THE IRON MASK
Russia, China, United States, 2019, 116 minutes, Colour.
Jason Flemyng, Xingtong Yao, Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Anna Churina, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Rutger Hauer. Li Ma, Charles Dance.
Directed by Oleg Stechenko.
This is the third film in a series of three by Russian director, Oleg Stepchenko, Viy/ Forbidden Koingdom (2014), The Iron Mask (2019) and a further film of the journeys of British cartographer, Jonathan Green, Viy 3, Travels to India (2022). The first film was highly successful in exhibition in Russia. For the second film, there is collaboration with Chinese producers, performers and the use of Chinese locations.
It is probably fair to say that this is not a film for a discriminating audience. It is really something of a visually lavish pantomime. Pantomime dialogue, exaggerated pantomime performance, special effects, magic, dragons and fantasy.
Jason Flemyng is Jonathan Green, the cartographer, in each of the film is, playing up to the style although he is the straight man for all the performers around him. He is invited to Russia by Peter the Great (who turns out to be in the Tower of London, with an iron mask). The authorities send him on to China so that he can work on the route from Russia to China, over a wide range of terrains, plains, snow, mountains to the Great Wall of China. He is accompanied by a young Chinese guide. Meanwhile his wife is concerned about him, wants to meet Peter the Great, defies her father (Charles Dance), accompanies the Russians back to Moscow and then journeys to China.
However, the Chinese guide is actually a young woman, the true princess who is returning home, to meet with the people and the rebels against the usurper who wears a mask making her appear like the young Princess. She has dragons at her whim. So, plenty of dramatic action, martial arts, Dragon magic in the China sequences.
However, it emerges that her father is imprisoned in the Tower of London where, of all people, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the commander. His performance takes us back to his early days in Hollywood with very un-nuanced performances (think Cactus Jack). The screenplay gives him a chance to wear 17th-century costumes and to have a range of fights with Jackie Chan. The older Jackie Chan is able to preserve something of his dignity.
Saturday matinee stuff, perhaps for younger audiences, but there are quite a range of adult themes – which may, of course, go over the heads of the younger audiences like the Dragons flying overhead!
