Latest news with #WuLei
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Dongji Rescue review – epic tale of British PoWs saved by Chinese fishers gets blockbuster treatment
The sinking of the Lisbon Maru, an extraordinary second world war story in which 384 British PoWs were saved from a bombed Japanese cargo liner by Chinese fishers, has recently been excavated in an exhaustive, emotional documentary. In Dongji Rescue, co-directed by Zhenxiang Fei and Guan Hu, this staggering tale gets a blockbuster makeover that involves Imax cameras and an $80m budget. The film opens with the stunning vista of the eponymous island, then under Japanese control. The seeds of discontent are there, as the local Chinese population are forbidden from fishing. Still, they endure the occupation with grim acceptance. Standing apart from the pack are a pair of brothers, Abi (Zhu Yilong) and Adang (Wu Lei), orphans said to descend from pirates. Their physical prowess acquires a near superhuman dimension as they are shot scaling mountainous terrain and navigating treacherous waters with dazzling speed and dexterity. When Adang comes upon a British PoW adrift at sea, his discovery and sheltering of the unfortunate man triggers an escalation of violence from the Japanese, which ultimately leads to the famed rescue mission. However, for a film that retells a stunning feat of humanity and compassion, Dongji Rescue feels oddly individualist. Zhu Yilong is charismatic as a reluctant saviour with an awakened conscience, yet the narrative insistence on a heroic figure dampens the collective potency of the actual historical event. The gory depiction of Japanese atrocities also pushes the story towards simplistic spectacle. Still, the technical finesse on display during the final section, where we see the fearless fishers coming to the aid of the PoWs, is stunning to behold. It's a shame that such virtuosity is not reflected in the script, leaving this something of an unmoored epic in the sea of state-sponsored films released to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China's war of resistance. Dongji Rescue is in UK and Irish cinemas from 22 August.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wu Lei fainted during diving training for new movie
14 Aug - Wu Lei (aka Leo Wu) recently revealed that he actually fainted during the training for his new movie, "Dongji Rescue". The actor, who spoke to the media during the promotion of the movie, stated that he passed out while doing a stunt due to the pressure on his carotid artery during the rigorous diving training. "I blacked out for about five to six seconds. It felt like a dream," he said. However, Wu Lei emphasised that he experienced no major danger during the actual filming. He also stated that the production team made sure that there were professional divers on location during the shoot, as well as safety personnel. Many of his fans praised Wu Lei for his dedication. However, some are accusing him of just trying to win sympathy and attract attention to the film due to its sluggish box office result. According to mainland media, the movie did not do as well as other movies releasing at the same time. With RMB 57 million at the box office on the third day, the movie is behind the animated feature "Nobody" (at RMB 190 million") and "Dead to Rights", which has made RMB 2.2 billion after 17 days. (Photo Source: IMDb, Sin Chew)
Ammon
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Ammon
Wu Lei returns to China squad for crunch World Cup qualifiers
Ammon News - Wu Lei looks set to make his first appearance for China in more than eight months after being included in Branko Ivankovic's 27-man squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and Bahrain on Thursday. The 33-year-old former Espanyol winger, who has scored 36 goals in 99 appearances for his country, last played an international against Saudi Arabia last September before being sidelined by a knee injury. He returned to action for Shanghai Port last month and Ivankovic will hope he can bring a much-needed cutting edge to China's forward line, which has failed to find the net in either of their last two qualifiers. Uncapped midfielder Yang Mingyang was also included in the squad after the former Swiss youth international had his request to change international allegiance approved by FIFA on Monday. China are bottom of Group C and cannot now earn direct passage to the 2026 World Cup finals from the third stage of Asian qualifying. They could, however, still get through to a fourth stage if they can leapfrog Bahrain, who are above them on goal difference, and Indonesia, who stand three points ahead, after the final round of qualifiers. China, who have qualified only once for the World Cup in 2002, travel to Jakarta to play the Indonesians on June 5 before hosting Bahrain in Chongqing five days later. Reuters
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Winger Wu Lei returns to China squad for crunch Fifa 2026 World Cup qualifiers
Wu Lei looks set to make his first appearance for China in more than eight months after being included in Branko Ivankovic's 27-man squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and Bahrain on Thursday. The 33-year-old former Espanyol winger, who has scored 36 goals in 99 appearances for his country, last played an international against Saudi Arabia last September before being sidelined by a knee injury. He returned to action for Shanghai Port last month and Ivankovic will hope he can bring a much-needed cutting edge to China's forward line, which has failed to find the net in either of their past two qualifiers. Uncapped midfielder Yang Mingyang was also included in the squad after the former Swiss youth international had his request to change international allegiance approved by Fifa on Monday. China are bottom of Group C and cannot now earn direct passage to the 2026 World Cup finals from the third stage of Asian qualifying. They could, however, still get through to a fourth stage if they can leapfrog Bahrain, who are above them on goal difference, and Indonesia, who stand three points ahead, after the final round of qualifiers.
Business Recorder
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Wu Lei returns to China squad for crunch World Cup qualifiers
BEIJING: Wu Lei looks set to make his first appearance for China in more than eight months after being included in Branko Ivankovic's 27-man squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and Bahrain on Thursday. The 33-year-old former Espanyol winger, who has scored 36 goals in 99 appearances for his country, last played an international against Saudi Arabia last September before being sidelined by a knee injury. He returned to action for Shanghai Port last month and Ivankovic will hope he can bring a much-needed cutting edge to China's forward line, which has failed to find the net in either of their last two qualifiers. Uncapped midfielder Yang Mingyang was also included in the squad after the former Swiss youth international had his request to change international allegiance approved by FIFA on Monday. Man United's Dalot calls for reflection after Europa League final loss China are bottom of Group C and cannot now earn direct passage to the 2026 World Cup finals from the third stage of Asian qualifying. They could, however, still get through to a fourth stage if they can leapfrog Bahrain, who are above them on goal difference, and Indonesia, who stand three points ahead, after the final round of qualifiers. China, who have qualified only once for the World Cup in 2002, travel to Jakarta to play the Indonesians on June 5 before hosting Bahrain in Chongqing five days later.
