好赖坞大佬到四川了！

The production team of Hollywood's summer smash hit "Kung Fu Panda" arrived in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan Province, home of China's cherished giant pandas, to seek inspiration for the blockbuster's sequel, the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post reported.

"Many people asked me why the panda Po's father is a duck, but one of the major reasons we are here in Chengdu is to find out," Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, told reporters yesterday.

Nearly 30 people in his team, including animators, Computer Graphics and sound effects teams, went to see hundreds of real-live pandas at the Chengdu Breeding and Research Base. They also visited a number of famous beauty spots such as the Jinsha archaeological site and Mt. Qingcheng, which they will hopefully use to add Chinese flavor to the next "Kung Fu Panda" animation.

In the afternoon, masters from the Qingcheng martial arts school gave a Kung Fu performance that really wowed the delegation. Many of them have never set foot on Chinese soil before and had only seen videos of Chinese landscapes when they produced "Kung Fu Panda".

Paramount Pictures' China marketing representative, Chen Zhe, hinted that Mt. Qingcheng, a major giant panda habitat and also a sacred place for Chinese Kung Fu, may be the setting for the sequel, which will tell the story of how Po the Panda goes looking for his roots.

"Kung Fu Panda" was a giant hit in the Chinese market, grossing 187 million yuan (US$27.35 million), making it the highest grossing animation ever in China, and the highest grossing foreign film of 2008.

"Kung Fu Panda 2" will be directed by newbie Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who worked as a storyboard artist on "Kung Fu Panda" and "Madagascar".

"John Stevenson and Mark Osborne need a rest. They are exhausted, and Jennifer's 11 years experience in producing animations will guarantee the sequel's quality," said Katzenberg, explaining the change in the director's chair.

Jennifer Yuh Nelson said the script was complete but they will add some ideas from the China trip. She said production will start in a few weeks and the movie will hit the screen on June 3, 2011. Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan will again join the star-studded voice cast. Nelson also announced that the sequel will be produced in stereoscopic 3-D.

To date, "Kung Fu Panda" has made more than $628 million worldwide. The movie will be released on DVD on November 9 together with a companion film, "Secrets of the Furious Five."

(China.org.cn October 22, 2008)

An angry Chinese lawyer accused Microsoft of perpetrating the biggest ever hacker attack in response to the software giant's controversial move to trigger hourly screen blackouts on computers using pirated copies of Windows XP.

On October 20, Dong Zhengwei, a lawyer of Beijing Zhongyin Law Office, sent a complaint to China's Ministry of Public Security, accusing Microsoft of invading personal computers without user permission or judicial authorization, the Beijing Times reported.

Dong said the judiciary should assign criminal responsibility for the Windows Genuine Advantage Program so called "Black Screen" scheme and halt this "illegal move".

To fight software piracy Microsoft announced on October 15 that, starting October 21, Microsoft anti-piracy software would be automatically installed on users' computers through the routine Internet-based update mechanism. If a computer fails a validation test, the desktop will change to a plain black background when the computer is restarted.

Users will be able to reset the black background to any wallpaper or another background color, but every 60 minutes the desktop will revert to black until a genuine copy of Windows is installed.

Microsoft's plan has aroused huge controversy in China. According to a poll on Chinese portal QQ.com, out of 574,923 participants, 73.33 percent said they were using pirate versions of XP, 51.58 percent said they intend to continue using pirate versions, and 32.87 percent said they will ignore Microsoft's "black screen" campaign. Only 15.55 percent said they intend to buy an authorized version. 77.23 percent said they oppose Microsoft's action.

Microsoft's anti-piracy campaign is also targeted at pirated versions of Office software, which includes the popular Word, Excel and Powerpoint applications.

Microsoft said their action was not particularly targeted at Chinese users and that it planned to extend the verification system to all Windows XP and Office users within two months. Microsoft also said that the "black screen" is just a "notification of piracy" and will not actually affect the normal operation of the computer. "And even if your XP or Office is pirated, we will not collect any information from you, so let's hear less of the charge of ' infringing privacy '."

But in his complaint, Dong Zhengwei said frequent compulsory validations will cause certain functions of PC to slow down and he maintains that computer users face potential information leakage. He characterized Microsoft's behavior as a kind of "hacker attack", because it infringes users' privacy and has not been legally authorized.

Chinese laws stipulate that a party will be considered guilty of illegal intrusion if it disrupts the normal functioning of computers by altering their operating systems.

Dong Zhengwei further noted that although Microsoft's action is understandable, its own failure to act for a long period had brought about a situation in which nearly 10 percent Chinese people use pirate software. Microsoft's failure to act could be construed as abandonment of its copyright. Furthermore, he said, "the creators of pirate software are to blame for piracy." Dong said, "Ordinary computers users should not be victimized."

Jiang Qiping, of the Informatization Research Center of the China Academy of Social Sciences, also said that Microsoft is conducting a hacker-styled attack. First, he said Microsoft's move to verify XP was an abuse of power and might infringe China's anti-monopoly law; second, since users of pirated versions will suffer hourly screen blackouts, it resembles a classic hacker attack.

There was a similar case in 1997. To fight piracy, Jiangmin, one of China's leading anti-virus software providers, released a logic bomb, a piece of code that would destroy all the data on a computer's hard disk if it detected pirate software. At that time, the public security department ruled that Jiangmin had no right to punish ordinary computer users, and that its action violated Regulations of the People's Republic of China for the Protection of Computer Information Systems. The company was fined 3,000 yuan (US$439).

According to article 23 of this regulation, whoever intentionally inputs computer viruses and other harmful data to endanger the safety of computer information systems shall be given a warning or fined an amount of not more than 5,000 yuan for an individual offender, or not more than 15,000 yuan for an organizational offender. If income is illegally obtained, further fines of up to three times the amount of income illegally obtained can be imposed.

The Chinese public is becoming increasingly concerned about privacy. Ms. Wu, an inexperienced computer user is terribly worried. "Is the information on my computer safe when software producers can do what they like over the Internet?" Ms Wu. does not know whether the operation system in her computer is genuine or not. She is afraid that she may be sued by Microsoft. Her worry is a reflection of the near-panic among a section of computer users in China.

A blogger wrote that Microsoft should not take the law into its own hands but should leave the fight against piracy to the proper authorities.

Microsoft has recently beefed up its anti-piracy efforts in China. In August, Chinese police cracked down on a famous domestic Website offering a pirate version of the Windows XP system, after being tipped off by Microsoft. Microsoft emphasizes that it hopes computer users will voluntarily renounce the use of pirate products.

Ironically, Microsoft's crackdown may boost the sale of a new pirate version of its XP system. According to the Kunming City-based Chuncheng Evening Post, local software vendors told the paper that a new pirate version of XP software which cracks Microsoft's code will arrive on the market, "within two days." One of the underground peddlers said "The new version will sell well."

Most Chinese computer users use pirated versions of Microsoft products because of the low price. Some said they would turn to Non-Microsoft replacements, such as the LINUX system or Kingsoft's WPS Office if Microsoft's new policy takes effect.

Many Chinese Internet users are relaxed about the whole affair. They point out that the WGA will be cracked, just like all the most complicated Windows operating systems have been in the past. Besides, there is an easy way to evade the WGA by turning off the "Automatic Updates" option in the operating system.

Internet users have even begun to mock Microsoft's approach. Online forums advertise black computer wallpapers for download, tagged "support piracy, turn your screen black ". Some people say pure black wallpapers have suddenly become very fashionable.

(China.org.cn October 21, 2008)

跟CNNIC副主任进行MSN后，知道了我们的未来是可以用“中国@中国.中国”这样的格式来接收邮件的。我们在玩互联网，人家在规范整个世界的互联网，叹服。还学到了一个新词：Request for Comments，简称RFC。这也是一种标准，IETF的标准，部分等同于standard，但又具有draft的特征。从RFC到正式成为整个互联网的standard，还需要时间。虽然翻译的时候可以翻译为“标准”。

Internet users will be able to choose Chinese language e-mail addresses when a new multi-lingual standard is implemented.

The E-mail Address Internationalization (EAI) working group of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is working on a standard that will allow users to send E-mail messages to addresses such as 中国@中国.中国. Currently E-mail addresses have to be made up of 7 bit ASCII characters that cannot represent Chinese script.

The proposed standard was published by the IETF in three Requests for Comments (RFC), RFC5335, RFC5336, and RFC5336, that cover changes to Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) protocol, E-mail message format and Delivery Status Notifications. Li Xiaodong, co-chairman of the EAI working group and vice director of China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), told China.org.cn that they would be incorporated into a formal standard around the end of 2008.

Li told China.org.cn today that it marks the beginning of the end for English-only E-mail addresses.

Once the new standard is implemented, China's 253 million Internet users will be able to send E-mails to addresses defined in Chinese characters. As English E-mail addresses get ever longer to avoid duplication, Chinese people, who are used to three character names, are finding them increasingly difficult to handle. That problem may be solved quite soon.

The incorporation of the standard into software products depends on the commercial decisions of software vendors. Li said that his working group includes Microsoft, Qualcomm, Sendmail, Google, SUN and IBM, all of which intend to develop local language E-mail services in 2009. But he admitted that domestic E-mail service providers and software vendors might lag behind.

China's CNNIC has been involved in E-mail address research since 2001 and pushed for the EAI working group to be established. Li Xiaodong and Harald Alvestrand co-chaired the working group from its inception in March 2006, and the release of the three RFCs in August 2008 was the culmination of years of hard work.

The three RFCs can be found at:

http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5335.txt
http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5336.txt
http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5337.txt  （看的懂吗）

(China.org.cn September 27, 2008)

By Keen Zhang

Yesterday the archaeology department of China's Chongqing Municipality announced a remarkable discovery: a Qing Dynasty tomb of an almost unique style, made out of more than 2,000 qing hua ci (blue and white porcelain) bowls.

The Chongqing Economic Times quoted archaeologists as saying that this kind of tomb is very rare and had probably been constructed by migrants to the area.

The tomb was discovered on the morning of August 24, the final day of the Beijing Olympics, by a team of road workers in E’Ling Street, in the Yuzhong district of Chongqing. When the first bowl was dug out, the workers thought nothing of it and discarded it, but as more bowls emerged, they realized they had discovered something unusual and called the city’s cultural relics administration.

The archaeology department sent a team to investigate. They discovered a tomb constructed from porcelain bowls. Lying just 60 centimeters under the road surface, the bowls had been piled together to form a tomb. The coffin and other funerary objects were then placed inside.

The bowls and the basic structure of the tomb were scarcely damaged, despite lying directly under a road, but the contents had been stolen by tomb raiders. Almost all the funerary objects had been taken, and the identity of the person buried there will probably remain a mystery.

The bowls remained intact because they were stuck together very tightly, and secured with sticky rice and cement, which helped the tomb retain its shape. Archeologists said that it would be a very difficult task, requiring chemical solvents, to separate one bowl from the others.

The bowls are Qing Dynasty qing hua ci bowls, very common in that period. The images and flower patterns on the porcelain look brand new. Some experts speculate that the reason for using bowls as construction materials was that the occupant of the tomb would have something to eat in the afterlife.

Archeology team leader Li Dadi said that this kind of tomb is very rare in Chongqing and was probably constructed by occupants of a Qing Dynasty migrant settlement. He was unable to say for certain where the migrants had come from, but similar, somewhat smaller, bowl-tombs had been found in Fujian Province.

(China.org.cn September 3, 2008)

8月29日和朋友去国家大剧院看汉化版《图兰朵》。还是《今夜不准睡觉》（Nessun dorma）最中听，全场“哗哗”的鼓掌。《图兰朵》是普契尼的一个没有完成的经典，实际上是把一个来自波斯的传奇（见《一千零一日》，注意，不是《一千零一夜》）移植在中国北京的土地上进行。宣传报道和一些文字常常说图兰朵公主是明代，但考据的话，却不对。

《图兰朵》就像《红楼梦》，没有一个原作者笔下的标准结局。所以，后来的人就根据他的意图大致去编，结果都是不那么令人满意和信服的。

在这里，王子和公主的“爱”第一次让人感到毛骨悚然。其实这个故事从来不讨我喜欢。王子从最初的外形迷恋，到后来纯粹要感化要亲吻要征服公主（而且是在有着真爱的奴女刚死之后），这份爱已异化成什么样子？或者正如主唱莫华伦说的那样，他是饥渴于图兰朵背后的王权；或者这只是一个存在于歌剧世界的寓言。

而“中国”公主不断处死万国王子的“丰功伟绩”，要是放到现在，岂不是外交风波和世界战争的导火索？还是把它当作传奇吧，静静欣赏这个夸张的故事和高于生活的艺术。

新版的《图兰朵》，倒是服装和舞台效果太绚烂了。

At 6 AM on an ordinary June morning in 2006, Hao Weiya, who at the time was in Italy, received a phone call from Chen Zuohuang, renowned classical musician and art director at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The phone call led to Hao becoming the third person in history, and the first Chinese, to attempt to complete Giacomo Puccini's unfinished classic three-act opera Turandot.

The 18-minute addition, with a central aria The First Tear sung by the cold-blooded Princess Turandot, was billed as the most dazzling highlight in this wholly new production with an all-Chinese cast, staged at the NCPA from August 29 to September 2.

I was there on Friday night to witness the much lauded new version of Turandot. I have to say that, for me, Turandot represents a complete and cruel misunderstanding between the West and China. Nothing, from the names of the characters, the location and date of the events portrayed in the story, down to the songs they sing, is remotely Chinese.

It is a weird fable about a kind of "love" that only exists in Western fantasies. Try putting it into a modern context: if the princes of various nations, longing for love, were being serially beheaded by another nation's princess just because they can't solve her riddles, wouldn't this result in a few diplomatic problems? Let us accept, however, that in ancient times it might not. The fairy tale was, in fact, taken from the famous collection of Persian stories called One Thousand and One Days, and it is a legend of Persian origin, with no Chinese connection whatsoever.

However that may be, the story inspired Giacomo Puccini to create an opera masterpiece that remained unfinished when the composer died. Both Franco Alfano and Luciano Berio attempted to complete the maestro's work but their endings were somehow unconvincing and always up for debate and criticism. This new Chinese version, like the others, faces a fundamental problem – how to convince the audience that Prince Calaf really loves the vengeful princess, and how she comes to return his love, all in such a short time, amid the grief caused by the death of Liu, who really loved the prince.

"I believe the true love story of this opera is the story of Liu, the slave girl, who really loves Calaf. The prince's eventual 'love' for the cold-blooded princess Turandot blinded people to the real answer to the question: what does he really love? The political power behind Turandot," said Hong Kong veteran tenor Warren Mok, who starred in two performances of the Chinese version of Turandot, on August 29 and 31. Two other famous Chinese tenors, Wei Song and Dai Yuqiang take over the role of Calaf for in the three other shows.

On August 29, Warren Mok delivered an outstanding performance. His high B at the end of the crown jewel number Nessun dorma, earned him the loudest cheers of the evening. But even though Director Chen Xinyi tried to create a more sympathetic Turandot, portraying her as a naive and pure girl warped by her Nemesis-style ancestor, I remained horrified by her cruel and pathetic nature. I can certainly say I didn't fall in love with her. Nevertheless, the role of Turandot, as performed by soprano Sun Xiuwei, contrasted well with her pale Emperor father on stage.

What impressed me most about the production were the glamorous stage set and fabulous costumes, designed by Gao Guangjian. It was a vast setting with multiple layers, dimensions, perspective and magnificence; the costumes are truly Chinese, full of vigor and one feels genuinely transported back to the glory days of the Tang Dynasty. For the set alone, there is no doubt that the vivid and Chinese-flavored Turandot will come to be seen as the NCPA's latest and greatest blockbuster.

The first China-made Blu-ray music video disc, Ai Tu Lan, was released in April, 2008.

By Keen Zhang

蓝光离我们越来越近了。

When Toshiba, the major backer of HD DVD, announced that it would cease supporting this format in February 2008, the 7-year-long format war between HD and Blu-ray effectively came to an end. The focus for Blu-ray manufacturers now turns to the next huge world market.

On July 8, the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and its contributing member CESI Technology announced the establishment of China's first Blu-ray Disc Testing Center.

Dr. Zhao Xiaoying of CESI Technology told China.org.cn today that the Center is already operational. The center will test BD-ROM movie players from Chinese manufacturers and provide data to BDA. This will shorten the lead time for product development and market launch of fully compliant BD products for Blu-ray Disc product manufacturers.

Dr. Zhao added that according to BDA's rules, any manufacturers wishing to produce and sell products bearing the Blu-ray logo must perform compliant self-testing in accordance with evaluation standards, and send their products to the Center for approval and recognition. Once BDA is satisfied that the manufacturer's self-test results are consistent with those of the Testing Center, they will permit manufacturers to use the Blu-ray logo.

Although he did not provide any names, Dr. Zhao revealed that dozens of Chinese companies already have the BDA product criteria and will start development and manufacturing around Blu-ray. 14 companies already hold licenses to produce BD players.

"We are extremely pleased that CESI Technology has joined the Blu-ray Disc Association as a Contributor member," said Sumitaka Matsumura, chair of BDA's China Task Force, on July 8. "The BDA continues to work hard to bring high definition to Chinese consumers and this development with CESI Technology is another significant indication of the strong support for the Blu-ray Disc format in China. The establishment of an official Test Center in China is critical to the acceptance of Blu-ray Disc in China by industry and consumers, and so we very much look forward to the contribution of CESI Technology."

On the same day Zhao Xinhua, president of CESI Technology, commented that Blu-ray Disc is the successor to DVD, presenting new business opportunities for the Chinese consumer electronics industry.

Sony will release first batch of Blu-ray movies, including Spider-Man 3, Kung Fu Hustle and Open Season in China this summer.

Also on July 8, The BDA announced that DRA (Digital Audio Coding) technology had passed an important technical evaluation. This may represent "a key milestone for a locally-developed Chinese technology to be potentially adopted by Blu-ray Disc format", according to BDA's press release.

This milestone is the result of hard work by engineers in the Audio Codec Evaluation Technical Task Force under the BDA's Joint Technical Committee, and close collaboration with China's Hualu Group and DigiRise Technology Ltd.

Blu-ray Disc is the next-generation optical disc format that has been developed for high definition audio-video and high capacity data software applications. A single-layer Blu-ray Disc can hold up to 25 gigabytes of data and a double-layer Blu-ray Disc can hold up to 50 gigabytes of data.

But Blu-ray is only at the start of what is likely to be a very long journey to the market in China. As I recently learned, Blu-ray has launched its sales in China, but to date the number of players sold barely reaches 10 units per month. One reason may be its high price -- over 5,000 yuan per unit -- although the Beijing News has reported that Sony will lower the price to around 1,000 yuan.

The second reason may be that most of general public has no knowledge of Blu-ray. DVD, and even older-fashioned Video CD (VCD), are still popular among Chinese households.

These are hardware issues. But Blu-ray fans also have a problem of software availability in terms of discs. There were no China-region coded Blu-ray movies selling in Chinese market until July, when Sony Pictures and its longtime Chinese collaborator Excel Media decided to release the first batch of Blu-ray movies, including Spider-Man 3, Kung Fu Hustle and Open Season.

Thus far, Sony Pictures has released 122 Blu-ray movies around the world. In the United States, they have sold 11 million copies in total, while in Asia to date sales number 150,000. But in China itself, sales are almost zero.

To resolve the problem Shanghai Epic Music Manufacturing Operations, a joint-venture between Sony Digital Audio Disc and various Chinese companies, became China's first Blu-ray Disc manufacturer. They announced on July 11 that they will launch a production line in December, hoping to boost the sales of players from Sony, Panasonic and Pioneer Blu-ray, all of whom are concerned about weak sales of their product.

The Chinese market is complicated by the fact that ordinary Chinese like low-end affordable products. In the 1990's before DVD emerged, and while Westerners still mainly watched VHS tape, the low-priced VCD and its player became a phenomenon and a must-have in China, making it difficult for DVD players to enter the huge market without lowering their price.

Now, before Blu-ray has yet taken hold of the market, Chinese-based high definition audio-video technologies have already started to establish a presence. Leading the field are Enhanced Versatile Disc (EVD) and China Blue High Definition (CBHD) technologies.

But once Toshiba pulls out, EVD and CBHD also will have their work cut out. One industry insider told me that Chinese governmental support for domestic Red-ray products had deterred Chinese manufacturers from investing in Blu-ray. But he added that Blu-ray's advanced technology and its extra disc storage space is likely to mean that he and many others may eventually opt for the format.

The future is still unclear -- domestic demand will sustain the HD-DVD camp in China even when Toshiba pulls out in February. In fact Toshiba has said it will still support HD-DVD development in China. Together with a number of global HD-DVD backers and Chinese companies, Toshiba set up the China High Definition DVD Industry Association on September 7, 2007 in an attempt to promote the mass production of High Definition DVDs.

"Many are watching and waiting", the insider said. China's domestic manufacturers still have a foot in both camps – collaborating with Blu-ray in foreign markets and manufacturing CBHD products at home. "Customers don't care if it's Blu-ray or HD, as long as the product can meet their needs."

"It will take at least three years to popularize Blu-ray," he said, pointing to such issues as the high price and the relevant patent fees, which will take time to negotiate.

(China.org.cn July 18, 2008)

By Keen Zhang
zhangr@china.org.cn

《功夫熊猫》被一个脑残绑架了。因此，四川的影迷被迫看不到这个片子。回击这种脑残的最好办法，就是大家都去电影院。

Sichuan, the home of the giant panda, will postpone the release of the Hollywood movie Kung Fu Panda for at least 5 days due to a new round of controversy. A performance artist accused the film of mining Chinese moviegoers' wallets after the major earthquake by stealing the Chinese panda and other cultural symbols.

Even though film directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne have said that Kung Fu Panda is intended as a "love letter" and a tribute to Chinese kung fu and the country's culture, and the film has won widespread positive acclaim from premieres around China, Sichuan provincial capital Chengdu's five cinema chains released a joint statement last night announcing a postponement in the screening of the film.

"Due to the fact that some audiences are unaware of the content of the film Kung Fu Panda, which was supposed to hit nationwide screens, including Sichuan, on June 20, we have decided to postpone the release", they announced. "Later we hope to re-introduce the film and the cast to the public in Sichuan, to pave the way for the film's screening."

Sources said the film will be postponed for five days.

A performance artist claimed credit for this "success".

Zhao Bandi

"In my artistic heart, I cannot accept the fact that Hollywood wants to make a fortune from the Chinese people after the huge earthquake in Sichuan," said Zhao Bandi in one of his blogs on Bokee.com. "It's an ugly bear. I wouldn't even dignify it with the name 'panda'."

Even though he hasn't actually seen the film, he is referring to the role (voiced by Jack Black) in the summer blockbuster Kung Fu Panda. Zhao announced to the waiting world that at this point in time he personally would find healing for his heart through silence, rather than be amused by the comedy cartoon. Presumably his "silence" will start after everyone in China has heard his views on the cartoon film.

Zhao, a 42-year-old "performance artist" and designer, has achieved minor fame through a number of art exhibitions at home and abroad. Ironically, he operates under the title "Panda Man" since many of his artworks themselves exploit the image of the panda.

On June 16, Zhao and a small band of his chums waved a banner in the vicinity of the Film Bureau of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, calling for a boycott.

His reasoning appears to be that for a start Hollywood's Sharon Stone recently said the Sichuan earthquake is due to "karma" and Hollywood is always creating people like her through its atmosphere and the values it promotes and some people like that might be working on this film. And Kung Fu Panda has stolen Chinese cultural treasures and wants to make money out of Chinese people who have been physically and emotionally damaged by the earthquake. And the film has some slight connection with Steven Spielberg because it was released by DreamWorks SKG which was co-founded by Spielberg and Spielberg was against the Beijing Olympics and pulled out of his role in the Beijing Olympics in February which angered many Chinese.

On June 16, Zhao and a small band of his chums waved a banner in the vicinity of the Film Bureau of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, calling for a boycott.

Tong Gang, the Director of the Bureau, had the courtesy to meet with the artist for a total of twenty minutes. The Director said that the Bureau understood the deeply-felt concerns of Zhao and his chums, but pointed out that the movie has been examined by the Bureau, which had no problem with the film's content. As for a possible suspension, or postponement of distribution, he felt that this was primarily a matter for the film's distributors.

Yesterday, Zhao triumphantly announced in his blog that the Film Bureau had told him, thanks to his unstinting efforts, that they had decided to put a temporary stop to the release of the film in Sichuan.

Paramount Pictures, parent company of DreamWorks, refused to comment on the suspension yesterday but said the film was screened in other Chinese cities as scheduled.

Zhao's conduct, and the film's suspension in Sichuan, has provoked an intense reaction among movie lovers. Many netizens have blasted his remarks, dismissing them as shameless self-promotion. A generation of young Chinese has grown up with American movies, and many of those commenting could not understand the Film Bureau's and the distributor's decision.

"Idle parochialism and xenophobia! The film doesn't insult the panda or the people of China. How can this 'artist' - who has not even seen the movie – start a call for a boycott based on nothing more than his own over-fertile imagination!" a furious netizen wrote in an Internet post, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

Zhao Bandi presents designs for prostitute and concubine panda clothes at China's International Fashion Week in Beijing, November, 2007.

Zhao Bandi, in spite of the role he has appropriated as the stalwart defender of the panda and Chinese culture, previously presented designs for prostitute and concubine panda clothes at China's International Fashion Week in 2007 -- something that he described as "satire". This angered Chengdu's legislators and they discussed the drafting of a local law for pandas, protecting against overuse or abuse of the panda's image - a move which caused controversy at the time.

In a Shanghai Evening Post commentary, the author asked, "Why the boycott? What's with the postponement? Is it about Zhao's own fragility, or does he genuinely believe that the quake-hit victims are too sensitive? The panda is cute, the Kung Fu is Chinese, the story is hilarious, and the theme is inspiring! Is this not what the people in the disaster area need most right now? Sichuan, more than any other place, needs to find something to laugh about! "

The Modern Express also said in its commentary, "Unless you are looking for an excuse to be offended, you will see that the film positively promotes Chinese culture and the panda's image, which is exactly what Chinese directors like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige themselves have been doing."

Children pose at a Kung Fu Panda clothing launch ceremony in Hong Kong, June 19, 2008. Paramount Pictures, parent company of DreamWorks, refused to comment on the suspension yesterday but said the film was screened in other Chinese cities as scheduled.

It is rare for the release of a film like Kung Fu Panda to be blocked due to this kind of controversy, even though cultural imperialism has long been a hot topic in China.

"Boycott" is a word that has been heard all too frequently in recent months. Targets have ranged from Spielberg to Carrefour, Sharon Stone and Louis Vuitton. But in the case of Kung Fu Panda, a massive number of Chinese people have joined in an online campaign to protest against the boycott, turning the instigator Zhao Bandi into a publicity-hungry clown.

One netizen called Ning Cai said, "I'm from Sichuan, and I was really looking forward to Kung Fu Panda. I'm not in the least bit pleased to hear the film has been postponed."

Film critics, while praising the film, have also questioned what Chinese filmmakers are thinking of, while foreign studios make increasing use of Chinese elements to achieve success. Disney's Mulan was an early example from a decade ago. With the Olympics approaching, as well as Kung Fu Panda, another Chinese-oriented film The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is due to open in China in August.

(China.org.cn June 20, 2008)

这个成绩要让票房保守人士和影评保守人士都花容失色。

Iron Man lives through Downey

By Keen Zhang
zhangr@china.org.cn

During the 3-day May Day holiday across the nation, Chinese moviegoers packed the cinemas but basically sought out only two blockbuster films. The first, unsurprisingly, was The Forbidden Kingdom with Jackie Chan and Jet Li. In competition with it was the Hollywood summer flick Iron Man.

Of course, The Forbidden Kingdom won out, thanks to its familiar Chinese legends and actors. The film grossed 60 million yuan in Chinese box offices over a period of three days. Iron Man held hopes of to replicating Spider-Man 3's 74-million yuan box office success last year but it only grossed 30 million. Even so, many cinema managers still believe that Iron Man will pass 100 million yuan mark in upcoming weeks.

One simple reason is the fact that the Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man appears far more awe-inspiring than the two Kung Fu kings. When the superhero comic adaptation soared in the US box office, sweeping more than US$100 million over the weekend, even the boldest movie chart observers conceded that they had underestimated its commercial potential.

In fact, the Marvel comics fictional character (a.k.a. Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark), created by Stan Lee and his colleagues in 1963 and based on the character of Howard Hughes, never stood in the same rank as Spider-Man, the X-Men and the DC Comics heroes Batman and Superman, but he definitely does have his own unique appeal.

Iron Man, unlike other superheroes, is a civilian antihero who equips himself with technology and intelligence instead of born-to-have or accidentally acquired superpowers. And this armored guy is nothing like the righteous hero Superman; he's not mysterious like Batman. He's just a genius, a billionaire industrialist and a playboy.

Iron Man was one of the first ventures solely funded by Marvel Studios with Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures distributing them. It needed significant success in order to pave the way for up and coming projects such as Captain America, The Avengers, Black Panther and Dr. Strange.

Golden Globe-winning Robert Downey Jr. and Oscar-winning Gwyneth Paltrow, both missing from movie charts for years since Chaplin and Shakespeare in Love, were invited to join in the project. Indeed the entire film would have lost most of its charm without the presence of Robert Downey Jr. He proved to be the perfect man to portray the rascapscallion Tony Stark and his alternative avatar Iron Man. Because of the actor's personality and personal experiences, Robert breathed life into the wilted man on the silver screen, and in addition to his masterful acting he also incorporated hilarious and biting humor.

Iron Man has turned out to be a hugely entertaining Hollywood roller coaster film of 2008. Even in faraway China, where American superheroes are rarely known, the film is seen as a purely enjoyable action movie. It has all the elements to amuse that an audience expects: a well organized storyline, tight plots, and an outstanding cast.

In addition, although Stan Winston studio's eye-popping armor creation and ILM's computer visual effect magic doesn't absolutely blow viewers' minds, they are at least quite decent and elaborate, and even at times they appear to be an upgrade from memories evoking Transformers in 2007. The only regretful weakness may be that Iron Man lacks enough emotional input and adequate self-reflection. Tony Stark's inside transformation from Lord of War-esque business dealer to an anti-terrorist hero is not that convincing; I believe Batman Begins did a better job.

The out-spoken Tony Stark openly admits that he is Iron Man at the end of the movie while the other superheroes are still concealed in their masks. A hidden scenario after the movie credit titles also hint at a sequel with him joining the superhero team "The Avengers". According to reports, he will also appear in a cameo performance for The Incredible Hulk that will hit the screens in June.

All in all, with another two greatly anticipated superhero movies: The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk fast on the Stark's tail, Iron Man really has garnered true success. Otherwise it would have disappeared into the netherworld once and for all after the first installment. The movie company's executives must be relieved. Their film managed to overwhelm audiences and created a first-class unconventional hero movie milestone, which may soon become a new adaptation wave in Hollywood production lines. In any case, we'll soon meet up with Hancock, a down-and-out superhero without a mask, in July.

(China.org.cn May 5, 2008)

By Keen Zhang
zhangr@china.org.cn

对于双J的这个电影，我要予以坚决的批判。此外，我尤其不能接受齐天大圣的设定。尽管他们拍这个片子的本意是很好的（见最新一期《三联》）。

This film is the first collaboration between the top two internationally acclaimed living kung fu legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Their names, unfortunately, are the only positive draw regarding The Forbidden Kingdom.

But it's not surprising that millions of audiences around the world bought admission tickets to see how the two top martial arts masters fight with each other. Indeed, the hype and stunts have generated a huge payback: a US debut of US$20.90 million and a China take of over 100 million yuan. The Forbidden Kingdom in China also became one of the highest netting movies during its maiden weekend of showing.

Rob Minkoff, former director of the blockbuster Lion King, was hired by China's Huayi Brothers studio to promote western favor for the film and to pay tribute to the only popular Chinese film language in the rest of the world outside China - kung fu.

Maybe it was done to please American market; in any case he added an American boy (Michael Angarano), who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung fu classics, to the storyline, and called him "the Skywalker", at least in the Chinese version, - I wonder if George Lucas knows?

The boy has a destiny and mission to bring the legendary stick weapon to a classic Chinese mythological creature - Monkey King (Jet Li) - to save the world. Next the director rushes the boy into a fantasy dream (and forces us to be in it too), to be a hero and help the alternative world to defeat evil and re-establish order.

The storyline is weak, silly, simple and old-school. Recklessly inserting such a boy into the movie seems desperate. Assembling so many fictional figures from Chinese legendary tales doesn't help an international audience to understand Chinese mythology and culture, but rather makes the film go the way of Alien vs Predator. Most of the movie is forgettable, except for snatches of some rare oriental charm exuded by the two beautiful young Chinese actresses Li Bingbing and Liu Yifei.

But in the end, the viewer discovers that the only outstanding moments are the kung fu scenes. Or should we clarify and say that the plot of the film revolves around kung fu, since every scene is set to create opportunities for major fights.

No wonder why the Chinese title of the movie is "Kings of Kung Fu", as suggested by the project's cinematographer Peter Pau, instead of The Forbidden Kingdom. The stunning fight between Jackie Chan and Jet Li, even though both have passed their prime, wows spectators with the breathless actions and various martial arts styles.

Indeed, this film could end up as a martial arts cult film. However, it lacks the down-to-earth feelings, wit and humor, sincerity, reasonable and logic plots, and a dramatic surprise in the fashion of all of Bruce Lee's films. If Jackie Chan and Jet Li wanted to sell Chinese factors and cultural identities in this way, I'm sorry to say that they've done a shoddy job of it.

(China.org.cn April 30, 2008)

By Keen Zhang
zhangr@china.org.cn

我推荐这部电影。现在只在北京华星UME有映，因为是IMAX版。

The Spiderwick Chronicles, basically, is a successful adaptation of the children's book series, written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.

Year after year, Hollywood seems desperate to find the next Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, so the studios constantly bet on fantasy books such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Eragon, His Dark Materials, Bridge to Terabithia, and even Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. However, none of them has earned the accolades and financial rewards received by the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

The Nickelodeon movie The Spiderwick Chronicles also won't cut it financially. According to Boxofficemojo.com, its domestic office gross in the United States was only US$70 million, with another US$74 million in revenue generated from around the world.

But if you can put aside the numbers, you'll find The Spiderwick Chronicles absolutely wondrous. Children's movies can be simple and foolish. Actors' performances can be flat, such as those given in the first installment of The Chronicles of Narnia, the targeted audience of young juveniles is unable to discern whether a film is good or bad. Nevertheless, The Spiderwick Chronicles is outstanding example of just how good and interesting a children's movie can be.

Frankly speaking, the movie, which congregates nearly all the major plots from 5 books, has nothing outstanding in the screenplay. A broken family moves into an old house with a huge secret, and then gets involved in an escapism-like fantasy adventure that eventually heals their pain and opens their hearts to each other while fighting against pure evil. How cliché a storyline is that!

But with the help of gorgeous CGI visual effects contributed by the ILM and Tippett Studio, combined with colorful cinematography that presents details throughout each scene, as well as the funny, eye-popping designs of the faeries and goblins, Director Mark Waters (Freaky Friday, Mean Girls) has transformed this film into a non-stop, fast-paced, children's action adventure that simply takes your breath away and never lavishes any time on "tender moments" as do other family movies. The score composed by veteran James Honor adds an epic touch to the traditional kids' bedtime story. And the child star Freddie Highmore really surprised me by playing two major roles in the film: the twin brothers Jared Grace and Simon Grace, giving an emotional and powerful interpretation to each character.

Don't miss out on this film, possibly one of the best family-fantasy movies in years.

The Spiderwick Chronicles finally made it through into the Chinese market two months after it premiered in the United States. However, it enters solely in the IMAX version, undoubtedly enhancing the already abundant visual feast. Currently the movie is only screening at Beijing's UME International Cineplex but it may soon be screened at other UME cinema divisions in some other cities around China.

China limits annual imports of foreign films. Only 20 foreign films, mostly from Hollywood, will be allowed into the Chinese market after Chinese film officials review a film's content and market potential.

Thus far, the UME has been the only cinema chain in China boasting IMAX format, but very few Chinese people can enjoy the ultimate experience since there are so few cinemas in China that can afford the lavish IMAX screening halls. As such, IMAX versions can also "fortunately" ignore the Chinese movie import limit.

IMAX (short for Image Maximum) is a film format created by Canada's IMAX Corporation that can display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film screening systems. A standard IMAX screen is 72.6 foot wide and 52.8 foot high, but some are even larger. Director Michael Bay said IMAX represents the future of cinema when he cut an IMAX version for his robot sci-fi action movie Transformers. The movie's IMAX copy was also imported into China by UME in October, 2007.

Official trailer on YouTube.com

(China.org.cn April 25, 2008)