I have a younger brother. We tend to live out lives on opposite schedule's so when we get a chance to chill we tend to maximize our time. After talking about what's been going on we decided to watch a movie. I only had two rules, nothing too serious, and something under 90 minutes. He came back with The Sorcerer and the White Snake. There will be a spoiler alert below.
A master monk tries to protect a naive young physician from a thousand-year-old snake demon. A contest of psychic powers results in mayhem.
Summary
The first scene of this movie is how I thought The Last Airbender was going to be throughout. Magnificent battle scenes using magic while flying through the air. We introduced to a monk --Abott Fahai (Jet Li)-- and his assistant-- Xu Xian (Raymond Lam)-- and what it is they do. They capture demons who harm/would harm humans.
Next we meet a green snake and a white snake. They take the form of a woman's head and torso and a long flowing snake body. They are playing on there own in a forest when they take a moment to rest on a cliff and see some humans digging for herbs.The green snake knocks a man into a river and the white snake transforms into a human to dive down and rescue him.
The white snake is smitten with this herbalist, and her and the green snake go to celebration in town to seek him out. He is there but so are the two monks seeking out another demon. The White Snake manages to get time with the herbalist and reminds him of who she his. She only is in human form with him and thus he never really knows her true identity. During this time the Green Snake and the young monk talk a bit and joke, but then the monk has to get down to business. He goes to fight a bat demon. He successfully kills the minions, but the demon grabs him and bites him, forcing him to call of the help of his master.
The next morning the young monk wakes to learn he his transforming into a bat demon himself. Abbot Fahai knows of his plight, but let's him go off on his own.
From here it gets a bit boring. A lot of plot that doesn't necessarily advance the storyline. One thing of note is that the Abbot Fahai visits the herbalist about a village that is falling ill. The herbalist pledges to try to find a blend of medicine that will help the villagers. The White Snake hear's this and sets out to help her now husband. She uses her life source force in the blend. This helps the village, but she is weakened.
When the Abbot goes to the village to see the recovery of the people he immediately knows that magic is involved. He gives the herbalist a special knife and tells him to be careful. He then warns the White Snake off and tells her to leave. Despite her doing good, she is still a demon and must leave, before he makes her do so.
That night see goes home and her husband unknowingly poisons her with a traditional wine that wards off snake bites. The Abbot and his disciples then use magic to capture her in the house. Weakened she forms into her true snake form. Her husband, not knowing it's her stabs her with the knife given to him.
There long is strong and a back and forth ensues, with them trying to save each.
Thoughts
The movie came off as a spoof. I don't think that was intended, however, the first half of the movie seemed to be like Kung Fu Hustle.
I'm not sure if it's how the movie was written or the editing, but the movie had such a staccato pattern. Jumping from idea to idea and adding attributes to the story that were unnecessary. The movie was right around the 90 minute mark, but it could have easily been shorter, if the story had been tighter.
Given personal experience, this movie spoke to me on a difference level. It seems to be kind of a commentary on interracial relationships. Mainly the intolerance for them. Abbot Fahai is a conservative traditionalist, and refuses to believe that the relationship between the herbalist and the White Snake, could ever work. He bases this belief on those demons what have done the world wrong, however, if the White Snake's friends (woodland creatures who can talk) are anything to go by, demons are all around the world, and don't seek to trouble others. Yes there are those who do, but that can be said for the humans as well. There is never a real resolution to this. It seems that humans and demons can live side by side, but the idea of loving each other is still taboo.
The problem with this may stem from the word demon. Such a harsh word, in encompassing those things that are born magical and different.
Spoiler Alert
The herbalist goes to the monks temple to get a special root that will save her. He finds it but a bunch of demons enter his body. A mouse demon take the root to the White Snake. The monks try to restore the herbalist. The White Snake, now recovered, comes to get her love. The monks won't let her, since they are doing a ritual that can't be interrupted. She becomes an even larger snake and her and the Green Snake wreak havoc on the village where the monks live. The herbalist is free from the trance, but doesn't remember her at all. Furious, the White Snake seeks vengeance on the Abbot. The Abbott beats her and seals her into a temple. Realizes the trouble she has caused she asks Buddha forgiveness and the chance to see her husband once more. This chance is granted to her. She kisses him and he remembers her. She then this pulled back into her tower, where she is sentenced to be for the next 1000 years. The herbalist, makes a new home outside her temple.
The movie ends with the Abbot and his young assist (that turned into a demon) finding a way to live in peace and help each other.
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