It started out quite strong. I like that we're dropped into a world that looks like a human city, with very little explanation. Things seem almost normal, but not quite... meeting the first villain was scary and thrilling.
But, from there on out, there's just too much action. When every situation is life or death, all of it ends up feeling flat. Even when the main characters were actually in danger, it ended up making the movie feel emptier. We build up an emotional connection with Miss Sun, we get invested in her relationship with Verta, and then she dies unceremoniously. Verta keeps meeting more people, but their relationship isn't explored for a good chunk of the movie. There is nothing to root for.
Every action scene is fast-paced. The characters are agile and sturdy. But one thing that really bothered me is how the antagonists would stick to the mains like glue. No matter how fast the protagonist is, no matter how tricky, the antagonist keeps finding them with ease. While an explanation was given for the Ox Man, there was none for other villains. It felt more like the plot demanded it, than because the antagonists were just that good. They kept coming, unrelenting, and it got aggravating after a while.
Several characters die due to blunt force trauma. That makes sense, and it's refreshing to see a character dying from an injury like that, but it doesn't fully hold up compared to other moments they have to endure. They'll run and jump and are battered in ways that are beyond human, but still die from getting struck once. What is their power level, exactly? It's uneven and confusing.
There's also emotional beat issues. Blanca is hiding her baby in her robes at the start. I think it's meant to be a moment of significance when her robe falls open and the baby is unveiled, but it happens so quickly and zoomed out, I had to rewind to figure out where the baby had come from all of a sudden.
Simon betrays and abandons Verta, because she insists on saving the Masked Man, and it might get them all killed. His betrayal enrages her, depresses her enough to abandon all hope. Why? Their connection hasn't been explored at all, they've just driven around in a car together. At most, they had an alliance of convenience. But she treats him as if he owes her complete loyalty. Again, why? Ultimately, her own loyalty lies solely with Blanca.
I didn't always understand the reasoning of the main character. It felt more like the narrative was pre-written and followed that structure no matter what, even when it didn't make sense for the realities of the characters. Verta thinks all men are unreliable, both weak and strong men. She concludes she can only rely on herself, and has to be strong all by herself. And then she is helped by and saved by a weak man, but that man turns out to be her sister after all... so it just confirms her prejudice? Then what is the point of having the prejudice, from a storyline point of view? If her prejudice was towards all people, then the storyline might make more sense - she can't survive all on her own, she needs others, even when they are fallible. But it's specifically towards men.
When Verta finally beats the monk, it feels like a tiny moment in the movie, rather than a huge narrative victory. And how has she grown so much stronger, suddenly strong enough to beat the monk? For him, twenty years have passed. But for her, it's been a single day of fighting. It's not just that he's grown older and weaker, her green snake is suddenly a huge dragon. Is it because she felt supported by the Masked Man? I just wish these moments would have had more time to resonate with the audience.
There's also odd little moments like, a character and train ticket sequence that heavily borrowed from Spirited Away. The fox spirit's head turns counterclockwise both times, rather than turning back and unwinding her twisted neck.
Some emotional beats do resonate, though. The movie becomes more compelling once you get through the first third of it. The ending is beautiful and heartwrenching! I'll be thinking of it for a long time.
A touching movie with a beautiful message, overall. I just wish there had been less peril. I think it would've been easier to watch if it had been more balanced.
But, from there on out, there's just too much action. When every situation is life or death, all of it ends up feeling flat. Even when the main characters were actually in danger, it ended up making the movie feel emptier. We build up an emotional connection with Miss Sun, we get invested in her relationship with Verta, and then she dies unceremoniously. Verta keeps meeting more people, but their relationship isn't explored for a good chunk of the movie. There is nothing to root for.
Every action scene is fast-paced. The characters are agile and sturdy. But one thing that really bothered me is how the antagonists would stick to the mains like glue. No matter how fast the protagonist is, no matter how tricky, the antagonist keeps finding them with ease. While an explanation was given for the Ox Man, there was none for other villains. It felt more like the plot demanded it, than because the antagonists were just that good. They kept coming, unrelenting, and it got aggravating after a while.
Several characters die due to blunt force trauma. That makes sense, and it's refreshing to see a character dying from an injury like that, but it doesn't fully hold up compared to other moments they have to endure. They'll run and jump and are battered in ways that are beyond human, but still die from getting struck once. What is their power level, exactly? It's uneven and confusing.
There's also emotional beat issues. Blanca is hiding her baby in her robes at the start. I think it's meant to be a moment of significance when her robe falls open and the baby is unveiled, but it happens so quickly and zoomed out, I had to rewind to figure out where the baby had come from all of a sudden.
Simon betrays and abandons Verta, because she insists on saving the Masked Man, and it might get them all killed. His betrayal enrages her, depresses her enough to abandon all hope. Why? Their connection hasn't been explored at all, they've just driven around in a car together. At most, they had an alliance of convenience. But she treats him as if he owes her complete loyalty. Again, why? Ultimately, her own loyalty lies solely with Blanca.
I didn't always understand the reasoning of the main character. It felt more like the narrative was pre-written and followed that structure no matter what, even when it didn't make sense for the realities of the characters. Verta thinks all men are unreliable, both weak and strong men. She concludes she can only rely on herself, and has to be strong all by herself. And then she is helped by and saved by a weak man, but that man turns out to be her sister after all... so it just confirms her prejudice? Then what is the point of having the prejudice, from a storyline point of view? If her prejudice was towards all people, then the storyline might make more sense - she can't survive all on her own, she needs others, even when they are fallible. But it's specifically towards men.
When Verta finally beats the monk, it feels like a tiny moment in the movie, rather than a huge narrative victory. And how has she grown so much stronger, suddenly strong enough to beat the monk? For him, twenty years have passed. But for her, it's been a single day of fighting. It's not just that he's grown older and weaker, her green snake is suddenly a huge dragon. Is it because she felt supported by the Masked Man? I just wish these moments would have had more time to resonate with the audience.
There's also odd little moments like, a character and train ticket sequence that heavily borrowed from Spirited Away. The fox spirit's head turns counterclockwise both times, rather than turning back and unwinding her twisted neck.
Some emotional beats do resonate, though. The movie becomes more compelling once you get through the first third of it. The ending is beautiful and heartwrenching! I'll be thinking of it for a long time.
A touching movie with a beautiful message, overall. I just wish there had been less peril. I think it would've been easier to watch if it had been more balanced.