Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Oleg Stepchenko, Defiant Screen Entertainment.
Cast: Jason Flemyng, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Charles Dance, Helen Yao.
The Iron Mask, originally titled Viy 2: Journey to China, is a Russian-Chinese fantasy, directed by Russian filmmaker Stepchenko. It is a sequel to the Russian 2014 movie Viy.
Described as high concept whimsy adventure, The Iron Mask was inspired by 19th century horror author Nikolai Gogol’s novella Viy about a devilish creature with long eyelids. The sequel deals with an 18th Century army of dark wizards who have forced a magical dragon into a deep slumber by refusing to cut its eyelashes.
Star character is Jonathan Green (Flemyng, X-Men: First Class, Forbidden Kingdom), an 18th-century English cartographer, who is back to map the Russian Far East. He’s forced on to China, where he confronts the Dragon Master et al. The story follows Green, who is mapping the eastern edge of the Russian Empire for the Tsar when he comes face-to-face with a powerful witch, a magical dragon … and finds himself in the middle of the battle for control of a kingdom.
The movie is actually about Green’s journey from England to China and his encounters with various colorful characters and magical creatures along the way, including the mythical Dragon King. The Tower of London is just one stop along that journey.
Green embarks on a journey from England to China alongside Cheng Lan (Yao), a Chinese traveller who acts as Green’s bodyguard. The movie also stars Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) and the late Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) as Ambassador in one of his last onscreen roles before his death in 2019.
Somehow linked to all this is a Russian conspiracy that has seen the true Tsar, Peter the First, locked up in the Tower, his face encased in the titular iron mask. His cellmate is Chan, the original master of the magical tea dragon, who now spends his days fighting thin air in sequences.
Schwarzenegger is an unbelievable casting choice as the Tower of London’s chief jailor, complete with tricorn hat and naval uniform. He appears perplexed and eventually gets the chance to have a one-on-one with Chan, named Master, who plays an elderly kung fu wizard.
Captain James Hook (Schwarzenegger), an English sea pirate seemingly inspired by Captain Hook from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Hook is a collector of historical relics, as evidenced by his unwillingness to let Chan use any of his weapons in their fight.
Who plays the character named Ambassador? If your answer is correct, then you could win one of three DVDs of The Iron Mask. Entries should be sent to [email protected] by Monday, 20 July 2020. Names of the winners will be announced in Frank Cassidy’s PS-sssst…! column on 21 July 2020.
