By Li Yu
Since the release of the movie "Nine-layer Demon Tower" based on the overbearing song "Ghost Blowing Lamp: The Exquisite Ancient City" in 2015, "Ghost Blowing Lamp" has fully started the film and television adaptation process, and a number of "Ghost Blowing Lamp" series of film and television dramas have been launched in succession.
The more influential versions featuring Hu Bayi, Fatty Wang, and Shirley Yang’s "Iron Triangle" are:
In 2015, directed by Lu Chuan, starring Zhao Youting and Yao Chen, the film "Nine-layer Demon Tower";
2015 Wu’ershan directed, Chen Kun, Huang Bo, Shu Qi starring in the film "seeking the dragon";
In 2016, Kong Sheng directed the online drama "Exquisite Ancient City" starring Jin Dong, Chen Qiaoen and Zhao Da;
In 2017, the online drama "Yellow Skin Grave" directed by Fei Zhenxiang and starring Ruan Jingtian and Liu Chao;
In 2020, Fei Zhenxiang directed the online drama "Dragon Ridge Cave" starring Pan Yueming, Jiang Chao and Zhang Yuqi…
That doesn’t include a whole bunch of movies and websites with a Douban rating below 4.
With so many versions, which version of the "Iron Triangle" is the closest to the original?
Hu Bayi
In the novel, Hu Bayi, whose real name is Hu Jianjun, was born on Army Day in 1950. He was renamed Hu Bayi because there were too many people with the same name in kindergarten.
The main experiences are: in 1968, he went to the mountains and went to the countryside; in 1969-1970, when he went home to visit relatives during the Spring Festival, he successfully joined the army and experienced a life-and-death disaster in the Kunlun Daxueshan; in 1979, he participated in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam and was sent back to China for killing prisoners of war. He was demobilized and went home; in 1979, he met Fatty Wang in Fuzhou, went to the capital to practice selling tapes, and met Da Jinya in Panjiayuan, and began his career as a gold captain.
Hu Bayi’s personality characteristics can be summed up as a few "qi":
heroicAfter all, he is an iron soldier, tall and straight, tough
talentedSmart brain, good at combining theory with practice, with half of the "Sixteen Characters Yin and Yang Feng Shui Secret Technique", he is proficient in the Dragon Seeking Technique and the Gold Dividing Acupoint Technique mastered by the gold-touching school captain
Jianghu styleIn the vigorous revolutionary era, Hu Bayi became the "idler, etc." of society. The marginalized people had a strong sense of identity, strong words and kung fu, and dared to say, do, and break through
AtmosphereHu Bayi has leadership temperament, is not chaotic in the face of danger, is not greedy for petty cheapness, and can clearly understand right and wrong;
Hu Bayi’s shortcomings, impulsive, lonely brave, love face, slightly vain.
Zhao Youting version
The earliest version of Hu Bayi is the version of Zhao Youting in the Nine-layer Demon Tower.
This version is described in two words as "disaster".
The movie changed the novel beyond recognition, and so did Hu Bayi in the movie.
Hu Bayi in the movie, talent, Jianghu Qi, the atmosphere is not a, on the contrary, ignorant, gullible, passive, cowardly.
When it comes to heroism, Zhao Youting’s hard photos are still a bit, but the image in the play is more biased towards stupidity and folly.
And Zhao Youting’s slightly idol drama acting method also makes people cross over to the "Ruffian Hero" he starred in from time to time.
Chen Kunversion
Chen Kun’s version of Hu Bayi in "Dragon Seeking Art" has more praise.
Heroic, talented, and atmospheric are all there. What is slightly lacking is that Chen Kun’s too handsome face is less of Hu Bayi’s Jianghu style. There is a sloppy appearance, no sloppy essence.
Hu Bayi in the novel is quite humorous and a broken mouth. Chen Kun’s version of Hu Bayi has the demeanor of a foreign expert and is not down to earth.
Jin Dong Edition
"Exquisite Ancient City" is a version of "Ghost Blows the Light" with good texture. Kong Sheng + Hou Hongliang + Noon Sunshine is the quality assurance.
But Jin Dong’s version of Hu Bayi is also "positive", and still fails to perform the character’s Jianghu style. When Jin Dong says humorous lines, he still feels that he is "holding"; and every time Hu Bayi shows off his knowledge, Jin Dong’s interpretation often gives people a kind of old cadre style.
This version of Hu Bayi is too "Jin Dongfan". Jin Dong overwhelmed the character itself.
Ethan Ruan version
In "Yellow Skin Grave", Hu Bayi was still an educated youth, in the green years. Ruan Jingtian’s youth was in line with Hu Bayi’s youth.
However, the idol drama temperament of Taiwanese actors really lingered. Ruan Jingtian’s Taiwanese accent and face without any time turmoil did not match the temperament of Hu Bayi in that era at all.
Pan Yueming Edition
Finally, there is Pan Yueming’s version of Hu Bayi in "Longling Maze".
Pan Yueming had the spirit, talent, and atmosphere. Pan Yueming’s slightly vicissitudes and calm face matched the character’s temperament.
The fly in the ointment was that Pan Yueming’s figure management failed. Hu Bayi was a soldier who had just been discharged from the battlefield not long ago, but Pan Yueming’s version was almost becoming "Fatty Hu". Uncle Fan was full, too decadent, and not tough enough.
Therefore, several versions of the comprehensive ranking:
Chen Kun edition Technologies Pan Yueming edition > Jin Dong edition > Ruan Jingtian edition > Zhao Youting edition.
Fatty Wang
Fatty Wang is originally from Beijing and claims to have been born in 1951. He and Hu Bayi grew up in open-crotch pants. Main experiences: in 1968, he went to the mountains and the countryside with Hu Bayi; after the mid-1970s, he returned to the city and became a self-employed person. From Fuzhou to the capital Beijing, he poured audio tapes; in 1979, he met Hu Bayi and began his career of gold.
Fatty Wang’s main characteristics: fat, but not bulky, agile.
Truthful, hearty, carefree, informal.
Humane and loyal.
Greedy for money, afraid of heights, one tendon, broken mouth.
In the strange movie "Nine Layers Demon Tower", Fatty Wang almost didn’t exist anymore.
Huang Bo version
Huang Bo’s version of Fatty Wang in "Dragon Seeking Art" belongs to a rather classic version. Not only does the script not collapse, but also benefits from Huang Bo’s acting skills.
Huang Bo’s version of Fatty Wang is affectionate and righteous, responsible and courageous, daring to act, daring to love and hate, and is on par with Hu Bayi.
If it is picky, Huang Bo’s version of Hu Bayi is a little less "stupid" and a little more "cunning".
Zhao Da version
In "Exquisite Ancient City", Zhao Da’s version of Fatty Wang was also unsuccessful. In front of Jin Dong’s elite fan, the good Fatty Wang was portrayed as a little "stupid", and he repeatedly dragged his feet after that.
This version of Fatty Wang is affectionate, righteous and greedy for money, but his IQ is not brought.
Liu Chao version
"Yellow Skin Grave" Liu Chao’s version of Fatty Wang, with the actor’s physique, how could he be embarrassed to call himself "Fatty"?
At the same time, although Fatty Wang is fat, he is not weak. Why did the screenwriter portray him as "like a staff"?
Jiang Chao version
Jiang Chao’s version of Fatty Wang in "Dragon Ridge Den" became fat, but he was almost embarrassed.
There was still a problem with the screenwriter. Although Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang, one was like a joke and the other was like a joke, it didn’t mean that Fatty Wang was a fool.
Fatty Wang was strong and strong in combat. In order to create contrast, the screenwriter intentionally or unintentionally portrayed Fatty Wang as a "clown" with general combat effectiveness. Jiang Chao’s performance was also a little too hard.
Overall ranking:Huang Bo version > Jiang Chao version > Zhao Da version > Liu Chao version.
Huang Bo’s version is excellent, Jiang Chao’s version is so-so, and the rest are collectively referred to as "garbage".
Shirley Young
Shirley Yang, a Chinese-American, grew up in the United States and was a photographer. She was the granddaughter of Partridge Sentinel and was very familiar with traditional excavation equipment. Because of a mysterious symbol similar to an eye, Shirley Yang returned to China to find Professor Sun, and after meeting Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang, they started their adventure together.
In terms of appearance and personality characteristics, Shirley Yang has collected all the beautiful imaginations of straight men for women. Shirley Yang wants to have a figure, a good appearance, and a lot of wealth; in terms of personality, she is independent, confident, strong, careful, calm, alert, and ruthless; although she is capable, she is not proud of her talents. She has both the heroic generosity of Western women and the gentleness and restraint of Eastern women…
In short, Shirley Yang’s advantages cannot be praised. She is the perfect sustenance for straight men. However, from a literary point of view, she is not as plump and thin as Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang.
Several versions of Shirley Yang also have their pros and cons:
Yao Chen version
Yao Chen’s version of Shirley Yang in "Nine Layers Demon Tower" is a version that has been changed by magic, and it has nothing to do with the Shirley Yang in the novel. There is no foreign atmosphere, and the earthy smell is strong.
Shu Qi Edition
The Shu Qi version of Shirley Yang in "The Dragon Seeking Art" is currently the most praised version. Although the Shu Qi version has some deviations compared to the novel, Shirley Yang in the movie has a sweet, cute and coquettish side, especially in the relationship with Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang is often like a "little girl".
The first characteristic of Shirley Yang in the novel is that she is highly independent, and it is hard to imagine jumping in anger for a "stinky man".
Chen Qiaoen Edition
In "Exquisite Ancient City", Chen Qiaoen’s version of Shirley Yang is heroic, brave, and independent. The problem is that this version of Shirley Yang is "cold" at an inappropriate time, almost "indifferent", but often loses his mind when it is time to calm down.
Chen Qiaoen’s acting skills are good, but her interpretation of Shirley Yang Shi still has the kind of "weak" feeling of the female lead of the Taiwanese idol drama. Shirley Yang’s ruggedness, agility and accuracy in performing tasks are not enough.
Zhang Yuqi version
"Dragon Ridge" Zhang Yuqi’s version of Shirley Yang has not appeared many times at present, and his appearance is quite suitable for the character, but a few close-ups of the nose show that the roots of the mountain are very abrupt. Zhang Yuqi’s role is often reminiscent of Li Ruolan in "Mermaid". Although she is sexy, she is not very smart. "Dragon Ridge" also makes people vaguely worried.
Current editions of Shirley Young rank:
Shu Qi Edition > Chen Qiaoen Edition Technologies Zhang Yuqi Edition > Yao Chen Edition.
Big gold teeth
The "Iron Triangle" of the "Ghost Blowing Lamp" series is Hu Bayi, Fatty Wang, and Shirley Yang. Big Gold Fang is not the main character of every film, sometimes only cameo, but he plays an important role in threading the needle throughout "Ghost Blowing Lamp".
In "Exquisite Ancient City", he guided Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang on the road to tomb robbing, and in "Longling Maze", he was also the protagonist.
Big Gold Teeth was also a distinct character. He was about ten years older than Hu Bayi. He was an antique dealer with a greedy and timid personality.
The nickname "Big Gold Teeth" was named after the shiny gold tooth in the mouth. The tooth was originally from the mouth of the corpse in the ancient tomb. The big gold tooth pulled out its own tooth and replaced it.
Summer Rain Edition
Xia Yu’s version of Big Gold Teeth in "Dragon-seeking Art" is the most classic and fits well with the original work. Xia Yu’s relaxed and natural acting skills vividly and vividly express Big Gold Teeth’s philistine, smooth, greedy for money and joy.
Yueyang version
In "Exquisite Ancient City", Yue Yang plays the golden tooth, which is the most suitable in appearance. Although Yue Yang, who was born in 1977, is one year younger than Jin Dong, he looks older than Jin Dong.
This version of Big Gold Teeth is relatively "stable", but it also portrays Big Gold Teeth’s treachery, smoothness, and the sincerity of a small citizen.
Tong Lei version
Although "Dragon Ridge Cave" has received continuous praise, in comparison, this version of Tong Lei’s role as the big golden tooth is still a little weak. First of all, Tong Lei looks younger than Pan Yueming and Jiang Chao, too tender, and does not match the original.
Secondly, although Big Gold Teeth was also timid, he was not as shameless as Qingtou. He was a sophisticated, smooth, and sophisticated businessperson who was very shrewd.
The performance of the big golden tooth in the tomb in the play is too weak, and it does not have the experience of a middle-aged man. Just imagine, if Li Chunlai’s actor Hu Ming played the big golden tooth, the effect might be much better.
Therefore, the order of the big golden teeth is as follows:
Xia Yu edition Technologies Yue Yang edition > Tong Lei edition.
Overall, the movie "Dragon Seeking Art" has the best characters and performances, followed by "Dragon Ridge Cave" and "Exquisite Ancient City", and the rest that have been broadcast are not worth mentioning.
