Paul Magne Haakonsen
This sequel was totally unnecessary. Why? Because it was essentially just a remake of the 2008 movie "Painted Skin", which also was better than this sequel. It felt like they tried to show part one as it should have been if they had the budget similar to the sequel.The story in part two was just too similar to part one, to the point where it became a shameless knock off of the 2008 movie. And that just added to the pointless feeling of it the movie.Xun Zhou and Wei Zhao carried the movie quite nicely, as they also did in the first movie, and they were joined by a talented cast ensemble.Visually this was an impressive and beautiful movie. The CGI and special effects team delivered an amazing experience here. And the costumes and locations also were right on the money, being impressive and beautiful as well.This was not the brightest of moments in Chinese cinema. Don't get me wrong though, because it is a good movie in itself. Just too bad that it was such a shameless rip off of part one. If you haven't seen part one then the sequel is a good movie. If you have seen part one, don't really bother much with part two.
Derek Childs (totalovrdose)
Zhou Xun returns as the illustriously desirable fox spirit Xiao Wei in Painted Skin The Resurrection. 500 years have passed since the conclusion of the original feature, and for the entirety of that time, Xaio Wei has been condemned to an icy grave, for saving the life of the man she loved, and that of his paramour. According to demon lore, there can be no greater heresy. Que'er (Mi Yang), a cute bird demon, finds herself captivated by Xiao Wei's beauty, and releases her from the prison, remaining by her side as a loyal and faithful accomplice.This freedom though is only temporary, for wherever Xiao Wei goes, the frozen grave accompanies her, ready to swallow her whole once more. By sheer coincidence, both demons happen upon Princess Jing (Zhao Wei), who has fled the palace in order to escape the marriage that has been arranged between her and the Tianlang prince, a man she can never love.Wearing a golden mask across half her face, which was once disfigured during an attack, Princess Jing intends to ride for the White City, in order to meet General Huo Xin (Chen Kun), the man who once protected her. Unable to escape her feelings for him, she wishes to discover if the romantic connection is mutually shared. Princess Jing's heart, although belonging to the General, becomes Xiao Wei's prize, its power been able to stopper the icy prison from ever containing her again.With an approaching eclipse, it is during this time that demons can swap bodies with humans, but only if a heart is offered willingly, and Xiao Wei, who desperately wishes to become human, will do almost anything to win it. But is she really as cold as the prison pursuing her, or has she herself softened? The prison however is not the only threat, for a demon hunter, Pang Lang (Feng Shaofeng) is present in the city, and though incompetent, he is certainly no fool to the magic that she wields.Visually, Painted Skin The Resurrection is perfect. The costumes are gorgeously decorated, while the effects are reminiscent of a dream sequence, as are the fights, which are epically choreographed. You can't help but gasp in awe at many of the scenes, which serenade the eyes with their outstanding execution.Occasionally however, the sheer potency, not to mention the frequency of the effects, feel unnecessary in contrast with the original, and though live action and computer generated scenes are bound together over the duration of the film, sometimes the story could have been conveyed just as passionately, without the continuous use of these features.Moreover, the accompanying musical score continuously sets the mood, regardless of whether it is a sweeping romantic melody played beside a scene of desirous passion, or brazen percussion during a fight sequence. The acting is superb, and provides a deep emotional connection between both characters and the viewer, the emotion, whether it be pain or happiness, been flawlessly presented, while the script, much like the original, is beautifully poetic.Over the course of the feature, a potential complaint could be that the movie runs for too long. Perhaps, but by the time the beautiful conclusion makes its way across the screen, you will more than likely be glad that you took the time to watch this magnificent gem. Neither better nor worse than the original, Painted Skin The Resurrection is as equally magnificent as the first, and fabulously concludes, what has to be, two of the best films made this century.
