The Empire Strikes Again
It’s rare for franchise to go 2-for-2, but Wuershan sets up all the pieces and readies the table for a truly epic final chapter.
Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force
Director: Wuershan • Writers: Cao Sheng, Wuershan, based on the book by Xu Zhongling
Starring: Yu Shi, Huang Bo, Chen Muchi, Nashi, Kris Phillips, Narana Erdyneeva, Wu Yafan, Ci Sha
China • 2hrs 25mins
Opens Hong Kong Jan 29 • IIB
Grade: A-
You know what’s weird? Despite coming out in 2023 it feels like Wuershan’s Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms came out about a million years ago – and I’m talking Bad Boys II and Bad Boys for Life years. I’m not sure why that is, or why the same gap between, say, F9 and Fast X seemed much shorter. Best guess? Vin Diesel endlessly prattling on about family on Instagram and shit, and so none of us having a chance to purge our brains. Plus when you’re looking forward to something it always seems to take ages. Whatever the case, when I sat down for part two of Wuershan’s projected three-part adaptation of Xu Zhonglin’s 16th century fantasy Investiture of the Gods my first thought was: “Shit, am I going to remember part one? Should I have re-watched?” Well, don’t fret over any of that if you are, because Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force | 封神第二部：戰火西岐 not only doubles down on the crazy from the first film, it does much of it better, with more assured direction and storytelling, excellent VFX work, a couple of new, totally boss characters and a tight script that welcomes all comers. For returning guests Cao Sheng and Wuershan’s script effortlessly drops you back into the action without any “Who dat?” glitches and without the need for a bloated recap. Didn’t even see the first one? Doesn’t matter, because Demon Force is an enjoyable, complete story on its own (looking at you Squid Game season two) and also: what’s your problem?
Trouble in paradise
If you still want that recap: Shang king Yin Shou (Taiwanese actor Fei Xiang, AKA Kris Phillips AKA Chinese James Brolin) and his fox demon lover Daji (Mongolian-Russian model Narana Erdyneeva) plotted to eliminate any threats to his march towards Ruler of All Realms status, including making sure his son, the Crown Prince Yin Jiao (Chen Muchi) is dead. Realising Shou is a corrupt tyrant, sort of a nob Ji Fa (Yu Shi) and a cabal of rebels that includes the Kunlun monk guarding the sacred Fengshen Bang Shou wants, Jiang Ziya (Huang Bo), and immortals Nezha (Wu Yafan) and Yang Jian (Ci Sha) turn “traitor” and refuse to continue warring with Xiqi. Shang military genius Wen Zhong (Wu Xingguo) comes back to Chaoge with giants, the Mo brothers, and Nezha and Yang Jian wisk the dead body of Yin Jiao off to the celestial gods.
We pick up with Wen retiring and his second in command, the badass general Deng Chanyu (Nashi, awesome) offering to continue the war in his place and go raze Xiqi to the ground at Shou’s request. Meanwhile, Yin Jiao is super-pissed about his murder and sucks up all of grand master Yuanshi Tianzun’s (Chen Kun) powers and vows revenge on his father. But Shou is withering away from multiple injuries, at least until Daji casts a spell to fix him up. Elsewhere, Shou’s nefarious god whisperer Shen Gongbao (Xia Yu) is still looking for the precious Fengshen Bang and is conjuring an army of darkness to help him get it. Primary colour giants? Flaming war horses? A zombie army? Shirtless dudes in the river clinging to a bridge and singing songs? Yes, please. Some of this unfolds in the not one, not two, but three credits sequences that nonetheless set the board for the final chapter. It’s going to be bananas in the best way possible.
Demon Force gets off to a tiny bit slower start than Kingdom of Storms, admittedly most of that due to perception. The first film came as such a surprise – and with a flurry of exposition for those note weaned on the classic book – it felt like a non-stop barrage of stuff. This time around we (probably) know what’s going on and so Wuershan takes his time introducing key players and setting up key dynamics. Most of the story this time pivots on Deng and her relentless pursuit of Ji Fa – who is now leader of Xiqi – at the behest of Shou and Wen. Deng DGAF about much else and she’s all the more gorgeous for it. Deng is that most essential character of fantasy storytelling, Eastern and Western, the one that’s good, no she’s bad! Wait, she’s good, and so on. Deng did appear in Kingdom, but she has a much larger role here, and Nashi makes the archetype so appealing it doesn’t matter that she’s an archetype. It helps a great deal that Cao and Wuershan keep her faithful to who she is to the very last frame. On the downside there’s less of Shou and Daji’s horny antics, but plenty of Wen Zhong and his third eye – no shit, he’s got an eye in his forehead – and some very creative mystical warfare. There’s also a legit horrifying attack on Xiqi civilians that feels like something lifted from the news.
So far, Creation of the Gods is easily the best Chinese folk fantasy romp series since Tsui Hark was peaking in the 1980s and ’90s, and Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force has the franchise batting a thousand so far. It’s not perfect; our hero Yu falls on the dull side, especially when stacked beside almost everyone else in the cast, and story belongs in the story, not in the credits. Those are fairly minor gripes. We can only wait with bated breath to see if Wuershan can stick the landing. Peter Jackson mostly pulled it off. No reason Wuershan – with heavy FX hitters Day for Nite, Tippett Studio and Digital Domain among others, this cast and Barrie Osborne on his side – can’t too when Creation Under Heaven (as it’s called right now) finally lands. So is it out yet? How about now? …Now?