As the attractiveness of watching the two stars wore off after five minutes the thin material became repetitive and needed to be curtailed much sooner than it was.
It has used one of the most beautiful filming locations and the photography does it justice. It falters a bit toward the end but for the most part, the screenplay avoids being over sentimental which is really some achievement.
The Chinese location panorama shots were impressive as were the choreography and stunt work. The character of the young pocket battleship was a winner and she left just enough males standing so as not to jeopardise the future of the human race.
It is a screenplay you can dip into and enjoy the performances without worrying about the plot. A top–notch cast on a busman's holiday with set designs to be admired.
Unfortunately for the film it doesn't tell us anything new – thanks to Hollywood's own publicity machine and the large media coverage the industry attracts. However De Niro does well in a marathon effort.