Four movies in Chinese cinemas this July: Minions (7/3), Moana (7/10), Hamlet (7/18), Spider-Man (7/29). Features Cumberbatch's Hamlet and Jackie Chan's action.
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Minions & Monsters
July 3
The Despicable Me universe has long become one of the world's most successful animated franchises, and the Minions themselves have evolved far beyond supporting characters.
They're everywhere: films, theme parks, toys, memes—even their own internet language.
So, what makes Minions & Monsters feel surprisingly fresh isn't that it's louder or bigger than previous entries.
It's that the filmmakers have finally discovered the perfect storytelling style for these little yellow troublemakers—by sending them back to the silent film era of 1920s Hollywood.
It's a premise that sounds like a joke, yet makes perfect sense.
From the very beginning, the Minions' appeal has never relied on dialogue.
Their comedy comes from physical movement, impeccable timing, visual gags, and an unmatched ability to create absolute chaos.
In many ways, they've always had more in common with silent-film legends than modern animated characters.
This film finally embraces that idea.
Photos by Universal Pictures
James and Henry accidentally find themselves transported to Hollywood during the golden age of silent cinema, where their unpredictable antics are captured on camera and unexpectedly transform them into the biggest movie stars in America.
Ironically, nobody understanding a word they say becomes their greatest strength.
Until sound arrives.
Almost overnight, the very language that made them unique suddenly becomes their biggest obstacle, as audiences finally hear the completely nonsensical 'Minionese' they've been speaking all along.
It's a wonderfully clever payoff to one of the franchise's oldest running jokes.
Photos by Universal Pictures
For the first time, the Minions' incomprehensible language isn't simply there for laughs but the driving force behind the story itself.
The film even playfully echoes the central premise of Singin' in the Rain, transforming Hollywood's transition from silent films to talkies into an affectionate satire about changing technology, shifting audiences, and the unpredictable rise and fall of movie stars.
Adults will appreciate the loving tribute to cinema history.
Children will simply enjoy watching the Minions create mayhem every few minutes.
After all, the funniest thing about the Minions has never been how adorable they are—it's how effortlessly they can reduce the most orderly world imaginable into complete and glorious chaos.
This time, the world they've decided to wreck just happens to be Hollywood itself.
Moana
July 10
Disney returns to the Pacific with its live-action adaptation of Moana, bringing Dwayne Johnson back to play Maui after originally voicing the beloved demigod in the 2016 animated hit.
Photos by Disney/DISNEY
Joining him is Australian actress Catherine Laga'aia, whose Polynesian heritage mirrors that of the character she portrays.
Photos by Disney/DISNEY
The original Moana was one of Disney's biggest successes of the decade, earning more than US$680 million worldwide while collecting nominations from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Annie Awards.
Rather than reinventing the story, the live-action version largely follows the original narrative while making thoughtful adjustments along the way.
Photo by Disney/DISNEY
Produced by the creative team behind Pirates of the Caribbean, the film combines large-scale location shooting with cutting-edge visual effects to recreate the vast beauty of the South Pacific.
Towering waves, lush islands, glowing oceans, and mythical creatures are all brought to life with remarkable scale.
Photos by Disney/DISNEY
Perhaps the film's biggest talking point, however, isn't its visual spectacle.
Unlike recent Disney remakes such as The Little Mermaid and Snow White, both of which sparked heated debates over casting choices, Moana has committed to casting performers with genuine Polynesian heritage throughout its principal roles.
Many have praised the decision as a sincere effort to respect the culture that inspired the original story, and perhaps a sign that Disney has learned valuable lessons from the reception of its recent remakes.
Photo by Shanghai Disney Resort
The excitement recently extended beyond the screen, with Dwayne Johnson making a surprise appearance at Shanghai Disney Resort, where he performed Maui's signature rap to a delighted crowd.
That said, longtime fans should probably keep one expectation in check.
This is still, at its heart, the story of the original Moana.
If you're hoping for an entirely new adventure, the film's decision to remain faithful to its animated predecessor may prove both its greatest strength—and its biggest criticism.
Hamlet
July 18
Benedict Cumberbatch—better known to many Chinese fans by his affectionate nickname 'Juan Fu' (卷福)—brings his acclaimed National Theatre Live production of Hamlet to cinemas nationwide.
While the production has previously been screened at selected theaters and art-house venues across the Chinese mainland, this marks its first full nationwide theatrical release.
There's an old saying that there are a thousand different Hamlets for a thousand different audiences.
Yet for many fans, there is only one.
Cumberbatch has often described Hamlet as one of the roles he always dreamed of playing, and his interpretation became one of the defining stage performances of the past decade.
Opposite him is Ciarán Hinds—familiar to many viewers as Mance Rayder in Game of Thrones—whose portrayal of King Claudius adds another layer of dramatic weight.
When the production premiered at London's Barbican Centre in 2015, demand was extraordinary. More than 100,000 tickets reportedly sold out within minutes.
Director Lyndsey Turner's production creates a fascinating collision between classical Shakespeare and contemporary theatrical design.
The first half unfolds inside an opulent royal palace filled with emerald-green walls, glittering chandeliers, and sweeping staircases—lavish surroundings that beautifully emphasize the corruption Hamlet despises.
After the interval, that grandeur disappears.
The palace transforms into a landscape of blackened ruins, as though every illusion of power has finally collapsed into darkness.
The production is equally remarkable in its cinematic language.
At several key moments, the entire stage freezes while a single spotlight isolates Hamlet during his soliloquies.
The duel between Hamlet and Laertes suddenly slips into slow motion, while a Hitchcock-like blast of black wind erupts through three towering doorways before the interval, accompanied by thunderous sound design that rivals many Hollywood productions.
Whether it's Shakespeare's royal court, modern stagecraft, or breathtaking visual design, this is a production that never asks audiences to lower their cinematic expectations simply because they're watching theater.
Perhaps its greatest triumph, however, is Cumberbatch himself.
Rather than portraying Hamlet as a traditionally melancholy prince, he constantly shifts between icy indifference, nervous agitation, explosive energy, and emotional vulnerability, creating a performance that feels impossible to confine to any single interpretation or era.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
July 29
After the events of the previous film erased Peter Parker from everyone's memory, Spider-Man continues protecting New York completely alone.
It's a lonely beginning for what already looks like the darkest chapter in the franchise.
When the first trailer dropped in March, it generated an astonishing 718 million views worldwide within 24 hours, eventually becoming the first movie trailer in history to surpass one billion cumulative views across all major platforms.
The last time audiences reacted to a trailer with this level of excitement?
Avengers: Endgame.
Marvel hasn't generated this kind of anticipation in quite some time.
More importantly, the trailer suggests a noticeable shift in tone.
Rather than relying primarily on spectacle, Brand New Day appears to lean into a more character-driven story, exploring Peter Parker's isolation and emotional burden following the sacrifices he made.
Alongside returning franchise favorites, the film also introduces two major Marvel figures: The Punisher and the Hulk, whose roles remain tightly under wraps.
For Chinese audiences, however, there's another fascinating reason to pay attention.
Jackie Chan's legendary stunt team has joined the production, with Jackie himself participating in the early planning and choreography process as an action director.
His signature philosophy of blending traditional Chinese martial arts logic with practical stunt work has reportedly been incorporated into the Marvel action style.
If that's true, audiences may soon witness something the Marvel Cinematic Universe has rarely delivered before: A Spider-Man fight designed with Jackie Chan's unmistakable sense of movement, rhythm, and physical storytelling.
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[Cover image by That's]
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