Tsui Hark is a madman. I mean that in the best way possible, obviously. If you’ve ever sat through the Young Detective Dee movie—specifically Rise of the Sea Dragon—you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a 134-minute fever dream of CGI manta rays, underwater horses, and a version of Tang Dynasty China that looks more like a high-fantasy video game than a history book.
Some people hate it. They really do. They miss the grit of the original 2010 film, Mystery of the Phantom Flame, where Andy Lau played an older, more cynical Dee. But there’s something about the "young" era of this franchise that hits different. It’s chaotic. It’s colorful. It’s basically Sherlock Holmes if he lived in Atlantis and knew kung fu.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Timeline
The Detective Dee franchise isn’t a straight line. It’s a bit of a mess if you aren’t paying attention. The first movie released was actually the last one chronologically.
In Mystery of the Phantom Flame, Dee is already a legend. He’s been in prison. He’s grizzled. Then, Tsui Hark decided to hit the reset button and go back to the beginning.
- Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013): This is the official "Young Detective Dee" origin story. Mark Chao takes over the role, arriving in Luoyang as a fresh-faced official.
- The Four Heavenly Kings (2018): A direct sequel to the prequel. It ups the ante with even wilder hallucinations and sorcery.
- Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010): The finale. The "old man" era.
Basically, if you want to watch the story in order, you start with the 2013 movie. Mark Chao’s version of Dee is way more idealistic. He hasn't been crushed by the weight of the Imperial Court yet. He’s still figuring out how to balance his insane deductive skills with the fact that everyone around him is probably a traitor.
The Case of the Giant Manta Ray
Honestly, the plot of the first young detective dee movie is kind of ridiculous. A Chinese fleet is wiped out by a "sea monster." Empress Wu Zetian (played by the legendary Carina Lau, who is the only actor to appear in all three main films) is furious. She gives the Ministry of Justice ten days to solve it or face execution.
Enter Dee Renjie.
He teams up with Yuchi Zhenjin, played by Feng Shaofeng. Yuchi is basically the "bad cop" to Dee's "smart cop." He’s got red hair, blue eyes (for some reason?), and a temper that makes him want to arrest everyone. Then you’ve got Shatuo Zhong, the medical assistant who provides the comic relief and the science.
The mystery leads to a group of rebels from a nation called Dondo. They’re using parasites—"Bird’s Tongue Tea"—to poison the Imperial family. And yes, there is a literal giant mutated manta ray.
It’s weird. It’s very 2013-era CGI. Some of the effects haven’t aged well, especially the underwater horse scenes. Yes, a horse that swims faster than it runs. You just have to roll with it.
Why Mark Chao Replaced Andy Lau
There was a lot of noise when Mark Chao was cast. People loved Andy Lau. Lau brought a weight to the character that felt grounded. Chao, on the other hand, plays Dee as a bit of a savant. He’s got this weird "X-ray vision" thing going on where he sees clues in slow motion.
Is it better? Not necessarily. It’s just different.
Chao feels like a protagonist in a wuxia novel. He’s faster, more agile, and arguably more fun to watch in a 3D action sequence. The chemistry between him and Feng Shaofeng is what really carries the prequels. They start as rivals and end up as brothers-in-arms, which is a classic trope for a reason. It works.
The Weirdest Part: The "Authentic" History
Despite the giant monsters and the magic maces, Detective Dee was a real person. Di Renjie was a chancellor of the Tang Dynasty. He actually served under Empress Wu Zetian.
The movies play fast and loose with the facts, but the core tension is real. Wu Zetian was China's only female emperor, and her rise to power was bloody and controversial. The young detective dee movie captures that paranoia perfectly. Everyone is watching their back. Even the "good guys" are one mistake away from being beheaded.
Notable Cast Members
- Mark Chao: The young Dee.
- Angelababy: Yin Ruiji, the beautiful courtesan who is central to the sea monster mystery.
- Lin Gengxin: Shatuo Zhong (the character played by Tony Leung Ka-fai in the first film).
- Carina Lau: The Empress. She is the glue holding this whole crazy universe together.
Is It Actually a Good Mystery?
If you’re looking for Knives Out or Agatha Christie, you’re going to be disappointed. Tsui Hark cares more about spectacle than "fair play" mysteries. He often reveals the villain halfway through and then spends the rest of the time showing you how many ways a sword can be thrown in 3D.
But the world-building is top-tier. The production design at Hengdian World Studios is massive. The costumes are intricate. Even when the CGI looks a bit like a PlayStation 3 cutscene, the scale of the imagination is impressive.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you’ve seen the movies and want more, don’t just stop at the big-budget Tsui Hark trilogy. The "Detective Dee" universe is actually huge in China.
- Check out the web movies: There are dozens of low-budget Detective Dee movies on streaming platforms like iQIYI and Youku. Most are skip-worthy, but Detective Dee: The Sly Red Eyes is surprisingly decent.
- Read the original novels: Robert van Gulik, a Dutch diplomat, wrote a series of "Judge Dee" novels in the mid-20th century. They are much more focused on actual detective work and traditional Chinese law.
- Visit Hengdian: If you’re ever in Zhejiang, China, you can visit the actual sets where these were filmed. It’s basically the Hollywood of the East.
The young detective dee movie series might not be high art, but it’s a masterclass in how to turn history into a blockbuster. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s a total blast if you turn your brain off just enough to enjoy the ride. Just don't expect the horse to make any sense.
To get the full experience, watch Rise of the Sea Dragon first, followed immediately by The Four Heavenly Kings. This gives you the complete Mark Chao arc before you circle back to the 2010 original to see how it all ends for the legendary detective.
