Painted Skin: The Resurrection

Blindingly gorgeous to look at and exceptionally well acted, at least by the women.

A vaporous, watered-down frappe of a fantasy epic.

The whole thing can be hard to follow, but the energy (and pulchritude) of the cast make it a perfectly fine bit of popcorn escapism.

More breathy outbursts from wronged lovers and strange pseudo-sexual and homoerotic encounters than a late-night soap opera, matched with a visual style that points to a level of artistry and invention that even western cinema struggles to match.

Embodies a knack the Chinese have perfected in blockbusters, still leaving similar US fare far behind. That is, how to combine the exquisitely crafted imagery of poetic, leisurely paced arthouse elegance, with fast forward blunt action in a movie.

An epic feast for fans of Chinese fairy-tale movies, from the stunning visuals to the surprisingly complex relationships.