The Yin-Yang Master films

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This past Sunday I wasn’t feeling well so I scrolled Netflix to find something fun to watch.  Landed on The YinYang Master because the story line sounded fantastical and I do love a Chinese mythology movie. Plus swords, swords are so cool.

I really enjoyed the movie. It was fun and heartwarming and the artistry was breathtaking. The story line of a protector who is shunned only to return and save the day was well written and well acted and I will gladly watch it again. The amazing bit of this story is that when it was done, I was offered to watch the next in the collection and I of course immediately worried that I had watched a second film before the first. But oh no. Nope. What happened is what I lovingly call the Hollywood Twin Effect: two eerily similar movies coming out at the same time.

(See:

2011

No Strings Attached & Friends With Benefits

1998 

Antz & A Bugs Life

2013

Olympus Has Fallen & White House Down

2012 

Mirror Mirror & Snow White and The Huntsman

And so on…)

So of course after looking into the two movies I had to watch The Yin-Yang Master: Dreams of Eternity so I could compare and contrast and well, the controversy (see Geek Culture article) around this movie and its director does and does to take away from it.

Firstly, I will admit I enjoyed The YinYang Master more. I think the art and the creativity shown was just better. Plus the relationship between Qing Ming and Bai Ni was so well done. It tugged at my heart and the ending was bittersweet in the best way. Plus, this movie had Red Ghost who was just the cutest thing.

The Yin-Yang Master: Dreams of Eternity did have good things going for it. I liked how Qing Ming and Boya made a great team near the end, how they got over their mistrust to form a solid bond. I loved the end fight. Artistically, Boya as a Spirit Guardian was beautifully done. But, I did also spend the whole movie acknowledging just how similar those portals were to Doctor Strange. It did take me out of the movie a few times.

In the end, both movies are great if all you’re looking for is a fantastical romp. The YinYang Master has more heart and more fantasy but The Yin-Yang Master: Dreams of Eternity is more grounded in humanity. Both are available now on Netflix; in fact they are packaged as a collection.

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