Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force (2025)
For a while now, the Chinese film industry has been growing and growing year-over-year. Bigger, better, and more polished, their tentpoles have come a long way in the past decade. China’s “Creation of the Gods” franchise, their attempt at making a big-budget LOTR-like franchise of the stories contained in the mythological “Investiture of the Gods,” is back with its 2nd installment, aptly titled “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force.” Given the iffy quality of the 1st one, does this manage to surpass expectations?
Having a more action-packed narrative than the first, this installment trades in kingly drama for the kind of gorge-your-eyes visual feast you would expect from a modern Chinese mythological film. There’s just the right number of setpieces in this to avoid the trappings of the genre and they all have defining elements to them (giant gets suffocated in mud, nanobug sword, etc) that make them memorable and fun to watch. While the plot can feel a bit on-the-nose at times, it goes without saying that there’s more polish to the character arcs that were solely lacking in the first. The chemistry between the two main leads is sparking, and the gods (Jiang Ziya, Ne Zha and Yang Jian) all feel like they have more of a role in this script than the last go-round. Even with the short turnaround (September 2023 to January 2025), it’s clear the filmmakers put more thought into what direction the story would take, benefitting audiences.
While not perfect, Demon Force’s CGI is more polished and natural than the first, looking more like a big-budget epic than an early 2000s videogame. The backgrounds/landscapes of worlds like Kunlun look bright and colorful, while cities like Xiqi seem to come straight out of medieval China. There are giants, demons, fire chimeras, and a giant blue boss-level godman who may just be the most overpowered entity I’ve seen all year.
Given that a solid chunk of this film is intense battle scenes, the cinematography in “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force” appropriately presents the size and scale of the epic story it looks to tell. I saw this in IMAX, and as a result, everything filled the screen with an unrivaled vibrancy. War scenes are filmed with a wide, overarching lens, while those showcasing human connection are presented with a more genuine viewpoint. Common stuff, but still impressive nonetheless.
Overall, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force has a gall to it that results in a polished big-budget Chinese blockbuster with dedication to source material and enthusiasm, further proving that foreign markets know how to pull audiences’ strings in making crowdpleasers.
6.5/10 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿
Where to Watch: In Theaters (limited 1/31)
