Five days after watching Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon, I watched Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, and the proximity invited comparison. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame suffered in this juxtaposition.
There is an epidemic of spontaneous combustion shortly before the coronation of the Empress and the completion of a giant Buddha. The Empress releases Detective Dee from prison to investigate the phenomenon. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is primarily a mystery with a fantasy, martial arts veneer, which is why I preferred the far more textured Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon. The titular character seemed a little less clever than his younger self.
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame was too surreal for me even soon after watching the prequel. There are martial arts deer and physical transformations that just broke my suspension of disbelief. The female spy/assistant character was disappointing, especially when she jumps to seduction. Eyeroll. It was not an earned moment, and for me, only undercut my interest in the character. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame could get an award for not making the villain an albino.
Ultimately I am not a fan of the mystery genre and Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a straightforward one despite the period or the fantasy elements. While I look forward to seeing the next entry in the Detective Dee franchise, I hope the next installment is more like the prequel than the original.