Painted Skin 2: The Resurrection is a Visual Feast to the Eyes

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It has been a very long time since I have a strong urge to watch a movie in theater and right now I wish I can just fly to China to watch Painted Skin II: The Resurrection on the big screen. Currently breaking box-office records, this fantasy epic about a fox demon trading "skin" or body with a disfigured princess is drawing massive viewership and earning accolades for its cinematic achievements.

It's okay if you haven't watched the original Painted Skin or know anything about the original. The original and this sequel have an independent story of its own and are only connected through the fox demon character.  The plot of this movie is loosely based on a short story from a classic Chinese novel written by a 18th century scholar, Pu Songling, called Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio or Liaozhai Ziyi.

To be honest, I'm attracted to Painted Skin II more for its projected visual beauty and Vicki Zhao's performance than for its plot development. I heard Vicki Zhao's acting has supposedly reached new heights. One of the most crippling criticisms I read about the movie is the cliche and weak plot. Despite these flaws, I can already tell the movie is a great feast to the eyes with beautiful golden armory and breathtaking scenery just from watching the official MV. I remember reading about the production team traveling to the Tibetan Plateau to shoot this movie. Now just shooting in Tibet earns big brownie points for me because I'm a huge fan of the ruggedly raw and heavenly pristine mountainous landscape of Tibet. 

Too bad YouTube doesn't have a high resolution of this MV yet. You can also check out the link below for a slightly higher resolution video.
Link: http://www.yinyuetai.com/video/447414

In Painted Skin I, Zhou Xun's fox demon costumes and hairstyles were more of the highlight of the movie. In the sequel, Vicki Zhao's screen presence as the dashing Princess Jing clad in golden armory definitely steals your attention away. She looks fabulously gorgeous and emotes an infectious feminine warrior charm.

 
Official Trailer

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