The biggest hit movie of 2020, a hot tip
The year 2020 was a nightmare for the film industry and not least for cinemas all over the world. However, despite Corona and lockdown, one film managed to generate sales of over 460 million US dollars on the big screen. Exactly this one blockbuster is now available free of charge in the Amazon Prime Video program.
Every bet, you don’t know this insider tip of a blockbuster and there is a good reason for this. The most successful film of the year comes from China and that’s where “The 800” (originally “Bābǎi”) was able to generate most of the income. No film was more successful in 2020, but probably very few people have ever heard of this film. Blockbuster and insider tip combined in one film, it’s crazy.
The 800 for free on Amazon Prime Video
We remember: in 2020, in the first year of Corona, the cinemas closed everywhere. Everywhere? Oh well, China is still isolating itself to this day and, due to the rigorous zero-COVID strategy, was able to offer the population a normal life as far as possible, unless you were unlucky and locked in your own house because there was a corona case in the region.
The 800 is now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video (view at Amazon), directly included and therefore free of charge within the flat rate of the streaming service. If you don’t have Prime Video, you have to rent the film for 3.99 euros or get it on Blu-ray for 9.99 euros (view it at Amazon). But what is it actually about? Quoting Amazon:
“In 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Battle of Si Hang Department Store took place in Shanghai. Approximately 400 soldiers, of which history made the legendary “800”, hold their own against numerous waves of Japanese forces for 4 days and 4 nights.”
But rather Netflix? Our current series insider tips:
Positive film criticism, but also censorship
A powerful war drama, which is sometimes compared to “Dunkirk” by Christopher Nolan. The reviews are then surprisingly positive for “The 800” – Rotten Tomatoes scores 88 percent on the professional critics’ tomatometer and 78 percent endorsement from viewers. Promising 6.8 out of 10 stars are also tempting on the IMDb. Not overwhelming, but definitely worth seeing.
Exciting to know: “The 800” had almost hit theaters a year earlier. But a few days before the premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the film was withdrawn from the program and the start was ultimately postponed until August 21, 2020. The war drama was released in Chinese cinemas on that day, albeit in a version shortened by 13 minutes . The “Red Culture Research Association” had previously complained about the film and the censors had to lend a hand afterwards. The subject was, among other things, the presentation of the Republic of China (still existing today as Taiwan) and Chiang Kai-shek (source: Variety).
