DEMIGOD: THE LEGEND BEGINS

Before he became a formidable warrior, Su Huan-jen was but a lowly scholar, desperate to escape the mountain of suffocating debt he owed to the local librarian. After falling back on his skills as a physician, in particular the ancient art of acupuncture, Huan-jen ekes out a meager living, and is soon propositioned by the ailing Lord of nearby Globe Castle. Eager to sneak a peek at the treasure trove of sacred manuscripts locked away within the castle’s legendary library, Huan-jen agrees to examine the nobleman, only to become embroiled in a violent power play for control of the kingdom. Formidable warriors from the real world and celestial beings from a more powerful, supernatural dimension are soon drawn into an epic battle for supremacy, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. The Taiwanese art of bùdàixì glove puppetry has been a celebrated medium of storytelling since the 17th century, and remains vibrantly realized to this day by the incredible visionaries behind DEMIGOD: THE LEGEND BEGINS. This big-screen spin-off from the hugely popular PILI television series, which has been running in Taiwan since the 1980s, serves as the origin story for one of its most popular characters, Su Huan-jen. Behind the scenes is the Huang family, who have been honing their craft for generations, seamlessly augmenting traditional puppetry with state-of-the-art visual effects to create a ravishingly beautiful and riotously entertaining fantasy adventure that bursts with enough violence, intrigue, magic, and humor to rival the finest swordplay epics this beloved genre has to offer. (JAMES MARSH)