China’s latest military blockbuster has fought its way to the top of the charts.

The action movie ‘Wolf Warriors 2’ has become China’s highest-grossing movie, but it’s also stirred-up controversy inside-and-outside of the country.

CGTN’s Xu Mengqi has more.

Blazing guns, explosions, and tanks. The Chinese box office hit “Wolf Warriors 2”has them all.

A former soldier ventures into an African war zone, saving hundreds of lives during a rebellion. The plot is typical of a Hollywood action movie, but this time it’s a Chinese man who’s upholding justice and keeping the world safe.

Some Chinese movie-goers are praising the film online for its combat scenes and stunts, saying they are of “Hollywood quality”.

“The Chinese soldiers with sympathy and responsibility symbolize the backbone of Chinese people,” one commenter said.

“Scenes, actions coupled with international perspective is almost like a Hollywood blockbuster,” another reads.

Martial arts expert Wu Jing is both the director and protagonist in the movie.  He’s part of the new generation of Chinese action stars turned director.

His first Wolf Warriors film came out in 2014, but didn’t make much of an impact.

Wolf Warriors 2, however, has become a phenomenon.

“For the first one I can say I was a ‘dark horse,’ but this time I faced much more pressure than before,” according to Wu. “I did my best to make a good quality film, in which I want to show to the audience the power of Chinese people, as well as my understanding of the movie.”

Mainstream movies, especially those promoting patriotism, usually don’t do very well in China, but this film raked in a record $200 million in just one week. The massive Chinese response put the film at the top of the global box office.

Not everyone around the world is convinced by its message though. Especially with regards to the movie’s controversial tagline, many question what they see as over-the-top patriotism.

“Anyone who offends China will be killed no matter how far the target is,” one online comment critiques.

But as with most things online, even the criticism is being criticized.

Most still believe “Wolf Warriors 2” is a successful example of the genre, and are looking forward to the next in the franchise.