Rating: 2/5
Based on the 16th-century novel of the same name, the story begins with a water demon attacking a small village, drawing out two demon hunters with opposing philosophies — one believes in the inherent goodness of all things, the other content to destroy them. The two reluctantly join forces and hunt demons together
I’m not a big fan of Stephen Chow’s sense of humor — or at least how my high school friends who loved Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle explained it — but the wuxia and fantasy horror elements drew me to this, and I enjoyed some of the more understated jokes
That said, almost every scene overstays its welcome — you could cut 30-45 minutes and still tell the story. That’s because there’s barely a story — not an inherent flaw, just something worth noting
Overall, the movie is a messy array of silliness bolstered by massive set pieces but not much else. There’s an audience for this, but it isn’t me
Stray Thoughts
- IMDb goof — Duan has shaved armpits!!!
- Duan only wanting Chen to love and marry her so she can become a housewife is pretty dull, and it’s at least 1/4 of the movie