Starring: Jet Li, Shengyi Huang, Raymond Lam
Director: Siu-Tung Ching
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Run Time: 93 minutes
Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
When I see the name Jet Li, I don’t even think twice. His martial arts films like “Hero” and “Flying Swords of Dragon Gate” are absolutely breathtaking. With a title like “The Sorcerer and the White Snake” it also sounds like it will be a blast but I was left really disappointed. I don’t think I would ever say this but there is a thing as too much CGI. The film really relies on this too much and less on the story, which makes it feel very repetitive and boring. Don’t get me wrong now since the fight choreography is quite visually amazing but it can’t save this otherwise dull film.
Official Premise: Jet Li stars as a sorcerer monk in this epic special effects fantasy film based on the Chinese legend, “Madame White Snake,”. The story centers around a man who falls in love with a thousand-year-old white snake disguised as a woman. Discovering the white snake’s true identity, the sorcerer goes to battle believing that in so doing, he is restoring balance and order between man and the supernatural.
The Blu-ray presentation from Magnolia is good but lacking some depth. The film was originally presented in 3D and this Blu-ray release does not include the 3D version of the film. I do not think this would have made me LOVE the film but I feel that it definitely would have wowed me a bit more. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track comes with both a Mandarin and English track. I prefer the original language over the dub. Since the film is 75% action and fighting, the audio track does deliver in that department for sure.
The special features give this release a bit hope. There are two “Behind the Scenes” featurettes. The first is focused on the “Fighting, Stunts & Laughs” with Jet Li. It focuses on the many fight sequences and stunt work. The second is “Visual Effects and Production Design”, my favorite, takes us through the look and feel of the effects in the film. The last one is “Beauties and the Beasts”, looks into the various creatures featured. All three together give a nice round look at the production from all the important parts that I would want to learn more about. Lastly there is a “AXS TV: A Look at The Sorcerer and the White Snake” and a Theatrical Trailer included.
