“The Great Wall” is an action-packed movie with a moral lesson: unchecked greed will not bring happiness. Two westerners, William (Matt Damon) and Tovar (Pedro Pascal), are captured near the Great Wall of China, 5,500 miles wide, with the intention of bringing gunpowder back to the West for a great reward. But they soon find themselves involved in a battle against the Tao Tei, ferocious monstrous creatures that are led by their queen. Only by killing the queen can they be destroyed.
William shows his ability with a bow and soon he finds himself aiding and assisting the general, Commander Lin Mae (Tian Jing), following the death of her father. However, Tovar is unhappy with William and wants to steal the gunpowder and escape. Yet William finds himself not only believing in the cause of the warriors, he is also drawn to Lin Mae. He proves himself to be a warrior, but when a man named Ballard (Willem Dafoe) plots to escape with Tovar and the gun powder, they might mess things up for William.
There is a lot of action for action-lovers—battles and warriors swinging on chains and ropes, and even the use of hot air balloons for battle. There is a sense of honor in the movie, doing the right thing because it is right. And the goal of killing the queen of the creatures is a motivating force for the characters and the plot. However, due to the violence and multiple scenes which feature blood, we are prevented from awarding the movie our Dove Seal; but there is a lot to like about the film.
