Movies
White Snake 2: Green Snake
A surprising sequel. The first film served classic Chinese folklore, this sequel mixes in a serious dash of urban fantasy. Visually it's a big step forward, only the character models feel a bit plain compared to the elaborate settings. Ultimately, it's the fast pacing and the creative lore that sets this film apart from the rest. Though the film crosses the two-hour mark, there is no dead weight here, just sprawling action sequences, beautiful fantasy creations and more than enough memorable moments. A landmark for Chinese CG animation.
A sprawling Chinese fantasy animation. It's nice to see China isn't just trying to mimic Hollywood success, foregoing the rather childish comedies that dominate the US animation market, instead turning to what they know best. White Snake is lovely fantasy lore handled with proper visual flair. Apart from the dog (annoying comic relief), this is a pretty straightforward fantasy/adventure with some big action scenes to lighten the mood. The animation is decent, but the film's aesthetic qualities easily make it better than most of its CG peers. The plot and characters are fun enough, the pacing is perfect and the finale on point. A very welcome surprise.Read all