Chen Kaige's new film released amid low expectations

Cast member Lin Chi-ling attends a press conference. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

Chinese director Chen Kaige's new film "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" debuted late on Thursday amid a prejudiced hiss from movie buffs.

The film, describe by Chen as his largest scale film to date, took three years to complete and was jointly produced by two mainland entertainment groups and Columbia Pictures.

It tells the story of an innocent monk with superb Kungfu who leaves an isolated mountain for the city in the 1920s, where he becomes involved in conspiracies and encounters a series of strange characters.

However, many Internet users have badmouthed the film before even seeing it. The movie scored 6.1 and 5.8 respectively at leading film portals Mtime and Douban.

As a head figure for the fifth generation of Chinese filmmakers, along with Zhang Yimou, Chen is known for his visual flair and epic storytelling. He is the only Chinese director to win the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival for "Farewell My Concubine."

But subsequent films such as "The Promises" have disappointed Chinese audiences and have even been mocked in spoof videos.

Some film enthusiasts are calling for an objective judgement on the controversial director's latest work.

"Ready to watch the film. Please do not always compares Chen's films with the classic 'Farewell My Concubine', which is insurmountable," one user wrote on microblog Sina Weibo.

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