Feng Shen 2: Zhan huo Xi qi

I first watch this movie during the first day of Chinese New Year at Shaw IMAX and it was spectacular. From there, I went on to watch it again in the cinemas. At the moment, I have watched it 5 times due to how much depth the storyline has. Each time you watch it, there are new details arise that you notice that made you want to watch it another time. (Don't want to give too much spoilers, go watch it) I'm not sure what's with the negative common about the VFX/design when ugly things sells (e.g. Labubu) Also, are they coming out with a Blu-ray version? I would love to have it within my collection. I am also planning to watch it again.

What a movie to start off the New Year with! Continuing the first movie's box office success and technological breakthroughs, Creation of Gods II returns with more VFX shots than the total amount of shots in the previous. Whether the flock of dragons at the Kunlun Mountain, the paralyzing light beams afloat moonless sky, or the mythical gadgets of deities and giants, the film does not fail to entertain with its cinematic interpretation of classical figures, warfare, and anecdotes. The climactic battle of the "ten deadly formation" greatly balances quests of individual characters with the story's progression and involves numerous ancient tactics of war by Sun Tzu, such as sowing dissension, sowing discord, extraction, espionage, and assassination. All the meantime, director Wuershan is able to maintain quality narrative and aesthetic control of the coloring, lighting, costume, production design, and music accompaniment.

Performance wise, everyone except the two young protagonists from last film is terrific. Huang Bo, Kris Phillips, and Hsing-Kuo Wu --- all reputable actors and obvious carriers of their parts. Nashi's General Deng Chanyu veritably surprised me: a fierce warrior bound to war and honor who gradually reveals her capacity to love, compassion, and dancing by the fire. Even trivial side characters with less than minutes of screen time shine in their sequences.

The pacing of the movie's first half and some of the CGI (the blue giant) could definitely be improved, but overall a laudable success for a commercial film.

I enjoyed the first movie for its great visuals and interesting storyline. Although the second one adds a whole lot more CGI scenes, it isn't more visually stunning. Instead, most of the mythical creatures look cheap and fake, and the airview of the ancient Xiqi city is simply too cartoonish to be true. The story itself is also extremely boring, the editing is unbelievably poor, and most of the actors cannot act. Lots of the scenes and dialogues in the movies are just unnecessary, and the development of main characters doesn't make sense at all. I, for sure, won't go to the movie theater for the third one.

"Creation of the Gods II" is a glaring example of how to ruin a promising franchise. The film shamelessly distorts its source material, turning a rich mythological tapestry into a chaotic, nonsensical mess. Characters, once compelling and nuanced, now act in ways that defy logic, making baffling decisions solely to advance a convoluted plot. The sequel abandons the emotional depth and careful storytelling of its predecessor, opting instead for empty spectacle and superficial drama.

The pacing is erratic, with key moments rushed and less important scenes dragged out, leaving viewers disengaged. Subplots are introduced and dropped haphazardly, adding to the confusion. The film's attempt to expand the universe feels forced and poorly executed, lacking the coherence and charm that made the original captivating.

Worst of all, "Creation of the Gods II" betrays the goodwill earned by the first film. Fans who were drawn to the series for its faithful adaptation and rich character development will find little to appreciate here. Instead of building on the strengths of its predecessor, the sequel undermines them, leaving a bitter taste and a sense of missed opportunity. A disappointing follow-up that fails to honor its roots or satisfy its audience.

I really liked the first movie. Good story amazing characters who were true to their role and events and story, in here however Ji Fa who lost his brother and his father was tortured by the king, and was a formidable kings guard somehow now has forgotten his battle training and that his brother was killed and cooked to be fed to his father, who was also imprisoned, and acts like a bumbling idiot, and feels sorry for the enemy leader and can not even defend himself against a woman, half his size. The rest of the characters are the same. I could not stomach to see to the end and left the cinema. What a shame that they did not carry the characters through instead tried to be make caricature of the first movie !!