The Legend of Hei 2

jpenobagel★ 9

This movie is the definition of an underrated gem. The Legend of Hei 2 came out in the same year as heavy-hitters like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc, but imo it flies higher than either of those two movies. This movie and the first Legend of Hei movie are prequels to an animated web series that features the same characters and world setting. But I don't think you need to watch any of those other entries to understand and enjoy this movie (though there are definitely cameos and callbacks). It does a great job at gradually introducing you to the worldand characters. And I feel like that's really what this movie is great at. The first movie was more intimate in scope, focusing on the two main characters Xiaohei and Wuxian. In this second movie, the scope of the world is widened quite a bit and introduces many new characters. The social and political conflict from the first movie are also expanded on to have a larger scale. What you end up with is an interesting and fleshed-out world that feels very easy for the audience to get immersed in. Character personalities and motivations start off charming and simple, but their depth builds up throughout the course of the movie as you see how they interact and handle moral dilemmas. There is an almost Avatar: The Last Airbender type of feeling to it. The action and animation in this movie is top-notch stuff. The time and effort spent during its long six-year production period results in some of the best animation I've seen in recent years. It uses CG and posteffects with a refined touch so that the 2D animation still shines through rather than feeling overly processed. Action scenes are full of creative push-and-pulls and there are all these small details in the animation that gives a sense of realism to the characters and environments. I would also say the musical score is quite good and fitting for the moments in this movie, but the visuals are just such high-caliber that they overtake everything else. Now the reason I don't give this a 10/10 is because the major reveal towards the end of the movie doesn't feel very earned or satisfying. I wish it had been fleshed out a bit more for the audience. But fortunately, it's just a small stumble in a final half that has some truly epic battles and a poignant epilogue that also features a surprisingly realistic and grounded depiction of trauma. This is a movie with a lot of heart in it and it shows through every facet of the production. It's a shame that it seems like this movie didn't get much traction outside of China. But I would say Legend of Hei 2 deserves a spot on people's "must-watch" list and I hope there will be more of this series in the future.

eksratu★ 10

This movie reminds me of The Last Wish, a 2022 film that came out of nowhere, the sequel to a decade-old spin-off of an existing franchise. I remember being shocked by the personal poignance and visual innovation of The Last Wish, in spite of its origins. I never expected anything related to Shrek—or its obvious cash-grab spin-off, Puss in Boots (2011)—to be moving or beautiful in those ways. Xiaohei 2 is itself the sequel to an origin-story movie about a character from a kids show. I’m not terribly familiar with the original show, nor did I think too highly of the first film from 2019. Whilethe show and the first film both looked great, this sequel blindsided me with its painstakingly rendered combat choreography, striking character designs, and nuanced exploration of different perspectives on war. The film doesn’t ultimately privilege any single viewpoint. Instead, it leaves them all on the table, along with the sinking feeling that nobody really comes away from war completely whole. I also appreciated the film's focus on characters taking action for themselves. Despite the intricate world and fairly detailed character backstories, Xiaohei 2 tightly limits exposition, trusting the audience to piece things together and understand how the more fantastical elements fit into the larger puzzle without being explicitly told how everything works. That approach left the film's characters with a lot of runtime to express their agency through direct action. I consider myself fairly picky when it comes to movies and shows. I primarily watch animated media over live action stuff, and even then, I tend to find plenty to critique. Xiaohei 2, however, drew me in completely. Even without any prior emotional connection to its characters or world, I quickly found myself immersed, and the ideas it explores continue to linger in my mind. I highly recommend giving it a watch.