White Snake

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.

The legend of the white snake has been featured many times before, this animated version is just another (loose) retelling. After battling an evil warlord who is using the snake's powers for his personal gain, the white snake demon loses her memory and is found by a young human boy. He is smitten by the girl and vows to join her on her travels, hoping they can find a way to regain her memory.

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.