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Matrix Reloaded All Set To Conquer China In Mandarin
Beijing, July 06: The `Matrix Reloaded`, Hollywood blockbuster movie is about to be released in Chinese cinemas. This time Keanu Reeves(Neo), Laurence Fishburne(Morpheus) and rest of the cast will speak in fluent Mandarin while their fight for the planet Earth continues.
Beijing, July 06: The "Matrix Reloaded", Hollywood blockbuster movie is about to be released in Chinese cinemas. This time Keanu Reeves(Neo), Laurence Fishburne(Morpheus) and rest of the cast will speak in fluent Mandarin while their fight for the planet Earth continues.
With Chinese premiere of the "Matrix Reloaded" scheduled for July 12 in Shanghai, dubbing work has reached a frenzy at the Ba-yi People's Liberation Army studio in Beijing.
Trying to bridge the cultural gap between onscreen heroes and Chinese viewers, a studio which belongs to China's powerful military has been working around the clock to make the high-tech movie comprehensible for the local audience. It is a demanding job as each movie character has specific requirements and nuances. The studio has hired top actors for the job, hoping their voices will attract even more attention to the already highly publicised American film.
In the digitised world of the film where the human race is imprisoned in a computer generated reality, there is little room for linguistic mistakes. "I believe the audience will feel good watching this movie in the Mandarin version if we translate it properly. When you watch the English version, you have to stare at the subtitles if your English is not good enough. You can hardly cope with watching a movie if you pay so much attention to the subtitles," explained Liao Qing, dubbing director of the film.
The "Matrix Reloaded" is a continuation of the first film in which the young hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) learns that what seems to be the real world he lives in is in fact an elaborate computer simulation. Many things have changed since 1999. In the last shot of the original film, Neo, flew up out of the frame, demonstrating that his mental abilities had transcended the enslaved delusional world of Matrix.
In the new release, he's a full fledged superhero, soaring over the skyline at thousands of miles an hour, rescuing others as trucks collide head-on. Virtual cinematography in the movie has created the last free human city, Zion, in a cave near the Earth`s core. Backed by high tech visuals, the film is loaded with dozens of other impressive stunts in which the heroes are fighting for the survival of the human race and salvation of the planet.
Chinese viewers will find something of their own in "Matrix Reloaded". In the film Keanu Reeves (Neo), displays a fine array of martial arts skills in his endless fights with multiplying Agent Smith, played by Hugo Weaving. "I saw lots of Chinese kung-fu in Matrix II. Of course it is different from a Chinese movie, but there is also room for a generous and warm heart. Neo is the last human being in this movie, and he has a generous and warm heart," Li Yapeng, the actor who is dubbing Neo`s voice, said.
"The Matrix Reloaded" raised the bar for action movies by introducing new levels of realism into stunt work and visual effects. This presents Mandarin dubbers with additional difficulties because while they have to preserve the visual authenticity of the film, they also have to make it easier for the movie goers to follow the plot.
Many in China have seen the movie already due to rampant piracy, where DVDs of just released blockbusters can be bought almost simultaneously on the streets of Beijing. "It (Dubbing) is good for the Chinese audience, because they don`t need to watch the subtitles as they have to when they are watching a pirated DVD. They can concentrate on the picture, the actor`s facial expression and other performance details," Li Yapeng said.
Despite the challenges, Chinese dubbers are convinced that this impressive, digital fairy-tale will win the hearts of viewers and make the same impact as in other parts of the globe.
Bureau Report
Trying to bridge the cultural gap between onscreen heroes and Chinese viewers, a studio which belongs to China's powerful military has been working around the clock to make the high-tech movie comprehensible for the local audience. It is a demanding job as each movie character has specific requirements and nuances. The studio has hired top actors for the job, hoping their voices will attract even more attention to the already highly publicised American film.
In the digitised world of the film where the human race is imprisoned in a computer generated reality, there is little room for linguistic mistakes. "I believe the audience will feel good watching this movie in the Mandarin version if we translate it properly. When you watch the English version, you have to stare at the subtitles if your English is not good enough. You can hardly cope with watching a movie if you pay so much attention to the subtitles," explained Liao Qing, dubbing director of the film.
The "Matrix Reloaded" is a continuation of the first film in which the young hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) learns that what seems to be the real world he lives in is in fact an elaborate computer simulation. Many things have changed since 1999. In the last shot of the original film, Neo, flew up out of the frame, demonstrating that his mental abilities had transcended the enslaved delusional world of Matrix.
In the new release, he's a full fledged superhero, soaring over the skyline at thousands of miles an hour, rescuing others as trucks collide head-on. Virtual cinematography in the movie has created the last free human city, Zion, in a cave near the Earth`s core. Backed by high tech visuals, the film is loaded with dozens of other impressive stunts in which the heroes are fighting for the survival of the human race and salvation of the planet.
Chinese viewers will find something of their own in "Matrix Reloaded". In the film Keanu Reeves (Neo), displays a fine array of martial arts skills in his endless fights with multiplying Agent Smith, played by Hugo Weaving. "I saw lots of Chinese kung-fu in Matrix II. Of course it is different from a Chinese movie, but there is also room for a generous and warm heart. Neo is the last human being in this movie, and he has a generous and warm heart," Li Yapeng, the actor who is dubbing Neo`s voice, said.
"The Matrix Reloaded" raised the bar for action movies by introducing new levels of realism into stunt work and visual effects. This presents Mandarin dubbers with additional difficulties because while they have to preserve the visual authenticity of the film, they also have to make it easier for the movie goers to follow the plot.
Many in China have seen the movie already due to rampant piracy, where DVDs of just released blockbusters can be bought almost simultaneously on the streets of Beijing. "It (Dubbing) is good for the Chinese audience, because they don`t need to watch the subtitles as they have to when they are watching a pirated DVD. They can concentrate on the picture, the actor`s facial expression and other performance details," Li Yapeng said.
Despite the challenges, Chinese dubbers are convinced that this impressive, digital fairy-tale will win the hearts of viewers and make the same impact as in other parts of the globe.
Bureau Report