Film review: 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy

1/5

Taking a record £220,000 on its first day 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy took Hong Kong by storm. Viewers traveled in from China where the film was banned from being shown due to no age restrictions on the mainland cinema. Dubbed as the ‘World’s first 3D erotic film’ it’s due for release in UK cinemas on the 2^nd September.

Directed by Christopher Sun Lap Key it's a remake of a 1991 Hong Kong film of the same name based on a classic Chinese erotic text, "The Carnal Prayer Mat”.

It has been described as an ‘erotic costume drama’, a ‘3D porn film’ and an ‘erotic comedy’. I wouldn’t call it 'porn', there are some comedic moments but mainly it is an action film stock full of violence.

Sexually inexperienced scholar Wei Yangsheng (actor Hiro Haayana) in ancient China gets married to the love of his life Tie Fei (actress Leni Lan), but there’s a problem – he’s not very good in bed.

The consummation of the marriage is a bit of an embarrassing experience she doesn’t seem very up for it (keeps pushing him off – he carries on), calls her breasts ‘so cool’ and tells her it won’t hurt but will be a very awesome experience, he climaxes in around five seconds and she tells him he needs to improve.

It is this premise that drives the rest of the narrative, the juxtaposition of love and sex. Their married life is illustrated by a combination of intimate moments (to show they love each other) and a disappointing sex life.

Wei concludes life is short and that he should pursue the ultimate sexual pleasure that time allows. He starts hanging out in an ancient kind of brothel and encounters many women who help him with his problem but eventually it is discovered the reason he isn’t great in bed is because he has a small penis.

A comedic scene then occurs when Wei undergoes a ‘cock transplant operation’ and, after some kerfuffle involving a squashed horse member, he ends up with one from a donkey.

This and other genuinely funny moments act as some respite to the more shocking aspects.

The sex scenes didn’t really show much, a lot of boobs but nothing that was particularly shocking hence why I wouldn’t call it a ‘porn’ film.

However the violence had me ready to walk out on a number of occasions. Maybe it is because I am not familiar with this kind of film. Perhaps rape and horrific violence towards women is considered acceptable entertainment.

Upon swinging his new huge literal third leg towards various prostitutes at the brothel Wei finds that rather than being turned on they are actually pretty scared of it.

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He manages to pin one down, thrusting the piece of donkey inside her as she struggles beneath him trying to push him off and screaming in pain.

He then gets another one to sit on top of the erect mountain and promptly grabs her hips and shoves her back on when she tries to remove herself after realising the experience actually hurts.

Wei then announces he wants to sleep with ten women at once who come running to him as he is surrounded by a harem of women shouting ‘take me first!’

Commit rape and then get a load of women! Score!

Whilst Wei is forcing sex on various women, Tie is persecuted for having an affair with a servant by being thrown in the river to drown. In an attempt to save her he claims to have raped her, confusing the officials who don’t know what to do. They tentatively decide they should probably drown him as well. Justice prevails...

The film continues in a blur of sex, anger, chasing, fighting and knives and Tie Fei who doesn’t end up getting drowned finds herself in the ‘whore cave’. Angered by Wei the prostitutes Pimp uses Tie to enact revenge.

She’s placed in a dungeon room where there is a rocking horse with a contraption sticking out of the saddle. It is made with blades of iron that turn around in circles when the horse’s tail is swung.

The guards tell her to ‘go and play with the horsey!’ and sticks her naked on the turntable of iron blades (the right size to fit inside her) and proceeds to swing the horses tail while blood pours down her legs.

Rape and beatings ensue, Wei gets his donkey penis chopped off, the film ends with the bad Pimp also losing his member and dying by landing on aforementioned rocking horse contraption which slices through his neck (a stab at victory?).

Wei and Tie reunite at the end which shows them as an old couple, very much in love but with no sex life.

The moral of the story being love is more important than sex.

Throughout violence towards women is considerably unbalanced with the violence towards men. It is graphic, horrifically imaginative and unnecessary.

Because of the extreme nature of such scenes the fact that the film was obviously very well produced, sometimes quite funny, entertaining and compelling in parts doesn't over-ride the fact that as a whole, it’s all a bit pointlessly corrupt

3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy will be released in UK cinemas on the 2^nd of September; rating 18.

Film review: 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy

1/5

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