Watches
February 06, 2022
An extremely ambitious film. It's a shame it came a bit too early. In 2016 China was still struggling to do CG well, which is quite a struggle for a CG-animated film. Director Jingming Guo didn't let that hold him back and went gave it his best shot. The result is far from perfect, but fantasy fans are sure to find something to like here.
Dukes have magical powers that help them protect the weak. They each have a disciple, someone they bond with and help to protect them. Qi Ling is an orphan who runs into a Duke as becomes his disciple. What seems like a great opportunity at first, turns into a battle of life and death when one of the Dukes is trying to do a power grab.
Once you get used to the subpar animation, there's quite a bit to like. The lore is interesting, the fights are pretty over-the-top and the fantasy elements feel well-developed. I'm a bit bummed I saw the sequel first, that's obviously the better film, but I did have a pretty decent time, something I didn't really expect after the videogame-like opening.