This video compilation contains full-length Chinese fantasy movies with English subtitles that can be found on Youtube. I picked titles that I feel have better storylines and acting.
Introduction
There are many low-budget commercial motion pictures produced by China in recent years. The typical genres include period fantasy, period detective or martial arts 武侠 (wuxia) movies. The quality of the storyline, acting, and special effects vary greatly but they are quite entertaining and do not tax the brain too much. I have watched my fair share and would like to share the ones I found entertaining and have better quality.
There are currently 12 fantasy movies in this list. I will add more when I find them.
Quick Links
Magic Town 麒麟幻镇
Magic Town was released on iQiyi Channel on 21 Jan 2021. It has a rating of 8.4 at iQiyi and is rated PG 13.
Magic Town has an interesting story. A family in the town was massacred, and it seemed that an evil spirit wanted the lives of the extended family members as well. The female constable appealed to her fiancé for help. He is a divination master. He was reluctant at first but agreed to help in the end. I enjoyed it. It is also a romantic comedy with some interesting scenes. The ending was a delightful surprise. You have to watch till the end to know why the movie is called Magic Town.
The availability of the full-length movie on Youtube is not guaranteed. Watch it with a subscription to iQiyi – 麒麟幻镇-电影-完整版视频在线观看-爱奇艺 (iqiyi.com)
Soul of Blades 狂刀
Soul of Blades is released in China in 2020.
The story is about how a poor beggar boy become a confident swordsman with the help of his adoptive father and a famous blade. I thought the soul of blades refers to the boy but I was wrong.
I had no expectations for this movie but was pleasantly surprised at the end.
Tai Chi Master 张三丰
Released on 22 Jan 2022.
This is an alternate origin story regarding Zhang San Feng 张三丰, the founder of Tai Chi. Zhang was a real historical figure that had been used in fictional works for years. Unlike many that merely use the name to garner eyeballs, this movie made an admirable attempt.
I thought the male lead is a tad old for the role, but he won me over with his acting. The female lead is competent. The fight scenes are good, too. What I didn’t like was the introduction of a giant centipede. The CGI work is terrible and it wasn’t necessary for the story to work.
The availability of the full-length movie on Youtube is not guaranteed. Watch it with a subscription to iQiyi – 张三丰-电影-完整版视频在线观看-爱奇艺 (iqiyi.com)
Thousand Faces of Dunjia 奇门遁甲
Fantasy Magician is great fun to watch. The storyline is predictable. A young man was swept into a plot to break a magical seal imprisoning an evil spirit for 800 years. He had to learn some important lessons before he could defeat it.
Although the storyline is predictable, the setup and acting compensated for it. The special effects are also above average.
Thousand Faces of Dunjia 2 奇门遁甲II
This is a sequel with some characters from the first movie appearing here. The 2 main leads are different though.
The beginning of the movie resembles a horror movie, which isn’t my favourite genre. Fortunately, the rest of the movie isn’t that scary. The storyline is engaging although the twist was dragged a tad too long. Excellent acting by the male lead made up for other weaknesses in the film.
Master Mao Shan 茅山大师
Another coming-of-age story. The storyline reminded me of Happy Feet. The main protagonist has a peculiar body feature that caused him to be ridiculed. The video below is a combination of 3 movies featuring the same male lead: Master Mao Shan being the first.
River God: Strange Tales 河神：诡水怪谈
I thought River God refers to the young man with great swimming abilities, but I could be wrong. There is another character in the movie that fits the claim better. There is a lot going on in this movie. Strange things and unexplained murders were rumoured to be the works of a powerful evil wizard. The young man sets out with his friends to uncover the truth.
Although the general theme of the movie is not new, the elements used in the movie are refreshing to me. It was dark but not menacing. The chemistry between the characters makes the movie highly watchable.
The Exorcist 驱魔大师
The senior lead 钱小豪 is a well-known Hong Kong action movie actor in his youth. Good to see that he is well and still making movies.
Although this film shares the same name as the famous American film, it is not a horror film. This one is highly watchable, with a good plot and competent acting all around. The special effects are also well done.
The Warrior from the Sky 神墓
The storyline reminds me of the Lords of the Rings. Epic battles amongst fantastic beings. An admirable effort with the limited budget.
Phoenix Island Alien 凤凰岛异种
The storyline reminds me of The Island of Dr. Moreau. Trust the Chinese to try to incorporate fantasy elements into the film.
Gods of Doors 门神
This film is a light-hearted origin story about how two generals from the Tang Dynasty became known as the Gods of Doors. I am not sure how true this is. Probably not.
Gods of Doors are 2 Chinese deities that are supposed to protect houses and the people living in them. Their images or pictures are pasted on the outside of main doors to ward off evil spirits.
Forbidden Zone 遮天禁区
This movie is apparently the live action version of an animated series.
The plot starts out fairly predictable. A group of people venturing into a dangerous island in the sky in pursuit of a divine object that can turn the owner into deity. The storyline turned interesting nearing the end.
Good acting and special effects. An enjoyable viewing experience.
We have come to the end of this list. I hope you learnt something new today.
Have a fantastic day!
