Director: Christopher Sun
Cast: Hiro Hayama, Leni Lan, Saori Hara, Yukiko Suo, Vonnie Lui, Tony Ho
Running Time: 129mins
Certificate: 18
Synopsis: As a conceited scholar of the Ming Dynasty, Wei Yangsheng believes that since life is short, one should pursue the ultimate sexual pleasure as time allows. Wei Yangsheng encounters Tie Fei the Taoist priest’s daughter, and Tie Yuxiang. With the former’s talent and the latter’s beauty, they fall in love at first sight, and Wei Yangsheng is later married into the Tie’s family. Yuxiang is elegant and courteous under the influence of her father’s faith, though her lack of passion cannot fully satisfy Wei Yangsheng’s sexual needs. His disappointment is no less than his affection for her.
Its hard to believe that a film which is primarily soft-core porn, wearing the mask of a CARRY ON film, is one of Hong Kong’s biggest box office draws, but somehow 3D SEX & ZEN is. The film has two ‘massive’ selling points: there’s lots of boobs during sex scenes, and it’s all in ‘glorious’ 3D. But as much as we may all love porn and 3D, it’s not enough to save the film and at times only hampers it.
Based on the Chinese version of the Karma Sutra (The Carnal Prayer Mat), the film follows a lazy socialite who falls in love but is insecure about his performance in the bedroom department. This is shown comically in a montage of Wei Yangsheng being very premature with his wife. He quickly searches for the ultimate sexual experience to help him please his wife, but the erotic euphoria goes to his head and he becomes enslaved to a number of sex warlords.
Since the first half of the film focuses on the main character searching for sexual gratification, you can imagine that the majority of the film at this point is just filled with sex scenes. I’m sad to admit it but this very quickly becomes quite boring. To fill the gaps between the sex scenes the film has moments of wildly silly and, at times, hilarious visuals such as Wei having his penis swapped with a donkey dong or the sudden appearance of a very beautiful transsexual. Though sometimes funny, these scenes are overfilled with ideas that distract from the main story, confusing the audience and weakening the story and characters.
The second half drops the majority of this light-hearted approach and becoms something far more sinister, with lengthy scenes of sexual torture, bad ageing effects make-up, and maggot-infected wounds. All of this only makes you wonder: when the hell is going to end?
Dwelling on the sex scenes and moments of stupidity makes all sympathy for the central characters disappear. You quickly forget why Wei began his journey in the first place. Also you don’t believe the ‘true’ love that Wei supposedly has for his wife (which he suddenly proclaims near the end of the film completely out of the blue). The 3D is nothing spectacular, which could be a saving grace, as it could of been TOO in your face. Luckily no ‘wangs’ waving at you or climatic moments all over your face.
Overall half of the film is funny and the other half is unnecessary. It would of benefited from the cutting of 30 minutes or more. Instead, it’s one long Chinese RED SHOE DIARIES.
3D SEX & ZEN: EXTREME ECSTASY is out September 2nd 2011.
