Netflix's PR people are too astute to waste any heavy hitters against the likes of Avatar or Wakanda Forever but don't like to completely bow out of any tussle.

So we have some characteristically mid and low range entries from them this week in Warriors of the Future and Hot Skull.

Netflix also introduced their ad-supported subscription tier.

We're guessing most subscribers won't be too keen on seeing ads but when they introduced the idea some time back, it was with the goal of addressing password sharing.

So password sharers might expect Netflix to also introduce anti-password sharing measures in the near future.

Warriors of the Future

When a meteor carrying a destructive plant strikes the world, a suicide squad is given hours to save their post-apocalyptic city from total collapse.

As sometimes happens, we have a non-English trailer (Cantonese) released on one of their regional YouTube channels and nothing on the main one.

But an English trailer uploaded to their English region websites, which is usually a good sign that Warriors of the Future has been dubbed into English.

Solid trailer but is the film any good?

It divided critics and IMDb user ratings are middling (6.5 out of 10), but the film held first place at the Hong Kong box office for its first two weeks and then second for another seven.

That suggests high audience satisfaction and strong word of mouth.

Becoming their highest grossing film of the summer and also the highest grossing Chinese language film ever.

A directorial debut for visual effects artis Ng Yuen-fai, its effects are universally praised but not its story.

That said, the original Avatar's story was unoriginal and also widely enjoyed.

And that's a comparison viewers could make on several fronts.

The military technologies seen in the trailer appear comparable with Avatar's and there's a theme of humans versus nature.

Though in this case nature - the alien plant - is the malevolent invader.

Also, the plant is called Pandora, like the moon on which Avatar is set.

Hot Skull

In a dystopian world, as an epidemic spreads through verbal communication, a tyrannical institution pursues a linguist immune to the disease.

As premises for series go, that's original and quite engaging but the teaser didn't move us.

There's nothing wrong with it but also very little which stands out and in our experience, barely promoted Netflix titles like this one, rarely impress.

Rarely but not never.

Last month's barely promoted anime series Exception is not stellar but quite good.

So we'll look on this one.

Plus, we have to credit it for having a creative title.

Can't say that about the film.

Both Warriors of the Future and Hot Skull will release on Netflix on December 2.

[ Main Image: Warriors of the Future trailer. Credit: Netflix via YouTube. ]

References

Brzeski, Patrick (November 2, 2022). Netflix Unveils Chinese-Language Slate Topped by ‘Agent From Above,’ ‘Warriors of Future’. The Hollywood Reporter.

Chu, Karen (March 18, 2018). Filmart: Louis Koo to Produce and Star in $56M Sci-Fi Epic ‘Warriors of Future’ (Exclusive). The Hollywood Reporter.

IMDb.com. Warriors of the Future. (viewed November 6, 2022)

Netflix. Hot Skull. (viewed November 6, 2022)

Netflix (November 5, 2022). Hot Skull | Official Teaser | Netflix. YouTube.

Netflix. Warriors of the Future. (viewed November 6, 2022)

Netflix Asia (November 4, 2022). Warriors of Future | Official Trailer | Netflix. YouTube.

Timms, Hugo (November 4, 2022). Netflix ad-based subscription model starts in Australia today. The Courier Mail.

Wikipedia. Warriors of the Future. (viewed November 6, 2022)