China's work on the front-lines of UN peacekeeping operations is now being depicted on the silver screen. Released on Friday, "Chinese Peacekeeping Forces" comes after other successful war movies in China, and is built on the country's efforts to maintain peace and security in embattled South Sudan.
It comes on the heels of other domestic military-themed movies - such as "Wolf Warrior 2" and "Operation Red Sea" - which went down very well at the box office.
A poster for 'Chinese Peacekeeping Forces' / VCG Photo
So can this one follow suit?
The film grossed about ten and a half million yuan - or one-and-a-half million US dollars - in its first three days, well below "Operation Red Sea" and "Wolf Warrior 2." Many felt let down by the movie, after the sheer excitement of the other two.
A poster for 'Chinese Peacekeeping Forces' / VCG Photo
Chinese films like "Dying to Survive" and " Fat Buddies" received such positive reviews and, more importantly, high numbers at the box office. In recent years, the success of "Operation Red Sea" and "Wolf Warrior 2" has raised the interest and taste of domestic viewers in war-genre films.
It is yet to be seen whether "Chinese Peacekeeping Forces" can ride on the momentum of the other two in box offices and reviews.