CHINA’S CHOPSOCKY RAMBOS

AJames Bond and Rambo hybrid, he drives tanks and takes out terrorists, but with a twist: he is a product of the People’s Liberation Army. Meet Leng Feng, the hero of China’s Wolf Warrior 2.

Made in close cooperation with the army, the blockbuster took only 12 days to rake in $ 500 million earlier this year. The film even tually made $ 857 million— compared with $ 325 million worldwide for India’s Dangal— to become the highest- grossing Chinese film in history. The key to its success: China’s rising nationalist fervour, combined with dazzling special effects and armoury- porn displaying some of the PLA’s newest weapons.

“We think this is a triumph… of the Chinese dream for building a strong nation, and a triumph of China’s zeitgeist,” producer Zhang Miao told state media.

Action star Wu Jing, who plays Leng, is a new breed of Chinese superhero. Like Jackie Chan, he’s a martial arts expert. But Leng has a six- pack and the force of the PLA by his side. Wolf Warrior 2 is also redefining China’s state- controlled cinema. Close on its heels, Sky Hunter, made with the backing of the PLA air force, hit cinemas on September 29. Thanks to the star power of actress Fan Bingbing— who plays a PLA air force pilot on a mission to rescue Chinese workers held hostage in Central Asia— the film banked a handsome

$ 317 million.

The propaganda machine now uses stars and stunts as well. The Communist Party spent millions on a trilogy of films on the anniversary of the People’s Republic ( 2009), the Party’s founding ( 2011), and the PLA’s 90th anniversary ( 2017). The first two received mixed reviews, so this year the Party tapped Hong Kong director Andrew Lau and half- a- dozen top Chinese stars to spice up the PLA’s origin story and showing its founders as dashing heroes. Topping Sky Hunter, the propaganda piece made a cool $ 403 million.

The new films— and their heroes— have the force of the PLA by their side