A seamless blend of high fantasy, political intrigue, and traditional mythology, Kingdom of Storms, the first entry in the Creation of the Goods trilogy, heralds the welcome return of action-helmer Wuershan, the Mongol born director who has gearnered that rare synergy between box-office and fandom to prove himself one of China’s truest blockbuster auteurs.
Based on the classical fantasy novel Fengshen Yanyi, first published sometime in the 1550s during China’s Ming Dynasty, the acclaimed tome, under Wuershans singular vision, has received an adaptation comparable to Peter Jackson’s masterful execution of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, imbuing a beloved, yet dated narrative with a contemporary depth of complexity and a visual splendour that is nothing short of arresting on the big screen. In fact, The Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms delivers Wuershan his most grand narrative yet, both in terms of storytelling and cinematic spectacle.
Essentially, Kingdom of Storms is the opening chapter of an epic trilogy, designed to introduce audiences to key players of China’s Shang Dynasty, including the supernatural influences quietly corrupting the political elites, to the agents of Heaven forced to intercede with the help of mortals fighting forces they barely comprehend. And while film does deliver a satisfying number of mythological players and ethereal special effects, Wuershan manages to ground his first chapter in a very human world imbued with cruelty and Machiavellian twists, forging an effective breach for his audiences to enter, and indeed loose themselves, within his lavish world-building. An attribute further enhanced by several committed performances from an impressive cast, lead in part by Fei Xiang, who portrays King Zhou, the narcissistic head of the Shang Dynasty and deadly puppet of a manipulative Fox Demon.
But while the political and personal intrigues centre the high fantasy of Kingdom of Storms, the film in no way neglects its scope in terms of battle choreography and sprawling detailed sets, with tightly controlled ambition reminiscent of the grandeur seen in Game of Thrones most memorable battle sequences and the real-world tactility that harkens back to Lord of the Rings military hardware, costumes and amour. All of which is given further gravity on screen thanks to a stella score from Gordy Haab, best known for his work on the Star Wars Jedi gaming franchise.
Creation of Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms is a worthy first chapter, managing to stand on its own as a cinematic spectacle. Without a doubt, the two and half hour run time allows for a few missteps with inconsistent CGI, certain scenes succumbing to a telenovela vibe and the film’s McGuffin, a celestial artefact destined to end a great curse, oddly sidelined with little fanfare. However, none of these elements detract from what is otherwise a fun, darkly hued, raucous cinematic adventure. An adventure which, as hinted at by two mid-credit scenes, should stand as a solid foundation to the far darker chapters that the original novel promises to deliver with its climatic war between the forces of mortal humans, Gods and so many monsters.
