I discovered him through Tsui Hark‘s films, but I’m glad to say I still have many more to view. The main reason other works didn’t get internationally distributed is because they were made for television or distributors from elsewhere didn’t understand his appeal. I became a fan because of the supernatural elements that he sometimes has to face. And after getting a huge gift package recently, it’s time to get caught up!
To note, this character didn’t become popular until Orientalist and author Robert Hans van Gulik found an old tale featuring him. He gave him a modern update and that’s when novels authored by him (Amazon link) began appearing. Van Gulik published most of them from the late 1950s to the 1960s. He deserves more credit because of the supernatural elements added in. Dee was not an instant success, but when he did, I’m sure he challenged Perry Mason to the throne of popular television shows known worldwide.
Eventually, he would graduate to becoming popular on film. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame was released in 2010 and two more films, featuring a younger version–two prequels, Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013) and The Four Heavenly Kings (2019). Ever since then, I’ve wondered if he would return to executive produce more.
Although the latest release, The Mystery of Humanoid Puppet (2024), hints that he was involved, I suspect not. And I’m checking some online video stores to see if this is available to purchase. Until I can find it, now is a great time to get reacquainted with this world, according to Hark.
Detective Dee (Andy Lau, House of Flying Daggers) was once a prisoner. But when the royal court recognised his talents, they ordered him to be freed so he can track down who is trying to kill Empress Wu (Carina Lau, no relation). As the first female ruler of China, plenty of people have a reason to end her life. To have a female ruler is unheard of. Dee has to figure out how the victims burst into fire. There has to be a logical explanation because he does not believe in black magic.
Despite his psychic-like ability to read others, this protagonist rarely uses it. Like Sherlock Holmes, he has to make logical deductions and also find the source of the mysterious fire turtle. But with Empress Wu’s most trusted right-hand lady, Jing-Er (Li Bingbing), his investigation gets hindered. Also, there is a white-haired officer Pei Donglei (Deng Chao) who is tailing behind conducting his own investigation. Chao is this film’s rising star. He gives his role as an officer of the Supreme Court an air of authority which is very convincing.
When the two become a pair, the answers they uncover reign true for any country. There are political motives at work here, whether Dee likes it, and sadly, he will just have to become another crusader who can only work in the depths of a dark night. The fire turtle’s curse is terrible indeed, but at least he is not ready to turn into a superhero.
4 Stars out of 5
Detective Dee and the
Mystery of the Phantom Flame Trailer
Not counting the televised works made since the late 60s onward, there are 40+ films made featuring this sleuth! Some look like they were made for television only, and others have not seen international distribution.
You can find a full list of every release featuring this martial artist detective on Letterboxd.