Twilightfa Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

raj9448947551 I wanted to watch a Jet Li's movie since it had been a very a long time .So downloaded "Ocean Heaven" thinking it could be a good action movie.Just finished watching it. It came as a surprise that the movie has nothing related to martial arts. But it brought tears in my eyes ;it is such an emotional movie which portrayed a beautiful relationship between a great father and his autistic son. Now I like Jet Li more than ever. He played his role so perfect even in Drama genre!Apart from him, all others have played their respective roles pretty well especially his son.You will not feel bored at any point in the movie.Highly recommended for everyone!10/10

Jason Zhou "Ocean Heaven" is about JetLi (Wang Xincheng), who plays the role of a forty-seven years terminally ill father, Wang works at the aquarium while struggle to look after his twenty-one years old son Dafu, who suffers autism from childhood. He live in his own world and impaired social interaction and communication, he cannot take care of himself in daily life. Dafu's mother killed in an accident when he was young, but believed she was suicides, because she could not bear to combat his son is autism. Wang single-handedly brought up Dafu and trying to teach him basic necessary life skills in order to survive on his own and take care for himself after he found out he is terminally ill and only has 3 to 4 months to live. As well as teaching him how to wear clothes, how to cook, how to ride the bus, he struggles to look for a home for his son before he passes away. Finally they found a newly opened institution with helps from the principal of the school for intellectual disabilities children that Dafu attended as a child.In order to let his son live comfortably, Wang made the layout of his son's room exactly the same as his usual one.The film has an opening scene of Wang trying to kill himself and his son by tied themselves to a big rock and jumped into the ocean,because Wang do not know what to do with his son and do not want him to suffer on his own after Wang die. However, Dafu loves water, he is an expert swimmer, which saved their lives. Everyday, swimming at the aquarium that his father works for are the happiest time of his life, where he meet Lingling, Lingling plays the role of a clown who is part of a traveling circus that perform in the aquarium for a short period of time, they get well together as Lingling is a orphan, they become friends and Lingling has taught Dafu how to answer the phone in the aquarium when he hears it, because she know she will be leaving soon with her circus. Eventually, Wang passed away without regrets, Dafu also learned everything his father has taught him and works at the aquarium, at the end, Dafu lying on the back of the turtle, swim with peace of mind and happiness. Just like lying on his father's back.A father who is terminally ill and single-handedly brought up his son. A son who suffers autism that cannot take care of himself in daily life, when we see such film like this, we cannot help but thought where is the Ocean that makes people happy and delightful? Where is the desirable to feel the happiness of heaven? Ocean heaven is a movie that can touch something deep in people's heart. The director aims to raise public's concern on the struggling and desperate status of autistic people in the society in a very impressive way. The director has well knowledge with autism, which is one of the key elements to makes such amazing touched film. This film is a masterpiece of Xiaolu Xue,whose own personal experience from working as a volunteer at an autism school for ten years. This movie is about sincerity. It shows that in this day and age those filmmakers are willing to do something for society. It is trying to express gratitude to all the parents in the world through the film. At the beginning of the movie, father jumps into the ocean with the son and tries to end their life in the heart of the ocean. This is a very impressive scene. The ocean is beautiful and peaceful, sky is blue, all of these lead people to think about the positive things of life. However, this father, attempted to kill themselves in the heart of the ocean. Xue has successfully sets a question mark in audience's mind. The trembling of Dafu's fingers was the major element used in the film, showing the characteristic of autism patients, the compulsive behavior of Dafu appears to follow rules and arranging objects in stacks or lines. Restricted behavior of Dafu preoccupation with a single toy, all of these,which makes the film more reality and touched. Dafu's daily life is totally dependent on father due to his autism. When the father tries to find a shelter for Dafu after he knows he would die within few months, it is sad that there is no government organizations is able to help them, including hospital, insurance, welfare, disabled school. But fortunately, Dafu is taken by a group of people who are eager to help voluntary groups of people in society. This contrast reflects the problem and the instant need of improvement of china health care system. The thing that goes into the deepest of people's heart is the father's selfless love to Dafu. He accomplished an impossible task, which is to teach Dafu the necessary life skills to take out his daily activities, such as taking a bus, cooking, getting across the road and working at the aquarium. In order to prevent Dafu feel lonely, He dressed as a turtle and swim with his son, he told Dafu, he will become a turtle,he will always by his side.This is a very emotionally charged family drama showing a father's tireless, selfless love for his autistic son. This film has strong Social significance.Director Xue has well knowledge with autism and shows that in this day and age those filmmakers are willing to do something for society. Xue has successfully raise public's concern on the struggling and desperate status of autistic people in the society in a very impressive way and express gratitude to all the parents in the world through the film. Although,Wang and Dafu will never see each other again, but the eternal between them will always exist, because, Love, will always exist.Dafu will live happily in the heaven that his father created.

Andres Tilleria I'm a father of an autistic child, and I Can see my self and my son in this movie all the time. This is a great history that don't use stereotypes as genius children that can break complex codes or make complex mathematics operations in seconds for impress the audience, it is the story of a dying father making the impossible to give his son the possibility of independence before the cancer take his life. The performance of Jet Li as the father is remarkable, he lost him self in the character, and show us that he is an incredible actor. Wen Zhang makes an incredible job as the autistic son of Li, in some moments he makes my believe that he really was autistic. An incredible peace of art that must be running to an Oscar.

DICK STEEL The marketing for this film went into overdrive with its touting of this being action star Jet Li's first dramatic role. Unless you count his appearance in a non combative role in Founding of a Republic and the various attempts to balance his action status with more dramatic acting chops such as Danny the Dog, then Ocean Heaven will be that maiden effort. Written and directed by Xue Xiao Lu, this modest effort is by no means small in ambition, having the likes of Jay Chou and Kwai Lun Mei lend their vocals to separate title tracks (with Kwai also starring in the film), as well as being lensed by the renowned Christopher Doyle.Jet Li stars as Wang, a middle aged technician at Qingdao's Ocean World who discovers that his liver cancer is at its 4th stage, and a medical death sentence has been passed, giving him 3 to 4 months to live. His prime concern will be that of his autistic son Da Fu (Wen Zhang) because this means as the main caregiver, he has to find an able, trusted replacement, most likely an institution, but as any single parent can attest to, this effort is none too easy in the absence of direct family support, with places like mental institutions being totally out of place, and Da Fu being too old for an orphanage, and too young for a senior citizens' home. The film opens with a father-son suicide, only for the latter to inexplicably save the both of them, and bringing them back to the drawing board.It's interesting to note (at least for me) that the Chinese language term for Autism is "Gu Du Zheng" which directly translates to a condition of loneliness. Through the film, Wang cannot shake off the fact that this figuratively applies to him, being alone in his care of his teenage son for many years since the passing of his wife, and not wanting to impose his troubles and issues on others, such as his neighbour and provision shop owner (Zhu Yuanyuan) who undoubtedly has affections for Wang himself. Wang is the classical stoic Chinese man who bottles up his troubles, seeking instead to source for solutions himself than to rely on the graces of others, although help does come from an understanding boss, as well as Da Fu's school principal.Xue spends considerable screen time in outlining the father-son relationship, albeit that it's not quite the norm because communication almost always seem like a one way street. Wang, with his limited, time, wants to train Da Fu in performing simple tasks in looking after himself, from cooking to taking the public bus, and through many of these scenes, Xue has allowed for an awareness of autism to ring through without resorting to over-reliance on melodrama to do so. Tasks are to be explained with extreme patience, and knowledge imparted through constant rote learning and praising. It's not easy, but as any parent, this unconditional love is something that's quite innate.Both Jet Li and Wen Zhang share great chemistry, which helps make their individual performance credible. You'll for once feel as exasperated as Li since this time he cannot kung-fu kick his way out of challenges and troubles, and have to rely on perseverance and love to educate his son. You'll feel his pain, and share his pessimism and slim hopes that he'll be able to impart, delegate and leave behind enough for his son not only material wealth, but emotional stability as well, which comes in the form of a sea turtle motif, known for its longevity, Wen Zhang too has this child like quality in his portrayal of autism which endears, and is able to bring out the confusion, fear and anger when he is not understood by others.The only peculiar performance here will be that of Kwai Lun Mei's Ling Ling, whose role is that of a clown who juggles. I can't place her role anywhere other than to solely beef up the star attraction to this film, because her role and the subplots involving her character all seem a little out of place and useless, and can be done without. Perhaps it is just there to balance that sense of bleak from Wang's point of view, since scenes between Ling Ling and Da Fu mostly hinges on play and friendship, providing that lift to the audience, unbeknownst to Wang, that his son is capable of making new, genuine friends, and that he need not worry that Da Fu will eventually be alone in this world after Wang's own passing.I won't say this is a tearjerker, but there will be those who will inevitably be touched by Father's love, going by the amount of sniffles in the cinema hall. I suppose Jet Li's foray into a purely dramatic role is quite successful, although personally I can't wait to see him kick serious ass in The Expendables with an ensemble cast of action heroes where he belongs. But of course one can't go on forever in such a role. Maybe he too can adopt the Jackie Chan direction (I'm pretty sure they would have exchanged notes during their pairing in The Forbidden Kingdom) where a film role balancing drama and action is possible ala Chan's Little Big Soldier, or even following what Clint Eastwood is doing in going behind the camera to tell heartfelt stories.