Chapter 809: Chapter 799: Premiere (Part 2)

Although only half a day has passed, quite a few netizens, fans, followers of recent online opinions, and film critics, film bloggers, media, etc., have rushed into the cinema to quickly watch the two movies before starting to write reviews based on their personal impressions.

The media or some well-known accounts were relatively tactful in their comments, after all, "Demon Capital Fortress" features a strong cast, and they are wary of backlash.

But netizens, spectators, film critics, and film bloggers aren’t concerned about this. Whether they are regular people or bloggers who make a living from this, who would be afraid of criticism?

Especially the latter two, if they can criticize rationally and factually, even a fan attack can bring them significant attention.

In the created works, the reviews were incisive and the language very venomous, with some even resorting to profanity.

Of course, most of this criticism was aimed at "Demon Capital Fortress." They may be unsure about the quality of "Life-changing Matters," but the poor quality of "Demon Capital Fortress" is evident.

"What nonsense! Wasn’t it supposed to be sci-fi? Then why is there a romance? How ridiculous!"

"Wearing that hat — either wear it properly or not at all. I’ve never seen a soldier wear a hat like that. What, worried about ruining your hairstyle?"

"Don’t even get me started! The line ’Fire at me’ almost made me die of embarrassment in the cinema. I nearly sprayed my coke!"

"Not to mention the special effects, the plot is outrageous. It’s almost the end of the world, and the lead can still take a vacation and focus on romance? Going to the battlefield and confessing to his superior is his final task? And in this day and age, they’ve got no smartphones, just old-fashioned phones for show!"

"The plot feels like a joke. They can target a plane but miss a big spaceship in the sky? It’s almost covering half the sky in Shanghai! Even with eyes closed, they’d hit it!"

"As a Shanghai native, this is the first time I feel this embarrassed. Could you block my IP address?"

"Weren’t they claiming it’s another sci-fi masterpiece following ’Wandering Earth’ that will redefine domestic sci-fi? What exactly did you redefine?"

"Most absurdly, the protagonist got blasted and somehow didn’t die. Impressive!"

"With ’Wandering Earth’ hard-won success in opening the sci-fi door, this time it’s as if it’s been welded shut!"

"Now I absolutely believe Su Qing didn’t invest in ’Demon Capital Fortress.’ It’s unbearable to watch!"

In just half a day, the Internet has exploded with negative reviews — criticizing the script, the production team, the special effects, and, naturally, the actors.

Previously, people might dismiss this as just another bad film, something of little concern, given how many bad films come out annually — one more or less scarcely matters.

But this time is different. The audience’s taste and aesthetics have been raised by "Wandering Earth." Forcing through such bland offerings is like being forced to eat garbage.

Of course, the main reason is "Demon Capital Fortress" set its sights too high, riding... or rather, exploiting "Wandering Earth’s" hype to elevate itself to an unattainable height. It’s no wonder it failed spectacularly.

Chasing hype is common, but this was outright opportunistic. And disgustingly so.

Apart from the trailer, surprisingly, the entire film provided nothing worth commendation.

The film shows an impending apocalypse, yet aliens come and go freely, and the protagonists still find time to go clubbing.

The plot is riddled with holes, the logic lacks coherence, the acting is subpar, and the production somewhat inferior. People came for sci-fi, but you gave them romance?

The intense emotions of the audience caused other films released concurrently, such as "Life-changing Matters," to nearly fade into obscurity.

"Life-changing Matters" fared better; at least it still garners some online discussion, with occasional comments spotted. As for the other films, it’s almost as if they’ve disappeared.

Not that there are no fans of the lead actors stepping forward in defense, but previously, people might not question them at face value, yet this time is different; their money’s been swindled, leaving them powerless to argue, even silencing actor fans.

They cower, not daring to surface, and those who speak up are quickly drowned by a tide of netizens, forced to make their accounts private.

At seven in the evening, Shen Yi and Su Qing, along with two of Shen Yi’s classmates, went to the cinema to watch "Life-changing Matters," which Su Qing invested in.

As for "Demon Capital Fortress," Su Qing didn’t want to contribute to its box office in the slightest.

Su Qing bought popcorn and coke for everyone, and the two sat holding hands in the cinema, making Yuan Fei and Wang Siyu cringe with envy.

"Stop being so lovey-dovey; save it for when you’re home, alright?"

"Of course! Knowing you have someone, while we’re already married, yet you don’t let up. Why don’t you show off when Li Ying returns?"

Shen Yi dismissed their teasing. They themselves used to flaunt quite a bit when the tables were turned; now it’s her turn. Plus, her boyfriend is so outstanding she almost wants to hang Su Qing’s picture on the cinema wall.

"Mind your own business, stop talking; watch now. It’s my boyfriend’s investment, definitely a great film!" Shen Yi whispered, speaking with pride.

Sure enough, her words were soon confirmed.

"Life-changing Matters" didn’t disappoint; it’s a classic tearjerker film. The mutual redemption between the protagonist and the little girl, with its mix of sadness and joy, portrays the characters beautifully.

There’s the betrayal of a girlfriend, a father’s misunderstanding, even an ex-girlfriend showing up pregnant asking for help, and a little girl’s mother wanting her child back.

Thankfully, the third brother has friends’ support, making the resolution quite satisfactory.

Throughout the film, one feels a lot, seeming like this is what life should be like for ordinary and humble people.

"So, how was my boyfriend’s film investment?"

Leaving the cinema, Shen Yi smiled at her two classmates.

Now that she has watched it firsthand, Shen Yi feels reassured. She knows that even if this film doesn’t make money, it certainly won’t lose much, and the ratings won’t be low.

"Alright, alright, your boyfriend is the best, okay?"

"Alright, it’s getting late. We should head back; my husband called me just now!"

After exchanging a few words with them, Wang Siyu and Yuan Fei took a taxi home, as being married limits their outings.

Seeing them leave, Shen Yi turned to Su Qing and asked:

"How do you think your film will do? Profit or loss?"

Hearing this, Su Qing smiled and nodded: "Not only profitable, but also quite a lot."

That night, just past midnight, Director Wang Jiang called to report the good news: opening night box office reached 35 million, with excellent word-of-mouth.

In contrast, "Demon Capital Fortress," despite a first-day box office of 70 million, was overwhelmed with criticism.

...

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