User Reviews

After seeing the low IMDb rating and reading the bad reviews, I was expecting this movie to be another CGI mess like "10000 Years Later" (How that movie managed to have a higher score than this one will be always a mystery for me) with bad animation and a muddled plot...But it actually turned to be a pretty decent fantasy flick.

The CGI for this movie was quite well made. Some scenes were very impressive and in certain aspects, more pleasant to look than many animated movies from the big studios (And by "big studios", I mean specifically Illumination Entertainment) Of course, there were a couple of moments when the movie looked a bit like cut-scenes from a video game, but the overall result was nice.

The plot on the other hand, while being a bit clichéd, managed to be reasonably entertaining to watch, at least until the last minutes, where things start to get confusing and the dynamics between the characters become unnecessarily complicated. Even worse, there is no resolution to the main conflict, but since this apparently was inspired by a series of novels, I guess that all the loose ends from the plot will be eventually tied up by any future sequel. (At least, that's it what I hope.)

This movie was okay. It was much better than "10000 Years Later" in every aspect, and honestly I don't know why it gets so much undeserved hate here on IMDb.

This is Chinese 3D animation. The is in English and the DVD has English and Spanish subtitles options.

The setting is on a fictional planet and initially centers around Asbel, a waiter at an inn. It quickly branches out into Spirit Warriors and the seven Dukes who lead them with each having a disciple. Asbel becomes a disciple of Silver, Duke #7. Asbel has a spirit beast and needs to obtain a blood weapon. Lady Vox, Duke 2 and her disciple are to go after Duke 5 Wind Walker for treason. Asbel who is 18 meets the 16 year old princess, also a disciple, who we find out stole her mother's "Soul Loop" (whatever that is) while in her womb (no further explanation on that one).

The graphics were pretty good, similar to an RPG game compete with everyone in for that climax battle which was anti-climatic. The soul/spirit/powers rules and transfers seemed elusive and poorly explained. Four elements you control, or maybe you just control one, and some things like space and time really are not elements so why are they powers? Try not to think too hard.

Watching this movie I knew it would be hard to discuss what the plot was and whether or not it was worth watching. Sitting here trying to think and then type about it I'm finding just as difficult as I thought it would be. It's not that it's a bad movie, it's just, well, complicated.

In reading I've found that the movie was based on a series of books. Unfortunately they didn't translate well to the screen or much was left out that would have made this easier to follow. Or, since I never read the books, perhaps the problem lies in trying to encapsulate them into one movie.

A young orphan is taken under the wing of one of several Dukes who watch over the world. These Dukes take on disciples periodically to follow in their footsteps and now he is one. Something has happened and the Dukes who were supposed to work together now find themselves battling one another in two groups.

The Dukes control spirit animals, beings that help them and provide both energy and alliances. For instance our new disciple has a snow lion. Another a white eagle. Each Duke/disciple also draws a weapon from a location where they are all stored, one that is meant just for them.

Various threads run through the film with the different Dukes and disciples as they move through this world and finally into one where they all gather. Trying to figure out which is which and who is good and bad becomes complicated while watching. Some look near identical. Some change alliances in the middle of things making it more confusing.

So let's get down to the real question. Is the film worth taking the time to watch, is it enjoyable? If you're willing to stick with I would say yes. Even though it can be as confusing as I've said, there is still a certain amount of entertainment here to enjoy. The computer animation is great to watch. If you've seen any of the RESIDENT EVIL CGI films then you'll know the style I'm talking about. It still hasn't achieved the ability to replace actual actors but it's working on it.

The action and the fairy tale atmosphere of the film are enjoyable as well. It might not be suitable for some very young children but the movie is for most. The biggest problem they'll face is trying to understand what is going on and staying with it. Children I know would be bored long before the halfway point. Adults will enjoy it though.

Made in China I'm always interested in seeing what foreign cinema has to offer. For that reason alone I can recommend this one. It might not be everyone's bag of chips but it is still interesting to watch.

All I have to say is, people are too harsh on the CGI and even the story. The only part in the story that I have complaints for is the part where the rampant soul beasts storm into Reyes and they all happen to be lizards or scorpions. First-off, they apparently came from under the sea, so that didn't make much sense. I never read the book, but something just doesn't align about that. Other than that, it was a pretty good fantasy movie that left me curious about the original book and wanting to watch part 2 when it comes out. What's up with the priests? Is Yin Chen's lord dead or alive? What happens to Lotus now? I want more! Lastly, I was actually happy that they decided to do this movie pure CGI and with actors, it made the story more immersive and the setting more fantasy. There's some faces I know already, but with the CGI, I was able to forget who is the actor and tap into the character better. With Chinese films of this genre that has no background in any historical or real-life setting, I think I prefer it being this way for lots of reasons. I think it was a good choice and the result was good.