Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms is the first part of a planned trilogy of films (all of which were filmed at the same time) from director Wuershan (Mojin: The Lost Legend). The trilogy is based on the 16th-century Chinese novel The Investiture of the Gods and King Zhou’s Attack of the Shang. It follows the decline of the Shang dynasty/rise of the Zhou dynasty in China around 1046 BC, and mixes in fantastical elements of Chinese mythology and folklore.
As the film opens, we learn that when the gods created the world, they also left behind a sacred artifact called the Fengshen Bang. This scroll—which is guarded by the Immortals living on Mount Kunlun—contains the power to save the world, but can only be opened by the King of All Realms. Many generations have long considered the Shang dynasty monarch, currently King Yi, to be this King of All Realms. However, when Su Hu, Lord of Jizhou, refuses to acknowledge this, the king sends his second son, Yin Shou (Kris Phillips, The Monkey King 2) and his army to stamp out the rebellion. Upon Yin Shou’s return, the emperor is murdered, causing The Great Curse to befall the Shang dynasty. This curse will cause the world to fall into chaos, before all life is extinguished. The newly self-proclaimed King Shou announces that he will ritualistically sacrifice himself in order to placate the gods, and begins production on a massive pyre. However, King Shou brought back an evil spirit with him from the battlefield in the form of a beautiful young woman, and she bewitches and seduces him. There’s also alchemist/demon in disguise Shen Gongbao (Yu Xia, The Wandering Earth II) who tempts him with evil thoughts of power. King Shou’s son, prince Yin Jiao (Chen Muchi) senses that something is wrong with his father, and even winesses a fox demon enter his father’s chambers. However, his guard/friend Ji Fa (Yu Shi, Born to Fly), remains loyal to his commander, Yin Shou, and refuses to believe that he is anything but a great man.
Meanwhile, on Mount Kunlun, monk Jiang Ziya (Huang Bo, (Journey to the West) volunteers to give up his immortality and powers to deliver the Fengshen Bang scroll to the King of All Realms so that he can use it to lift the curse. He is joined on his quest by Immortals Nezha (Yafan Wu) and Yang Jian (Ci Sha). However, when they arrive in Zhaoge to greet the king, they discover that he has been corrupted and has become a tyrant. They decide that he should not be given this power to wield, and try to leave. But now that King Shou knows what the scroll can do, he desperately wants it and will stop at nothing to get it. Jiang Ziya must prevent the scroll from falling into his hands, but without any powers, he’s going to need some help.
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms is quite the epic spectacle and visual delight. As the film opens we witness a massive battle between two armies across snowy and ice-covered terrain. But these aren’t modern times—these soldiers are on horseback using swords, catapults and flaming arrows. For me, the scene evoked memories of Game of Thrones‘ Battle for the Wall. And much like Game of Thrones, the film has many fantastical elements and creatures, and sudden and surprising deaths. No one feels safe in this world where allegiances can turn on a dime (or whatever currency they use).
While this story and its characters may be familiar to Eastern audiences, I suspect it is not the case for most Westerners. A big epic Chinese mythology story like this can be a bit daunting at first, especially as each new character is rapidly introduced with their name and title appearing beside them on the screen. There are dozens of characters just in the first 30 minutes, and you’re not sure who is important and who isn’t, and which names you need to remember. It feels like maybe this is partially done on purpose as the viewer may not be aware who is going to survive and who will become a larger part of the story. But if you’re not trying to keep track of all these names for purposes of a review, I think you can just sit back and enjoy watching everything play out. Only a small number of these characters actually end up being important.
In some ways the film felt a bit like Star Wars crossed with Game of Thrones, where we are seeing this corruption of power and the rise of a potential hero to save this world. Characters who seem unimportant at first become a major part of the story, while others get killed off early on. Even though the film is almost two and a half hours, things move rather quickly, and there are a lot of twists and turns to the story to keep you interested. It’s hard to believe there are two more films as Part I is already quite epic in scope. This first installment feels like it tells a somewhat complete story arc, but also sets things up for the next film, and gives viewers a teaser in mid/post-credits scenes.
Well Go’s Blu-ray looks and sounds amazing. The film is filled with massive set pieces, large crowds and battle scenes, and fantastical elements, but the digital and practical effects blend seamlessly. The picture looks crystal clear and pristine. Colors are rich and beautiful, and there is an excellent level of detail throughout. I can’t imagine this film looking any better. The Blu-ray offers the movie in both its original Mandarin as well as in a new English dub. I watched with the English dub and found it to be really well acted. The spoken dialogue is pretty much identical to the English subtitles, with just a few exceptions. The audio track makes excellent use of the stereo and surround sound to give the movie an immersive feel and bring the action to life. Extra care has been given to the dubbed dialogue to make it feel like it wasn’t just an afterthought, such as echoes as a soldier calls across the battlefield.
The Blu-ray disc comes packed in a locking HD keepcase. There is no digital copy, but our review copy did include a nice cardboard slipcover. The disc also contains over 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes.
What’s Included:
Film: (2:28:20)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Audio: Mandarin 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Mandarin Stereo, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Stereo
- Subtitles: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French
Extras:
- Behind The Scenes
In this four-part making-of featurette, the filmmakers discuss preparing to take on the epic task of filming all three parts of this trilogy together, and how they set out to maintain a classic Chinese aesthetic in the designs, locations & sets, used practical and digital effects to create the film’s epic scale, the various lighting techniques deployed, and more. Includes concept artwork, camera tests, motion capture, previs & behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Wuershan, concept designer Siji & XuTianHua, concept design sculptor HuJiang, concept design painter LiZhenNi, special effects director XiaoJin, producer DuYang, art directors YeJinTian, ZhangCheng & QiuSheng, scenery art DaShu, visual effects supervisors Douglas Hans Smith & Tiffany Wu, previs Supervisor Gavin Boyle, on set visual effects supervisor Jeremy Ball, co-visual effects supervisor Josh Brayer, actor HanPengYi, character concept designer LiYunZhong, sreenwriter RanJiaNan, cinematographer Wang Yu, lighting team leader Hao Feng, publisher Sun Ye, and key grip ZhangYunTong. Primarily presented in Mandarin with English subtitles. Select From:- The Makeup (7:24)
- Art Design (6:37)
- Special Effects (11:39)
- Onset Lighting (5:10)
- Trailer (2:28)
- Previews
- Alienoid: Return to the Future (1:02)
- Born To Fly (1:57)
- Polar Rescue (1:50)
Final Thoughts:
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms may be a bit daunting at first, with so many characters and connections rapidly introduced, but the story plays out in an exciting and unexpected way, and the characters are given a chance to grow and evolve. The film is an epic feast for the eyes, with some amazing effects, beautiful locales, and massive scale. This film definitely warrants multiple viewings. This is the first part of a trilogy, but tells a complete story while also setting things up for the next installment. It finds an entertaining blend of action, fantasy, humor and intrigue, and I look forward to seeing Part II. Well Go’s Blu-ray looks and sounds excellent, and even includes some interesting bonus material. The release comes recommended for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy epic.
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms BLU-RAY
$14.99 $14.98 (as of October 31, 2024 08:19 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms DVD
$12.96 (as of October 31, 2024 08:19 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
