Movies
Another Painted Skin adaptation, this time by Liu Binjie. He's not the most familiar name (yet), but those who have been looking at the Chinese streamers know he's one of the better directors around (much like Dai Yilin). These aren't high-profile blockbuster directors, but they can do very well on a shoestring budget. The film offers a nice mix of alluring demons, inner-species romance, and a fair bit of fantasy action. The finale is a bit too sentimental and there isn't quite enough to set it apart from other Painted Skin adaptations. Still, the lush decors and costumes, the colorful cinematography, and the flashy action scenes guarantee this is top-tier genre filler.Read all
I've been cutting back on Chinese streamer films because I was slowly starting to overdose (Shaw Bros flashbacks). I'm not ignoring them completely though, as they continue to provide slick genre entertainment. The Book and The Sword is one of Liu Binjie's latest films, and as I liked some of his previous ones, a good bet for a quick sample of the current state of the genre. There's nothing here you haven't seen before (unless you're completely unaware of these films). There's a little political intrigue, a couple of good action scenes, cool settings and costumes, but iffy CG. The film is short and punchy, but there's nothing here that is too memorable. Very good genre fluff in other words.Read all
Surprisingly capable. It's a shame this was conceived as typical streamer filler, because director Binjie shows a lot of promise. For certain, the film borrows royally from more famous sci-fi classics (Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell being the most obvious ones), but the mix with Chinese lore works really well. For once, I would've appreciated a bit more depth and detail. The sets look absolutely lush, the CG is more than decent (not a given with these films), the camera work is strong and the action is flashy. The plot is basic sci-fi nonsense and sometimes the nods to other sci-fi franchises are a tad too on the nose, but give this man a bigger budget and a bit more creative wiggle room, and something truly spectacular might come out the other way.Read all
Lui's Mutant Ghost Wargirl was quite the spectacle, so I was eager to see what he would come up with next. Art of War isn't quite on the same level, but it's not too difficult to see this comes from the same director. It's just a bit messier and even less focused, almost as if you're dropping halfway into a franchise. You could make three separate films out of this one, which is not bad for a film that only lasts 70 minutes. Because of that, it does feel a bit too much like a cut-and-paste job of various other genre classics, a tiny bit more focus would've been nice. But if it's fast-paced genre fun you're after, you won't be disappointed by Lui's latest.Read all