reprinted and quoted by countless media and the public. "Their names are unknown, but their achievements will live on!" It became the highest honor for the national police force, and the title of "Unsung Heroes" resounded throughout the country.

Even the police officers in the police station are respected and honored by the public, and the relationship between the police and the public has reached the highest point of harmony, which has brought great convenience to the work of the police.

Not to mention that "Operation Mekong" also gave the Chinese police a global publicity campaign, which greatly enhanced the image of the Chinese police.

The inspiration the film brought to the police force was unprecedented. Every police officer who walked into the theater watched the film with tears in their eyes. When they saw the tribute at the end, many police officers even covered their faces and cried. All the hard work and dedication turned into tears at this moment. It was all worth it because someone remembered and praised it.

Spiritual power is indelible, especially in disciplined forces. This power is indispensable. The film "Operation Mekong" has this power. Senior police officials have begun discussing booking the entire theater so that police officers across the country can receive a spiritual baptism!
The huge invisible benefits mentioned above made the entire police top brass delighted. Shanhe is worthy of being the representative of the new era of China. He has done a great job!

The extraordinary explosion of "Operation Mekong" has caused heated discussions around the world, and the Shanhe couple, after spending two days together with their two children, quietly boarded a plane to Hollywood.

The Shanhe couple could avoid domestic reporters, but they could not hide from the ubiquitous paparazzi in North America. The "Kitty" just landed at Los Angeles International Airport, and the Hollywood paparazzi have been waiting here for a long time!

Shanhe was really impressed by these American journalists and paparazzi. He had no idea where they got the information from, but they were able to know the couple's itinerary so accurately.

The protection of the security personnel still could not stop the siege of numerous reporters. Shanhe was the world's biggest news focus at the moment. Even the most rogue Los Angeles policeman might not be able to get the paparazzi and reporters from major media to give up questioning the couple!

"Qiu, what do you think of Forbes' ranking of the richest people? Is a fortune of 58 billion a serious underestimation for you?"

"Qiu, what do you think of the box office data of Operation Mekong? Is it a political propaganda film?"

"Robert Iger said in an interview with NBC that Chuhe Films will catch up with the Big Six Hollywood studios in five to ten years. Do you agree with his prediction?"

...

Shanhe was surrounded by a bunch of reporters and was helpless. It seemed that they would not give up unless they were given an answer.
"I will answer your questions at once. First of all, Operation Mekong is based on real events. You can go and investigate. The reality is more tortuous and tragic than the movie. There are not too many fabricated and exaggerated things in my movie!

Secondly, I don’t care about the Forbes rich rankings. This kind of ranking means nothing to me. In my opinion, the value of Chuhe Film and Television cannot be measured by money. It is just a platform for me and my companions to realize our dreams. As for whether Chuhe Film and Television can catch up with the Big Six in Hollywood, I am very confident because I have the Chinese market with unfathomable potential behind me!

Okay, that’s it! "

"Qiu, it's me, Rock, a reporter from The New York Times. Answer me another question. How do you evaluate yourself as a writer, director, and businessman?"

"Yeah~ okay!"

Shanhe looked at the familiar-looking New York Times reporter, thought for a moment, and told the truth:
"I think I should be a barely first-rate film director, a second-rate writer, and a mediocre businessman!"

"Ha ha…"

Shanhe's answer caused the whole audience to burst into laughter. Even the security personnel and passengers who were watching the fun were amused by Shanhe. Hathaway beside him couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh so hard that she fell backwards.

Damn, this guy is so good at pretending!
Shanhe looked at the joy around him and couldn't help but shook his head. What I said is all true, believe it or not!

"Annie, do you agree with Qiu's answer?"

"Haha... In my eyes, my lover is unique and the best man in the world!"

"Shh..."

Hathaway's public display of affection caused the audience to boo again, and then burst into laughter!
(End of this chapter)