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Asian Film Strike

The mystery of dragon seal (aka the iron mask) (2019) review.

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Who could have imagined that two of the most iconic movie stars in the world, Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, would one day share the screen not in a Hollywood buddy movie, but in a Russian-Chinese fantasy swashbuckling adventure vaguely derived from Nikolai Gogol, in which Arnie would play a British warden, and the two would have a swordfight? Now we want to see Sylvester Stallone and Chow Yun Fat arm-wrestle in a Polish-Vietnamese western indirectly adapted from Victor Hugo. Anyway, Oleg Stepchenko’s  The Mystery of Dragon Seal is the sequel to Viy , a Russian fantasy adventure – Gogol-derived, as aforementioned – starring Jason Flemyng and Charles Dance, that found healthy international ancillary success after becoming the third highest-grossing Russian film in Russia in 2014. Conceived to work as a stand-alone film – thanks to a recapitulation of the previous episode – and geared towards the China market, this sequel has been a flop both there and in Russia.

Returning from Viy , Jason Flemyng plays cartographer Jonathan Green, who undertakes a journey from England to China to map out the Far East, helped by a Lan (Yao Xingtong), Chinese princess masquerading as a man, and whose father (Jackie Chan) is a prisoner in the Tower of London, ruled with an iron fist by Warden James Hook (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Green’s peregrinations lead him to a village of tea makers that has been enslaved by an evil witch (Ma Li) who needs the Dragon Seal, a magical artifact that would make a legendary dragon obey her every order. There he meets tsar Peter the Great, as well as his own wife (Anna Churina) who’s been searching for him. The cartographer and his wife, the Chinese princess, the tsar and his cossacks all join forces to bring down the witch.

The Mystery of Dragon Seal  is obviously modeled on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: same merging of fantasy with swashbuckling tropes, same structure of parallel adventures all joining in one place for a grand finale, same multi-cultural cast with a fakely British anchoring. Of course, despite – or maybe because of, as they don’t work for scale – the starry presence of Jackie & Arnie, there’s only a fraction of the budget of these Jerry Bruckheimer productions here, which is readily apparent in unpolished CGI, sometimes crude green-screen work and, well, Jackie & Arnie’s relatively limited presence. In fact, confined to the Tower of London scenes peppered throughout the film, they’re as if in a film of their own. That film is fairly entertaining: the Tower of London set is an elaborate one, and there’s of course a special thrill in seeing these two legends go head to head. Arnie in particular gives an irresistibly salty comedic performance. Their fight scene is an oddity, however: Jackie Chan Stunt Team luminary He Jun, choreographing the action, hasn’t really found a convincing way to pit Jackie’s nimble precision against Arnie’s lumbering power.

The rest of the film suffers from the aforementioned Pirates of the Caribbean-derivativeness and budget constraints, with startlingly inspired production design (like the intimidating mechanical golems employed by the witch) and occasionally brilliant action (four avatars of Yao Xingtong fighting one another) drowned in bland, heavy-handed comic relief (dwarf jokes!) and abstruse fantasy stakes: using a magical seal to bring life back to a dragon whose eyelashes go into the ground then out of it as tea leaves, isn’t exactly a gripping endgame. The excellent Jason Flemyng seems puzzled to be there, the estimable Ma Li but cameos briefly, the late, great Rutger Hauer but cameos even more briefly, while Yao Xingtong makes this her very convincing audition tape for Disney’s live-action Mulan . Too bad it’s too late.

Long Story Short: Come for Jackie and Arnie, stay for Jackie and Arnie. The rest has some inspired production design and action, but is derivative, abstruse and occasionally cheap. **

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Posted by LP Hugo on October 8, 2019

https://asianfilmstrike.com/2019/10/08/the-mystery-of-dragon-seal-aka-viy-2-aka-journey-to-china-the-mystery-of-iron-mask-2019-review/

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I watched the film a few weeks back and i was slightly surprised with it, dont get me wrong it’s not a good film but it was minorly fun. I guess after seeing JC in abysmal The Knight of Shadows Between Yin and Yang anything is good.

The fights were decent and possess some nice wushu balletic flair. But I do agree with your Arnie and JC fight it was OK for what it was but they didnt know how to fully utilise both combatants.

What language was your version cos oddly enough I watched the entirety in Mandarin.

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What I saw was also all Mandarin. Weird hearing Mandarin come out of Arnie’s mouth.

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The Iron Mask

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The Iron Mask

  • The Mystery of Dragon Seal: Journey to China
  • The Mystery of the Dragon Seal
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  • "[A] bloated action-fantasy adventure features the bizarre sight of Arnold Schwarzenegger in a tricorn hat(…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"  Peter Bradshaw : The Guardian
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The Iron Mask

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – The Iron Mask (2019)

June 7, 2020 by Chris Gelderd

The Iron Mask , 2019.

Directed by Oleg Stepchenko. Starring Jason Flemyng, Charles Dance, Rutger Hauer, Jackie Chan, Helen Yao and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A brilliant English cartographer must travel to China in search of a fabled ‘Dragon Seal’ that holds supernatural powers, unaware that many dangerous and powerful figures are also seeking the treasure for nefarious purposes.

The Iron Mask , also known as The Mystery Of The Dragon Seal (and originally released as Viy 2: Journey To China , as this is a sequel to successful Russian 2014 fantasy horror Viy starring Jason Flemyng and Charles Dance)… confused yet… is finally released for the Western market after exposure in the East, including China and Russia.

We have a generic title that eradicates any former franchise link. We also have marketing that promotes the appeal of action heroes Jackie Chan (here under special participation) and Arnold Schwarzenegger together for the first time. However, this is a ploy to get Western audiences watching a film that will just leave them cold. With themes and characters from the 2014 original and a testing Russian / Chinese production that features awful dubbing and characterisation, The Iron Mask is anything but an original action adventure we were led to expect.

It’s hard enough to accept to see the likes of the late Rutger Hauer overdubbed, but also to accept liberties like the Tower of London full of American soldiers under the command of a moustached Austrian all serving the Queen of England. This Eastern production of a Western world is nothing but fantastical and full of elements from Chinese folklore, Russian culture and stereotypical English pomp and circumstance.

Jason Flemyng is our English hero from the original, cartographer Jonathan Green, out to this time discover ancient Chinese supernatural treasures. With support from Helen Yao by his side, the two are introduced early on but forgotten for the second act when action shifts to London. Here we are treated to fleeting, random appearances by Charles Dance and the late Hauer, not to mention the introduction of Chan’s Master and Schwarzenegger’s James Hook (NOT the J. M. Barrie creation). It’s a confusing mix of characters, story arcs and often silly humour.

The action sequences we do have are highly choreographed and lacklustre, with more focus on set design and production than anything else. It doesn’t help that the film’s pace is all out, introducing certain characters and stories before leaving them for a good half an hour before returning. And as the story takes place across London, Moscow and China all at the same time, it’s easy to lost track of what is happening and why and who is involved with who.

And with the amount of chains, swords and dead fish flying in slow-motion towards the screen, the 3D element is all but lost in this 2D conversion and many of the sequences using depth for immersion just don’t work.

The saving grace is when production finally focuses on China towards the third act – that’s when the fantastical elements kick in and the folklore element proves to be entertaining enough aside from more silly character portrayals. Flemyng gets his chance to shine over the second hour in a blend of Indiana Jones / Tomb Raider / The Lord of the Rings adventures, and thankfully the pace calms a little to at least be more focused on one arc rather than three or four.

The production of The Iron Mask is tiresome to watch when it becomes very apparent this is anything but what Western markets are used to. The cheap visual effects and range of actors makes it feel like a TV movie compared to what it would feel like with authentic voices and a reduction of so many production companies and individuals. And as for the iron mask of the title? It bears little to no relevance to the core story.

To save anyone the hardship of watching this on the Chan/Schwarzenegger unification, they share approximately 9 minutes of screen time, with under 3 minutes of badly staged, body doubled ham-fisted fighting. Do NOT watch expecting anything beyond this – they don’t even leave their prime location or change costumes until a few seconds before their time is up.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★  / Movie: ★

Chris Gelderd

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Iron Mask

Director Director

Oleg Stepchenko

Producers Producers

Gleb Fetisov Alexey A. Petrukhin Sergei Selyanov Jackie Chan Arnold Schwarzenegger

Writers Writers

Oleg Stepchenko Alexey A. Petrukhin

Original Writer Original Writer

Nikolai Gogol

Editor Editor

Petr Zelenov

Cinematography Cinematography

Ivan Gudkov Ng Man-Ching

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Marina Bespalov

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Denis Panov

Production Design Production Design

Arthur Mirzoyan

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Artur Abidnov Mariya Zaykovskaya Alexey Gusev Nikolay Goryaev

Stunts Stunts

He Jun Bin Liao Jiří Kuba Aleksandr Solovyov Yury Sysoev

Composer Composer

Alexandra Magakyan

Costume Design Costume Design

Gulya Beyshenova

CTB Film Company Russian Film Group China Film Group Corporation Buffalo 8 Productions China International Picture Fetisoff Illusion GFA Entertainment Gap Financing Lime Studios Sparkle Roll Media

China Russian Federation

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

Chinese English Russian

Releases by Date

Theatrical limited, 10 jan 2020, 16 aug 2019, 19 sep 2019, 31 mar 2020, 10 apr 2020, 20 nov 2020, 10 apr 2021, 20 may 2021, 08 jun 2020, 01 jul 2020, 08 jul 2020, 24 nov 2020, 27 may 2021, 25 jun 2021, releases by country.

  • TV Super Écran
  • Digital VOD
  • Physical DVD & Blu-Ray
  • Physical 12

Russian Federation

  • Theatrical 6+
  • Theatrical limited 12
  • Digital 12A
  • Physical 12A
  • Digital PG-13
  • Physical PG-13

121 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

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Iron Mask, The | aka The Mystery of Dragon Seal (2019) Review

"The Iron Mask" Theatrical Poster

“The Iron Mask” Theatrical Poster

AKA: Viy 2: Journey to China Director: Oleg Stepchenko Cast: Jason Flemyng, Charles Dance, Rutger Hauer, Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Helen Yao, Martin Klebba, Christopher Fairbank, Igor Jijikine Running Time: 124 min.

By Martin Sandison

When I was a kid my parents didn’t allow me to watch violent movies; they wanted to protect me from the horror of the world, I guess. But I was allowed to watch Jackie Chan movies. There’s a great quote from him: “I love action, and hate violence.” Jackie is the greatest exponent of the former, and perhaps Arnold Schwarzenneger is the most famous exponent of the latter, in film history. The two have been longtime friends and admirers since the late 80’s, and it has been a fan’s dream to see the two onscreen together. Now that dream has come true, with the fantasy actioner The Iron Mask (aka Viy 2: Journey to China ). I have to admit, as a hater of the recent Chinese forays into this genre, I was reluctant to watch this film. Shamefully, I actually quite enjoyed it.

The film begins in the 17th century, with Jackie imprisoned in the Tower of London and looking like a villain from any pick of old school kung fu films, replete with whispy beard and long silver hair. Arnie is the head guard, one who likes to challenge the prisoners to some fisticuffs. Soon this plot is brushed to the side to focus on a Chinese Princess gone rogue (Yao Xingtong, Chinese Zodiac ) and her journey back to China with a cartographer (Jason Flemyng, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels ), to reclaim her throne from an evil witch (Ma Li, Never Say Die ) who has taken on her identity. Underneath this plot is the story of a Dragon whose eyelashes can bury in to the ground and create healing tea leaves. Yes, you read that correctly. The Dragon will awaken when the dragon seal is returned, an artifact that drives the plot.

To be honest, as soon as I’ve seen trailers for most of the recent entrants in to the Chinese fantasy action genre I’ve turned my head in disbelief, and sadness. The most disturbing came in the form of Ching Siu Tung’s Jade Dynasty . Ching is a filmmaker I admire so much, and his Duel to the Death is my favourite Wuxia. My abiding memory of the Jade Dynasty trailer is a close up of a CG dragon’s head, as it licks its lips and seems to have a human personality. I felt like laughing, but the sick feeling in my gut and the tears welling up quashed that.

With Jackie, I’ve become accustomed to his films in the last decade or so being laughable affairs, with a few exceptions. I’ve become numb to the horrid feelings they create in me. Saying that, I’ve still not watched Kung Fu Yoga or Bleeding Steel . As for Arnie… he’s not as bad. I quite enjoyed Terminator: Dark Fate , so sue me. Upon settling down to watch The Iron Mask , my thoughts were: “Ok. Jackie and Arnie together. They will fight. I can do this.”

And fight they do. Choreography duties here are left to Jackie Chan stunt team member He Yun, who has worked with the man since the early nineties. Once the first fight kicked in, with Arnie taking on some lackeys, I was like: “he can still throw a punch.” There were some nice close-in angles, and some good reactions. But… the action falters in all of the fights, with a case of ‘as soon as it gets going, it’s over.’ Unfortunately, that’s the case for the main attraction. The best part is Arnie’s line: “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” It made me salivate. These dribbles quickly dried up, with an overuse of wires, no meaty exchanges and a lapse in to silly comedy. A real shame. For the ardent fan, I noticed a reference to the Sammo Hung ultimate classic Odd Couple , that warmed my heart. And getting to see the two legends exchange blows and lines is something I’m betting every fan will want to see, and a wonderful feeling glimmers in there, for a brief few minutes… As the movie moves away from our heroes, action duty is left to Yao and others, and while the final fight has some redeeming qualities, the viewer is robbed of true martial fulfilment.

Now that the action is out of the way, let’s get to the other angles of this overcooked, fatty leg of lamb. Discussions with friends, reading online and the like have led me to go in to watching these films with a more open mind, and that’s exactly what I did with The Iron Mask . The thing is, this film, and others like it, are so ridiculous, silly and laughably bad that it’s entertaining. What crap plot twist will come next? What other terrible CGI character or backdrop? It really beggars belief how Chinese audiences lap this stuff up, and seem to love the horrid, garish approach to visuals and CGI. Saying that, this film bombed in China.

Very interestingly, this film is not purely Chinese. It’s co-produced with Russia, and is a sequel. What is really confusing is the original’s English title is Forbidden Kingdom . On first reading this I was like, what? And strangely the film has a visual style at points like the Chan/Li film, and Chan’s character is similar in look. But rest assured, the original is a Russian fantasy adventure with the same protagonist, and the same director Oleg Stepchenko. This makes for a very uneasy mix. At times the film feels Lord of the Rings y, be it a cheap low rent version, and once the action moves to China very much like the style we’ve seen countless times over the last two decades in films such as The Great Wall .

More problems pile up with the horrendous dubbing going on a lot of the time. I have no idea why it’s dubbed. You can see the Chinese actors are speaking mandarin, but the dub is worse than some 70’s kung fu movies I’ve seen. All of the aforementioned aspects made me shake my head, but there was something compelling me to keep watching. I guess that means ‘it’s so bad it’s good,’ and at times is actually good, in terms of filmmaking and the abilities of the cast. Outwith Arnie and Jackie, Jason Flemyng does a reasonable job with some humorous moments and decent characterisation. Yao and Ma certainly look the part, both being very attractive women, and respectively inhabit their characters quite well. The film is edited well some of the time, and at times qthe direction of the camera hints at a good talent.

While not a movie we could hope to be great, and live up to Arnie and Jackie’s filmographies, The Iron Mask contains a certain charm. At times you can tell the cast and the filmmakers have had a lot of fun bringing the film to the screen, and that does show in entertainment value. Be warned, though, if you hate this genre and bemoan its tropes and style you may be cringing. Two of my favourite character actors show up too: the man, the legend Charles Dance ( Last Action Hero ), who has about 2 minutes of screen time; and none other than Rutger Hauer ( Blade Runner ). Honestly, I breathed a sigh of relief on reading this wasn’t the great man’s final screen appearance. He plays an ambassador arriving in a cart pulled by pigs, looking confused before uttering: “what’s going on here?” Indeed, Mr. Hauer, indeed.

Martin Sandison’s Rating: 5/10

3 Responses to Iron Mask, The | aka The Mystery of Dragon Seal (2019) Review

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“I quite enjoyed Terminator: Dark Fate, so sue me.”

Nobody is here to sue you. I enjoyed the movie as well (Dark Date, that is).

' src=

Once upon a time, the idea of Jackie and Arnie in the same film would have been very cool. Then Around the World in 80 Days happened…

' src=

I am so envious you were able to see this, Martin.

Don’t expect much from Jackie’s upcoming VANGUARD. It seems to be more of a showcase for the younger cast than Jackie.

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Diverting … Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Iron Mask.

The Iron Mask review – Arnie slugs it out with Jackie Chan in the Tower

Set in 18th-century Russia, China and England, this bloated action-fantasy adventure features the bizarre sight of Arnold Schwarzenegger in a tricorn hat

H ere is a mysteriously gigantic and interminable action-fantasy adventure – a colossal Chinese-Russian co-production that is in fact a sequel, also known as Viy 2: Journey to China. It’s a follow-up to another digitally bloated, genetically modified piece of entertainment from 2014 called – in various territories – The Forbidden Kingdom or Forbidden Empire.

The setting is 18th-century Russia, China and England, and in this last country we are treated to the admittedly enjoyable sight of Arnold Schwarzenegger , in what appears to be an English naval uniform and bizarre tricorn hat, playing James Hook, the jailer of the Tower of London. For a fraction of second, on seeing Arnie in his get-up, I hoped he would try a British accent, but his normal one works as well as any other.

One of his prisoners is a man in an iron mask, who may be Peter the Great, the Russian tzar who is subject to an overthrow plot, accidentally uncovered by map-maker Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng), who is in Moscow to show the tzar some of his cartographical creations. Another prisoner is an enigmatic Chinese master played by Jackie Chan , and a Chan/Schwarzenegger punch-up is certainly diverting.

But then we are stuck with endless, weightless green-screen shenanigans involving a dragon whose eyelashes are used to create tea (I think that’s right) and a cast of thousands who drift across various CGI landscapes. We also get that time-honoured swashbuckle standby, people trying to get across a rope bridge over an abyss while someone with a sword at one end is unsportingly trying to chop it down. There is evidently extensive use of additional dialogue recording, which feels a bit odd.

  • Action and adventure films
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  • Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Jackie Chan

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Trailer: ‘Viy 2: Journey to China’

‘Viy 2: Journey to China’ (aka ‘Journey To China: The Mystery Of The Iron Mask’) is 2019 Russian-Chinese fantasy adventure directed by Oleg Stepchenko.

By Phil Mills   |   Dec 15, 2016

Loosely based on a 19th century horror novella by Nikolai Gogol, the film is a sequel to Stepchenko’s 2014 flick ‘Viy’ (AKA ‘Forbidden Hero’) and continues the adventures of cartographer Jonathan Green as he attempts to map out Russia’s Far East. The cast includes Jason Flemyng, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Jackie Chan , Yao Xingtong , and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Synopsis : The English traveller Jonathan Green receives an order from Peter the Great to map out the Russian Far East. Once again he sets out for a long journey full of incredible adventures that will eventually lead him to China. Green will unexpectedly uncover a number of breathtaking discoveries, encounter bizarre creatures, meet with Chinese princesses, and confront deadly martial arts masters and even the king of all dragons – the Dragon King. What could be more dangerous than being eye to eye with Viy… except maybe doing it again? What would be stronger this time – a staunch scepticism of the scientist or the old black magic that has seized power of Eastern lands?

‘Viy 2: Journey to China’ opens across Russia in the winter of 2017. (Warning: Sadly, neither Chan nor Schwarzenegger appear in the trailer below)

viy 2 journey to china izle

Source: Film Combat Syndicate

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Viy 2: Journey to China with a Mystery in an Iron Mask and a Dragon Seal

Picture the scene. It is autumn. The leaves are well on the turn, lending a welcome splash of colour to the iron grey skies. A faint smell of mulch sweetens the air. And it is raining. Again.

Mama likes this kind of weather. Well, she would, she is British. And every now and again she remembers that it is perfectly possible to put on some wellies and waterproofs and go into the big outdoors to admire the change of seasons. Mama was this close to ordering us out to prance around a botanical garden and look at trees.

But we are in Russia now. Rain means staying indoors and staring at the sky mournfully. Unlike minus ten and knee deep snow, obviously. That’s for sledging, gleefully, all afternoon.

Plus, we had only just recovered from the annual back to school virus. Mama’s native affinity with the water that falls out of the sky wars with her latter day training in draft avoidance and the need to swaddle any illness in seventeen layers of wool and cover it in mustard plasters.

And so she looked at the cinema listings and was lost.

Because Viy 2 was on.

Now, Mama has seen Viy . A version of Viy . The only Soviet horror film ever made of the Gothic horror story by satirical Gothic horror master, Nikolai Gogol , in fact. It hadn’t led her to believe she might need to go to the very next showing of this film, especially at premium rate prices.

But Viy 2 is less a Soviet horror film and more of what you might call an AngloRusski-Chinese martial arts mashup.

viy 2 journey to china izle

It’s got both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan in it, and much to Mama’s surprise, they have more than brief cameos. I mean, they aren’t the lead characters, but they do fight each other. At some length. In the Tower of London. Apparently this is their first ever fight sequence together. There’s a whole joke about it. That and Genghis Khan’s helmet.

The film is nominally about a British cartographer who gets sent out east from the Russian court in Moscow to map China. As you do. The tenuous connection with the original story is that it is the same British cartographer from the 2014 Viy who encountered the supernatural in a small Eastern European village (that was an AngloRusski-Ukranian production. Mama looks forward to Viy 3 and the combination that produces).

Once past the Great Wall of China, after a lengthy trek across snowbound Russia in a pimped out carriage (which we recently saw at the MosFilm Studio in the flesh ), our mapmaker gets caught up in dragons, peasant rebellions, flying machines made of umbrellas, steampunk warriors, and not fewer than four fighting Chinese princesses, among sundry plucky children, BFFs and honourable triplets. Mama didn’t recognise any of the actors here, which just goes to show that she really needs to check out more Chinese cinema. Young and exceedingly limber was her overall impression.

Meanwhile, converging on China from another direction, we have Alexander Dumas, Peter the Great, a boatload of Russian sailors, and a cross dressing British lady aristocrat, played by an actress from Yekaterinburg who speaks four languages fluently, and is a master of fencing, motorbikes, horse riding and jet skis.

Although once she is outed as a woman, she does tend towards fewer greatcoats and more revealing buxomy swashbuckling attire. Mama is uncertain if she really approves of this, and also questions the truly hideous outfit they stuck the character in at the beginning too. But on the other hand, she might have been blond, but she wasn’t young, so this gets points. Particularly as her cartographer husband is also getting on a bit. He’s played by Jason Flemyng, otherwise known as him out of Lock, Stock… and didn’t he also do League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (underrated, in Mama’s opinion)?

This, incidentally, pretty much is the plot of Viy 2 in its entirety. Except for the business about how dragons’ eyelashes are responsible for really good tea. And the appearance of both Rutgar Hauer and Charles Dance. And Peter the Great steering a ship through a storm. And the small cute flying monster.

viy 2 journey to china izle

Make no mistake, it was marvellously, wonderfully, gloriously silly. Highly recommended. Not least because seeing multiple characters from multiple cultures and/or nationalities represented more or less equally on screen was something of a novelty.

No idea if it is coming to English language cinemas near you any time soon. If it is look out for it under one of the myriad names it seems to be known as. As well as Viy 2 , you can find it called The Journey to China; the Mystery of the Iron Mask; Return to the Forbidden Kingdom ; and in Russia it is currently billed as the Mystery of the Dragon Seal . Apparently it’s been ready to roll for a year but got into censorship trouble in China, which took a while to sort out.

This is a shame as there is great potential for our hero to mapmake his way round the whole world, and Mama for one would be very up for an AngloRusski-Bollywood combination.

Momentum has probably been irrecoverably lost, however.

If you want to read another of our Russian language film reviews, click here.

More information

This is what Douglas Adams himself had to say about tea in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Photocredit: Mama has shamelessly used a couple of interesting pictures she found lying around on the internet to promote this film, a service for which she is not receiving any form of compensation whatsoever. However, if she should not be using these pictures, she is very willing to take them down.

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Kidding Herself is (nominally) written by Herself, a seven-year-old girl, and describes an AngloRusski family's local travel adventures in Moscow, Russia (and the UK). View all posts by Herself

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IMAGES

  1. Viy 2: Journey to China (2018)

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  2. The Iron Mask (Viy 2: Journey to China) 龍牌之謎 (2019) Official Chinese

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  3. Imagini Viy 2: Journey to China (2019)

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  4. Viy 2: Journey to China

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  5. Viy 2: Journey to China (2019)

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  6. Viy 2: Journey to China with a Mystery in an Iron Mask and a Dragon

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COMMENTS

  1. Iron Mask (2019)

    Iron Mask: Directed by Oleg Stepchenko. With Jason Flemyng, Xingtong Yao, Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Early 1700: Cartographer Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) from Forbidden Empire (2014) is back to map the Russian Far East. He's forced on to China, where he confronts the Dragon Master et al. The iron masked Russian Czar escapes the Tower of London to a Russian ship.

  2. Viy 2: Journey to China

    US$8.7 million [2] Viy 2: Journey to China ( Chinese: 龙牌之谜, Russian: Тайна печати дракона ), [Note 1] released in English-speaking countries as Iron Mask, The Iron Mask or The Dragon Seal, is a 2019 Russian-Chinese fantasy adventure film, [1] directed by Oleg Stepchenko. It is the sequel to Viy, a 2014 film loosely ...

  3. JOURNEY TO CHINA Trailer (2018) Jackie Chan,Arnold ...

    JOURNEY TO CHINA Trailer (2018) Jackie Chan,Arnold Schwarzenegger Fantasy Movie HDViy 2: Journey to China (Russian: Вий 2 alternately known as Journey to Chi...

  4. THE MYSTERY OF DRAGON SEAL (aka THE IRON MASK) (2019) review

    Returning from Viy, Jason Flemyng plays cartographer Jonathan Green, who undertakes a journey from England to China to map out the Far East, helped by a Lan (Yao Xingtong), Chinese princess masquerading as a man, and whose father (Jackie Chan) is a prisoner in the Tower of London, ruled with an iron fist by Warden James Hook (Arnold ...

  5. The Iron Mask (2019)

    The Iron Mask is a film directed by Oleg Stepchenko with Jason Flemyng, Anna Yao, Anna Churina, Jackie Chan .... Year: 2019. Original title: Tayna pechati drakona (The Iron Mask). Synopsis: The English traveler Jonathan Green receives from Peter the Great an order to map the Russian Far East. Once again he sets out for a long journey full of ...

  6. The Iron Mask Review

    The Iron Mask - known as Viy 2: Journey to China in its home territories - is a Russian/Chinese collaboration, and the follow-up to Forbidden Empire. Its sequel nature has little impact on the ...

  7. Viy 2: Journey To China Official Teaser Trailer HD (2018)

    The English traveller Jonathan Green receives from Peter the Great an order to map the Russian Far East. Once again he sets out for a long journey full of in...

  8. Viy 2: Journey to China

    Viy 2: Journey to China ( Chinese: 龙牌之谜, Russian: Тайна печати дракона ), released in English-speaking countries as Iron Mask, The Iron Mask or The Dragon Seal, is a 2019 Russian-Chinese fantasy adventure film, directed by Oleg Stepchenko. It is the sequel to Viy, a 2014 film loosely based on the Nikolai Gogol story Viy.

  9. Movie Review

    The Iron Mask, also known as The Mystery Of The Dragon Seal (and originally released as Viy 2: Journey To China, as this is a sequel to successful Russian 2014 fantasy horror Viy starring Jason ...

  10. ‎Iron Mask (2019) directed by Oleg Stepchenko

    Тайна Печати дракона, Tayna pechati drakona, The Iron Mask, The Iron Mask : La légende du dragon, 비이 2, Viy 2, The Dragon Seal, Long pai zhi mi, Le mystère du sceau du dragon, Viy 2 - El Misterio Del Dragon, Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, Fürst der Dämonen 2, Fürst der Dämonen 2 - Iron Mask, La Légende ...

  11. Viy 2: Journey to China

    Viy 2: Journey to China - fantasy - action - 2019 - trailer - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng, Martin Klebba, Rutger Hauer,...

  12. The Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask

    The English traveler Jonathan Green receives from Peter the Great an order to map the Russian Far East. Once again he sets out for a long journey full of incredible adventures that will eventually lead him to China. The cartographer will unexpectedly face a lot of breathtaking discoveries, encounter bizarre creatures, meet with Chinese ...

  13. Viy 2: Journey to China

    Viy 2: Journey to China ( Chinese: 龙牌之谜, Russian: Тайна печати дракона ), released in English-speaking countries as Iron Mask, The Iron Mask or The Dragon Seal, is a 2019 Russian-Chinese fantasy adventure film, directed by Oleg Stepchenko. It is the sequel to Viy, a 2014 film loosely based on the Nikolai Gogol story Viy .

  14. aka The Mystery of Dragon Seal (2019) Review

    The two have been longtime friends and admirers since the late 80's, and it has been a fan's dream to see the two onscreen together. Now that dream has come true, with the fantasy actioner The Iron Mask (aka Viy 2: Journey to China). I have to admit, as a hater of the recent Chinese forays into this genre, I was reluctant to watch this film.

  15. Arnie slugs it out with Jackie Chan in the Tower

    H ere is a mysteriously gigantic and interminable action-fantasy adventure - a colossal Chinese-Russian co-production that is in fact a sequel, also known as Viy 2: Journey to China. It's a ...

  16. Iron Mask Trailer Pits Jackie Chan Against Arnold Schwarzenegger in

    The film, also known as Viy 2: Journey to China, is the sequel to 2014's Russian Chinese film Viy (also known as Forbidden Empire), a film loosely based on the Russian horror novella of the same ...

  17. Trailer: 'Viy 2: Journey to China'

    Trailer: 'Viy 2: Journey to China'. 'Viy 2: Journey to China' (aka 'Journey To China: The Mystery Of The Iron Mask') is 2019 Russian-Chinese fantasy adventure directed by Oleg Stepchenko. Loosely based on a 19th century horror novella by Nikolai Gogol, the film is a sequel to Stepchenko's 2014 flick 'Viy' (AKA 'Forbidden ...

  18. 3D Review: Iron Mask (2019) aka Viy 2: Journey To China aka ...

    Wow, lots of titles here:Viy 2: Journey To ChinaIron MaskThe Iron MaskThe Mystery Of The Dragon SealThe Dragon SealThis came out in 2019 and for a while it s...

  19. "Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask"

    The action adventure feature "Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask' (aka "Viy 2") is directed by Oleg Stepchenko, starring Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng, Xingtong Yao and Anna Churina, available April 10, 2020: "...in early 1700, a cartographer returns to map the 'Russian Far East'. "But he's forced on to China, where he confronts the ...

  20. Viy 2: Journey to China (2019)

    Alias: Viy 2: Journey to China: Alias: Journey to China: The Iron Mask Mystery: Alias: Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask: Alias: The Mystery Of Dragon Seal: Origin: China Release Date (China): 08/16/2019 Director : Oleg Stepchenko : Screenwriters : Oleg Stepchenko : Aleksey Petrukhin : Action Choreographer :

  21. About: Viy 2: Journey to China

    Viy 2: Journey to China (Chinese: 龙牌之谜, Russian: Тайна печати дракона), released in English-speaking countries as Iron Mask or The Iron Mask, is a 2019 Russian-Chinese fantasy adventure film., directed by Oleg Stepchenko. It is the sequel to Viy, the 2014 cinema hit loosely based on the Nikolai Gogol story Viy. Produced by Gleb Fetisov, Alexey A. Petrukhin and Sergey ...

  22. Watch Mystery of the Dragon Seal: Journey to China

    A mapmaker finds himself on an eye-opening journey that leads to several revelations involving a magical seal, a princess and a mythical dragon. Watch trailers & learn more.

  23. Viy 2: Journey to China with a Mystery in an Iron Mask and a Dragon

    As well as Viy 2, you can find it called The Journey to China; the Mystery of the Iron Mask; Return to the Forbidden Kingdom; and in Russia it is currently billed as the Mystery of the Dragon Seal. Apparently it's been ready to roll for a year but got into censorship trouble in China, which took a while to sort out.