Long before 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy begins the filming, it has drawn the media's attention for being Hong Kong's first 3D pornography feature. While South Korea comes out with Natali 3D (2010) before 3D Sex and Zen goes on a general release in April 2011, 3D Sex and Zen has proved to give audience the better deal. First time director Christopher Sun has created a sensation when 3D Sex and Zen opens in cinemas. The 3D erotica could have been better, but nonetheless it is a good try.
Loosely based on Qing Dyansty's erotic literature, The Carnal Prayer Mat, together with partial adaptation from Sex and Zen 1991 (featuring Amy Yip, Hong Kong's famous sex bomb in the 1990's taking the leading role), 3D Sex and Zen offers a story of eroticism with morality, in which both areas could have strike a better balance.
The story begins with Wei Yangsheng (Hiro Hayama), a scholar who believes that life is full of pleasure. He marries Tie Yuxiang (Lan Yan), the beautiful daughter of Tie Fei, the Taoist priest. However, as Tie Yuxiang knew nothing about sex life, Wei Yangsheng finds his marriage a dull and boring commitment. Upon introduction from a good friend, he was invited to Prince Ning's Chamber of Pleasure, in which he was introduced to two beauties: Rui Zhu (Saori Hara), a highly skilled courtesan in methods of pleasure; Dong Mei (Yukiko Suo), who gains only pleasure thru infliction of physical pain. With the help of Pleasure Old Man, who appears as a young beauty (Vonnie Lui), Wei Yangsheng spend his days in Chamber of Pleasure, drowning in sexual pleasures. This is the beginning of the trap he was lead into, while he was collecting evidences against Prince Ning's corruption.
3D Sex and Zen has succeed in selling itself as a movie with plenty of nudity, sexual inter courses, lesbianism and sadomasochism. It also touches on taboos in Asian country such as sex and religion. However, it failed to live up to it's hype of presenting sex in an eye popping 3D. What audience get to see for the 3D effects are, sad to say, items flying over to the eyes of the audience. Unlike Hollywood 3D slasher flicks such as SAW 3D (2010), My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) and Final Destination 3D (2009) which promises audience with blood and gore right in front of their eyes, audience for 3D Sex and Zen got themselves with only mahjong tiles, bullets and knives flying towards the audience. The only eye popping scene audience saw was the upper nudity made by Vonnie Lui. As a movie claiming to sell eye popping sex in 3D, it has not really lived up to its hype.
Most of sexual scenes and nudity appears in clear images when 3D glasses are put on, but the eye popping visuals are simply lacking. Another area that is worth mentioning in a rather negative way is 3D Sex and Zen contains a fair amount of violence and gore than sex and nudity. Be prepare to see decapitation if you are not ready for it.
The flow of the story could have been better, in terms on how 3D Sex and Zen was presented. The flow is rather weak, with much details missing from the movie. More details could have been used to beef up the weak storyline, such as how Wei Yangsheng and Tie Yuxiang trying to salvage their failing marriage towards the end of the movie.
Though 3D Sex and Zen are not totally based on The Carnal Prayer Mat, what audience will like to see is how filmmakers can do a full adaptation of The Carnal Prayer Mat, which serves as more than just a tale of eroticism. It is a tale of morality that serves as a warning on sins and retribution. 3D Sex and Zen managed to carry the message across the film, but the fair amount of violence and gore seems to hinder the way the message are meant to be presented.
To sum up, for audience who wants a more detailed story, they can consider the 135 minutes extended version on blu-ray release. 3D Sex and Zen could have improved by beefing up the storyline, which gives audience more pleasure than confusion.
Loosely based on Qing Dyansty's erotic literature, The Carnal Prayer Mat, together with partial adaptation from Sex and Zen 1991 (featuring Amy Yip, Hong Kong's famous sex bomb in the 1990's taking the leading role), 3D Sex and Zen offers a story of eroticism with morality, in which both areas could have strike a better balance.
The story begins with Wei Yangsheng (Hiro Hayama), a scholar who believes that life is full of pleasure. He marries Tie Yuxiang (Lan Yan), the beautiful daughter of Tie Fei, the Taoist priest. However, as Tie Yuxiang knew nothing about sex life, Wei Yangsheng finds his marriage a dull and boring commitment. Upon introduction from a good friend, he was invited to Prince Ning's Chamber of Pleasure, in which he was introduced to two beauties: Rui Zhu (Saori Hara), a highly skilled courtesan in methods of pleasure; Dong Mei (Yukiko Suo), who gains only pleasure thru infliction of physical pain. With the help of Pleasure Old Man, who appears as a young beauty (Vonnie Lui), Wei Yangsheng spend his days in Chamber of Pleasure, drowning in sexual pleasures. This is the beginning of the trap he was lead into, while he was collecting evidences against Prince Ning's corruption.
3D Sex and Zen has succeed in selling itself as a movie with plenty of nudity, sexual inter courses, lesbianism and sadomasochism. It also touches on taboos in Asian country such as sex and religion. However, it failed to live up to it's hype of presenting sex in an eye popping 3D. What audience get to see for the 3D effects are, sad to say, items flying over to the eyes of the audience. Unlike Hollywood 3D slasher flicks such as SAW 3D (2010), My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) and Final Destination 3D (2009) which promises audience with blood and gore right in front of their eyes, audience for 3D Sex and Zen got themselves with only mahjong tiles, bullets and knives flying towards the audience. The only eye popping scene audience saw was the upper nudity made by Vonnie Lui. As a movie claiming to sell eye popping sex in 3D, it has not really lived up to its hype.
Most of sexual scenes and nudity appears in clear images when 3D glasses are put on, but the eye popping visuals are simply lacking. Another area that is worth mentioning in a rather negative way is 3D Sex and Zen contains a fair amount of violence and gore than sex and nudity. Be prepare to see decapitation if you are not ready for it.
The flow of the story could have been better, in terms on how 3D Sex and Zen was presented. The flow is rather weak, with much details missing from the movie. More details could have been used to beef up the weak storyline, such as how Wei Yangsheng and Tie Yuxiang trying to salvage their failing marriage towards the end of the movie.
Though 3D Sex and Zen are not totally based on The Carnal Prayer Mat, what audience will like to see is how filmmakers can do a full adaptation of The Carnal Prayer Mat, which serves as more than just a tale of eroticism. It is a tale of morality that serves as a warning on sins and retribution. 3D Sex and Zen managed to carry the message across the film, but the fair amount of violence and gore seems to hinder the way the message are meant to be presented.
To sum up, for audience who wants a more detailed story, they can consider the 135 minutes extended version on blu-ray release. 3D Sex and Zen could have improved by beefing up the storyline, which gives audience more pleasure than confusion.