Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon

Set during the Tang dynasty, the film follows the young Dee Renjie as he arrives in the imperial capital hoping to begin a career in law enforcement. Empress Wu, early in her reign, has tasked the detective Yuchi Zhenjin with investigating a sea monster that has been attacking the city at night. Dee and Yuchi cross paths when the creature strikes a ceremonial procession, and the two men become involved in the same case despite their mutual suspicion.

Tsui Hark directed the film, the twenty-fourth of thirty-one features in his directing career in chronological order, following Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and preceding The Taking of Tiger Mountain. He also wrote the screenplay with Kuo-Fu Chen and Chang Chia-lu, and produced alongside Chen and Shi Nansun. Mark Chao plays Detective Dee, with AngelaBaby as Yin Ruiji, William Feng as Yuchi Zhenjin, Kim Bum as Yuan Zhen, Carina Lau as Wu Zetian and Chen Kun as Doctor Wang Pu. The production credits run to fifty-seven cast members and fifty-six crew.

Released in September 2013, the film is a Hong Kong and Chinese co-production from Huayi Brothers Pictures and China Film Co-Production Corporation. It took about 99 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for a period action fantasy. On IMDb it holds 6.4 from roughly 5,500 votes, and on TMDB 6.3 from around 305 votes, indicating a modest but consistent reception from viewers.