Synopsis: Set in 1942, Dongji Resuce tells the true story of a maritime disaster and incredible mission. When the Japanese ship Lisbon Maru gets torpedoed off the coast of Dongji Island, over 300 British POWs are at risk of going down with it. However, after one man reaches the shore and is rescued by an islander, their struggle becomes known to everyone that lives there. But brutal attacks by the Japanese make them reluctant to intervene – until they are pushed too far. Together, the people of Dongji set out to rescue the drowning prisoners and save as many as they can while putting their own lives on the line! (133 Mins)

 

Views: At the weekend, my husband and I were lucky enough to catch Cineasia's latest offering, Dongji Rescue, on the big screen at our local cinema. Apart from seeing a few posts online and a short trailer, we pretty much went in to this blind – but emerged with our eyes wide open (not to mention very red). What a film! What a story! What an experience! Based on a true story, the film is set in 1942. A Japanese cargo ship called the Lisbon Maru, which is secretly transporting almost 2000 British prisoners of war, is torpedoed by an American submarine. During the explosion, one prisoner is swept out to sea – British soldier Thomas Newman – and soon washes ashore of Dongji island. Thankfully, he is rescued by Ah Dang, one of two brothers ousted by the villagers of having been born of pirate blood. But Dang's brother, Ah Bi, is not happy with his sibling's heroics. It doesn't take long for the Japanese navy to arrive on the island in search of Newman, slicing down and executing villagers of all ages to get some answers. Realising the damage caused, Thomas Newman hands himself in – immediately put back in chains for his return to the ship. But as a show of force, the leading Japanese officer demands three more prisoners from the islanders themselves. In a turn of events, the Ah Dang volunteers – a selfless move in order to keep an eye on his new friend but also learn where his fear was coming from. A move he soon regrets! Naturally, Ah Bi is enraged when he learns about his brothers capture, and soon sets off for the sinking ship on a nighttime rescue mission that quickly results in a bold attempt to save every living prisoner on board – aided by the Dongji villagers and fishermen who eventually find their bravery to defy the odds and risk it all for the sake of hundreds!

​

Shot with IMAX cameras and visually stunning right through, Dongji Rescue deserves to be seen on the biggest of screens. While it's physical media release will no doubt bring as much enjoyment and emotion to the viewer, I can only urge you to head to your nearest cinema (if you are lucky to have it playing) out of sheer respect for the work that went into this production. The film was directed by Guan Hu and Fei Zhenxiang, the latter of which had only previously served as the Executive Director on Hu's very own Mr. Six in 2015 and no doubt found this to be an incredibly challenging experience. Thankfully though, Guan Hu has seen it all before! Making his debut in 1994 with a Chinese drama called Dirt, Hu went onto deliver titles such as Design of Death (2012), The Chef, The Actor, The Scoundrel (2013), and the aforementioned Mr. Six (2015) among others before cementing his name as a director with the award-winning and incredible war film, The Eight Hundred in 2020 – a project he had been preparing for a good ten years prior (and also on release from Cineasia). Surprisingly, that same year, Guan Hu directed a third of the equally impressive Wu Jing war feature, The Sacrifice, along with Frant Gwo and Lu Yang who handled their own segments respectively. While these latest works were critically acclaimed and The Eight Hundred became the second highest grossing film of 2020, fans would have to wait another four years for Hu's next effort – the touching and highly emotional drama, Black Dog (previously released in UK cinemas by Cineasia). Of course, Hu's next project would be Dongji Rescue – a welcome return to the war genre, but a very different approach to that seen in his previous films.

​

Starring as the expert and exiled diving brothers Ah Bi and Ah Dang, are the handsome Zhu Yilong and super cute Leo Wu Lei. With just over 10 years between them, their pairing is just perfect and both do an incredible job on every level, flexing their dramatic chops in ways that will bring tears to your eyes and looking damn good at the same time. While he has been acting for a number of years already, appearing in television shows such as Love For Three Lifetimes (2014), Border Town Prodigal (2016), Treasure Raiders (2016), My True Friend (2019), and The Rebel (2021) among many others as well as films such as Cloudy Mountain (2021), Lighting Up The Stars (2022), Lost In The Stars (2022), and Land Of Broken Hearts (2024) – I had only even seen Zhu Yilong in Cloudy Mountain before this thanks to Cineasia's UK release of this exciting disaster flick a few years back. But, after watching him in Dongji Rescue, I'll definitely be making a point of seeing more. The same can be said for his co-star – the very cute and brilliant Leo Wu Lei, a child actor turned leading man who stole the show for me as Ah Dang. Much like Zhu, Wu Lei has appeared in a host of films and TV shows including The Whirlwind Girl (2015), The Classic of Mountains & Seas (2016), Into The Rainbow (2017), the critically panned Asura (2018), the critically praised Shadow (2018), Cross Fire (2020), The Hutong Cowboy (2024) and so much more.

​

Handsome British actor William Franklyn-Miller, who is still relatively new on the scene, does a fantastic job as Thomas Newman and was the perfect choice for the politely spoken, blond-haired, blue-eyed British boy that connects with Ah Dang. All are joined by a cast of hundreds including wonderful Chinese actress Ni Ni from The Flowers of War (2011), The Warriors Gate (2016), Wu Kong (2017) and Shock Wave 2 (2020) among others, who stars as brave leading lady and love interest Hua. Yang Haoyu, who appeared in films such as The Liquidator (2017), Wandering Earth (2019), Dynasty Warriors (2021) and Moon Man (2022) also appears, while prolific actor Ni Dahong – seen in hits such as Max Mok's The Assassin (1993), Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), Wind Blast (2010), The Assassins (2012), Wolf Warriors (2015), and Cliff Walker (2021) to name but a few, appears as Hua's father and village chief. Li Jiuxiao, who starred for Guan Hu in The Eight Hundred and Sacrifice, returns to work with him once again, while Chen Minghao, Wang Yi-Quan, and Japanese actor Soji Arai – star of Apple TV's Pachinko (2022) as well as shows such as Dead of Night (2019) and Tokyo Vice (2024) – help flesh out the massive cast. I also couldn't help but recognise the face of Kevin Lee, a British actor that has appeared in many Chinese productions including Jackie Chan's Dragon Blade (2015) and Kung Fu Yoga (2017), Wolf Warrior (2015), Super Me (2019), Luban Four Heroes (2021), The Battle At Lake Changjin (2021) (also available from Cineasia) and more – appearing here as one of the leaders of the rescued POWs...

​

Previously, I had read a review on Dongji Rescue that said how simplistic it's script was; a quote I totally disagreed with. But then I thought about it! When you consider the storyline and incredible situation of the movie overall – there isn't really much time for Oscar-worthy writing to be put in place when broken language on both sides becomes a natural way of communicating, not to mention that the main concern of everyone (but the Japanese soldiers) involved, is to save lives or stay alive. I, for one, had no concerns with the writing and script on offer. But you can't please everyone, and no matter how incredible and true the whole thing may be, some people just don't appreciate a little patriotism and solid storytelling. For me (and my husband), Dongji Rescue is one of the best films of 2025 and an incredible achievement for everyone involved. And if you haven't already shed a tear or two by the end of the movie, the narrative and visuals over the closing credits most certainly will as clips of interviews with family members of the real British POWs and Dongchi islanders shares their thoughts, letters, and memories of what happened on that horrific day. It really does make for a powerful ending and left the both of us red-faced and drying our eyes as the house lights came up. Wonderfully directed, visually gorgeous, highly exciting and very dramatic, Dongji Rescue makes for a gripping watch and is another welcome notch in the belt for director Guan Hu!

​

Overall: Another epic release from Cineasia that deserves to be seen on the big screen, Dongji Rescue is an emotional, edge-of-your-seat experience that does not disappoint!