Zhou Xun returns as the illustriously desirable fox spirit Xiao Wei in Painted Skin The Resurrection. 500 years have passed since the conclusion of the original feature, and for the entirety of that time, Xaio Wei has been condemned to an icy grave, for saving the life of the man she loved, and that of his paramour. According to demon lore, there can be no greater heresy. Que'er (Mi Yang), a cute bird demon, finds herself captivated by Xiao Wei's beauty, and releases her from the prison, remaining by her side as a loyal and faithful accomplice.This freedom though is only temporary, for wherever Xiao Wei goes, the frozen grave accompanies her, ready to swallow her whole once more. By sheer coincidence, both demons happen upon Princess Jing (Zhao Wei), who has fled the palace in order to escape the marriage that has been arranged between her and the Tianlang prince, a man she can never love.Wearing a golden mask across half her face, which was once disfigured during an attack, Princess Jing intends to ride for the White City, in order to meet General Huo Xin (Chen Kun), the man who once protected her. Unable to escape her feelings for him, she wishes to discover if the romantic connection is mutually shared. Princess Jing's heart, although belonging to the General, becomes Xiao Wei's prize, its power been able to stopper the icy prison from ever containing her again.With an approaching eclipse, it is during this time that demons can swap bodies with humans, but only if a heart is offered willingly, and Xiao Wei, who desperately wishes to become human, will do almost anything to win it. But is she really as cold as the prison pursuing her, or has she herself softened? The prison however is not the only threat, for a demon hunter, Pang Lang (Feng Shaofeng) is present in the city, and though incompetent, he is certainly no fool to the magic that she wields.Visually, Painted Skin The Resurrection is perfect. The costumes are gorgeously decorated, while the effects are reminiscent of a dream sequence, as are the fights, which are epically choreographed. You can't help but gasp in awe at many of the scenes, which serenade the eyes with their outstanding execution.Occasionally however, the sheer potency, not to mention the frequency of the effects, feel unnecessary in contrast with the original, and though live action and computer generated scenes are bound together over the duration of the film, sometimes the story could have been conveyed just as passionately, without the continuous use of these features.Moreover, the accompanying musical score continuously sets the mood, regardless of whether it is a sweeping romantic melody played beside a scene of desirous passion, or brazen percussion during a fight sequence. The acting is superb, and provides a deep emotional connection between both characters and the viewer, the emotion, whether it be pain or happiness, been flawlessly presented, while the script, much like the original, is beautifully poetic.Over the course of the feature, a potential complaint could be that the movie runs for too long. Perhaps, but by the time the beautiful conclusion makes its way across the screen, you will more than likely be glad that you took the time to watch this magnificent gem. Neither better nor worse than the original, Painted Skin The Resurrection is as equally magnificent as the first, and fabulously concludes, what has to be, two of the best films made this century.

I wasn't expecting much from this movie. But it surprised me. The story (already well documented on this site) was not overly complex yet it did have some deeper themes about sacrifice, being enraptured by physical beauty and yet being hollow inside. The hardest thing for me was that Princess Ying (Vicky Zhao) was supposed to be depressed about her facial scars - hidden by her golden mask. But I find her to be extremely attractive so to imagine her as some horrible ugly thing was hard to swallow. Even when she reveals her mask the scars don't look all that bad. Actually all three main actresses were very attractive and did very well in their respective roles. The only minor complaint would be the wooden performance by the actor portraying the general. He livens up towards the end so I guess I'll give him a pass.8/10

Life has been good but at times it gets to be mundane, and boring. So I need to escape from reality and get lost in another world. Many films, such as 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'Kwaidan', offer me a channel to another world for a couple of hours. 'Painted Skin II' does an equally good job in this regard with its dose of fox demons (the good kind), a princess and warriors.I watched the film on a BluRay disc. The colour, the imagery, the landscape, the costumes, the feminine sexuality - all visually stunning and often poetic. There are also two love stories in there too, and these are no conventional love stories - they are the very complicated kind. The action sequences, often done in slow-mo, are satisfying. Acting is great, especially by the two leading ladies. This film offers all I need from a fantasy story.It appears that not many in the North America are aware of this film or have seen it. That is indeed a pity. I hope director Wuershan will move on to do Painted Skin III. Something I very much would look forward to.

Painted Skin: The Resurrection plot is better left not summarize into a simple a sentence.It's an experience that requires the audience to suspend all disbelief in order to enjoy it. It contains an interesting lore on demons, a captivating love story involving demons, and enough set pieces to ravel any major blockbuster. What makes this romance story interesting as it unfold is how it shot. Breathtaking photography is always on screen making one visually mesmerizing experience. The attention to detail on the sets as well the costumes are worth noting. It helped me become immerse in the movie in such way I was taken out of my reality. The special effects are well done and it's nice to see CG not used as a mean for explosions or giant robots. The acting is spotless from all of it actors. I particularly enjoyed Xun Zhou who manages to be seductive as a demon without resorting to nudity. I do have a minor complain about some of the actors being underused. My favorite being the very funny Ming Yang who didn't have a major role in the movie, but that's just a small complaint. The great production values and effort put into this film far outweighs any negatives one would have with this fantasy film. Painted Skin: The Resurrection is an interesting as a romance story can get in the fantasy genre. It offers beautiful visuals to go along with an great plot that will have anyone hook on it.