3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy claims to be the world’s first 3D erotic movie, but what starts off as a bawdy comedy swiftly becomes a vile mess.

The first segment is pretty harmless, playing out like a Chinese version of a Carry On film only with a lot of un-erotic soft core porn to fill the gaps. It begins as a young scholar gets married to the girl of his dreams but their love life isn’t quite what he hoped. He then tries to seek sexual fulfilment and learn to be a better lover in a manner of bizarre exercises. Despite being filled with ridiculous sex scenes there are several laugh out loud moments and clever visual gags which make all of it bearable.

However two thirds into the running time the tone abruptly changes very suddenly as a nastier streak is revealed. As it is 3D Sex and Zen is very misogynistic, women merely being sexual objects that quiver at a man’s touch (literally). Sadly that has to be expected with any pornography, but one could never have expected for this harmless bawdy comedy to suddenly turn so vile. In the last third women are tortured and raped without motive, purely to shock. A man is also dismembered and and there are also scenes of suicide all of which leave a horrible taste. The most bewildering thing of all is the message, which appears to be true love should not be orientated around sex. Firstly this is an odd message for what is essentially a soft core porn movie. Secondly dismemberment and mutilation was a very extreme way to convey it. Worst of all is the final scene which tries to be sentimental, but instead is just laughable as they attempt to age a few of the central characters.

The 3D is used gratuitously throughout, as numerous objects (and often parts of the human anatomy) are thrust towards the camera calling attention to the technology. 3D isn’t used to immerse as it should, but instead as a gimmick. Despite all of this the vivid palette of rich colours certainly are attractive in 3D, it’s just a shame that the director chose to address the technology so childishly.

3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy seems to fail on numerous levels. As an ‘erotic’ movie, it is difficult to see why anyone would find the ridiculous sex scenes even mildly titillating. The comedy aspects of the narrative are also washed away as soon as the narrative becomes ‘serious’ and the scenes of torture, suicide and rape begin. Even as a martial arts film it fails with cumbersome choreography and infuriatingly bad uses of CGI. Even the ‘moral’ message gets confused within the wafer thin plot which makes little sense at all making the whole viewing experience an empty one. This all said 3D Sex and Zen will no doubt find an audience for all the wrong reasons.