Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Based on the most well-known classical fantasy novel of China, Fengshenyanyi, the trilogy is a magnificent eastern high fantasy epic that recreates the prolonged mythical wars between humans, immortals and monsters, which happened more than three thousand years ago.
Creation of the Gods I is a visually spectacular Chinese epic fantasy that draws on the rich Fengshenyanyi mythology, delivering stunning large-scale battle sequences and creature designs that feel genuinely distinctive in the global fantasy landscape. The cinematography is a clear highlight — grand, immersive, and lavishly produced with impressive practical and digital effects. The novelty is high because Chinese mythological high fantasy of this scale and ambition is rare in mainstream cinema, offering a perspective and visual vocabulary largely unseen in Western blockbusters. The plot, however, suffers from the weight of world-building required to set up a trilogy, making it dense and occasionally convoluted for those unfamiliar with the source material. Acting is competent across the board but uneven, with some performers outshining others. The ending is the weakest element — as an opening chapter of a trilogy, it ends abruptly and incompletely, leaving audiences with an unsatisfying cliffhanger that prioritizes franchise-building over narrative resolution.