Painted Skin: The Resurrection (2012)

[Zen_Amako]

I watched the US release of this Chinese film over the weekend and I was pleasantly surprised. For one thing, it looks amazing on Blu-ray. The two lead actresses (Zhao Wei and Zhou Xun) and the settings look stunning on this high definition transfer. It's too bad Well Go didn't also give us the 3D version, as the film was screened in 3D in Chinese cinemas. (The 3D version is available as an import from places like YesAsia.)

For those of you who saw 2008's Painted Skin, this one is a marked improvement. (If you didn't see the first film, that's okay, as The Resurrection is a completely new story for the most part.) There are some cheesy parts, and some of the CGI is a bit ropey and obvious, but overall this is a strong entry in the "Chinese fantasy film" genre.

Zhao Wei (from Shaolin Soccer, Red Cliff, Mulan, etc.) gives what I think is her best performance to date as a princess general with a scarred face (caused by what looked like the bear from Pixar's Brave). When a beautiful fox demon (Zhou Xun) offers to swap skins (bodies), the princess agrees, believing the man she loves won't desire her unless she is beautiful.

Favorite line of dialogue:
"Let me eat this heart, and then we'll pick azaleas together."

The BD is currently $14.99 at Best Buy stores and Amazon.

Blu-ray.com review (Jeffrey Kauffman):

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Paint.../53013/#Review

My user review:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Paint...3/#UserReviews