Don’t be fooled by name into thinking that this yet another cheesy Chinese take on a Hercules/Xena-Warrior Princess mythic storyline. This is a truly epic, awesome fairytale and totally in sync with what I think a fantasy film ought to be. There are monsters, super powers, epic battles, force fields and kungfu.
Abott Fahai is a demon slayer who, along with his disciple, wanders the countryside looking for devious demons to capture. His chief weapons are his faith and his rosary although he is pretty mean with knives, axes and cloaks as well. His idea of torture for the demons that he has captured is, funnily enough, a strict course of meditation and repentance within a cool containment unit in his monastery. When he encounters a simple village medic and his wife, he cannot control himself from unmasking the woman as a demon and sets off a chain of tragic events.
I won’t give away the plot too much, simply because it is so much fun to watch the action unfold. There are no limits to imagination here and while this freedom is not completely capitalized on, it is an exciting roller coaster for the viewer.
One could get into analysis of the underlying themes here, the more obvious one being a greater need for humans to control their meddlesome intentions and controlling urges in relation to the environment and animals. Had the abbot not interfered with the harmless White Snake, the ensuing tragedy would have been averted. Ultimately, the very demon that he despises comes to his aid.
The other undercurrent in the movie is its slant towards misogyny. It doesn’t help that the majority of demons are in female form as temptresses, seducing the men to their doom. We don’t see any women victims either. Even White Snake is fairly uninhibited and sexually aggressive. Clearly the female form represents desire-slash-evil and the abbot-slash-religion is the instrument to curb and subdue their natural selves. White Snake meditates for over a thousand years and is a higher being –in the grand scheme of things - than the mortal abbot. Yet for all her cool, magical powers and sheer force of might, she must suppress her wild nature and ‘accept’ religion in order to truly redeem herself. All this is when the abbot forces his way into her life even though she is not really causing much harm. Despite that, when she finally breaks down and ‘admits’ to her ‘sins’, she is ‘rewarded’ with separation from her beau. Woman, suffering shall be thy lot.
One doesn’t really know if these were unintentional because an adventure film such as this usually doesn’t descend into moralizing. I should like to put that down to my over-trained brain, because I really liked the film.
The movie is awash with digital effects, not all rendered very nicely, especially towards the climax. There is an adorable talking mouse though. Even the wirework can get excessive – though I can’t really stomach ANY wirework in a movie.
Based on looks alone, the willowy Eva Huang shouldn’t have made the cut. However, she is a surprise package. After a few initial awkward scenes of frolicking in the meadows, she gets into the skin of the character and is alternately vengeful and loving as the script demands. She is given a meaty role and is more than a match for Jet Li.
Jet Li has never been famed for his acting prowess. He is given a less demanding role here. As the wry, duty bound, stern demon-slayer-abbot, he is in his comfort zone. He looks the part and completely kicks butt with his own brand of action.
Raymond Lam’s role is undemanding and he is required mainly to play a good-natured foil to both Jet Li and Eva Huang.
Charlene Choi and Wen Zhang have strong supporting roles and I found myself rooting more for this couple than for White Snake and Xu Xian.
In order to make it a truly perfect film (for myself), I would have snipped the ending by about 10-15 minutes. I don’t really subscribe to the (Chinese) view that an individual’s tortuous route to salvation needs to be depicted in excruciatingly, torturous detail. By the time the abbot and White Snake get into their self-actualization states, I was rolling my eyes ready to scream ‘Yes! I get it! Enlightenment has found them”
I would have also changed the ending because COME ON! How could you not.?
However, you get your money’s worth and more with this movie. There is something for everyone and I can’t urge you enough to go have a look.
One of the best entertainers of 2011.
