Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force

4 stars

It’s always been my feeling that sequels should be able to stand on their own and that people should be able to enjoy a movie – any movie – without having to do homework. Watching Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force made me rethink that belief, or maybe just tweak it a bit, because while the second film in this series from director Wuershan can undoubtedly be enjoyed by anyone, the emotional resonance one feels watching this beautiful and exciting saga deepens tenfold when you know what happened in the 2023 original, Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms. By the reactions of the people surrounding me in a near-capacity IMAX theater watching the film, I’d say I’m not alone in that opinion. The way Wuershan and the hundreds of people who worked on the film, in front of and behind the camera, thank fans near the end of the credits (right before the fantastic three extra scenes) emphasizes that the feeling for this story, these characters and the people who love them is mutual.

Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force continues the epic battle between the forces of good and evil as they fight for control of the Fengshen Bang, a mystical gift from the gods that can bring light to the land and defeat the Shang Dynasty’s dark forces. The first film explains this in more depth, but that’s the essential information to set the stage for watching part 2. 

Visually, especially when projected on the larger-than-life IMAX screen, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force draws audiences in with eye-popping effects. These range from spectacular battle scenes featuring a quartet of mighty, magical giants to more intimate yet equally stunning moments like those shared by King Yin Shou (Fei Xiang), the dying leader of the Shand clan, and his demon lover, Daji (Narana Erdyneeva). While he delights in creating the film’s mythical world and creatures, Wuershan is careful not to let the look of the film overpower the human story at its core, the love/hate relationship between Ji Fa (Yu Shi), defender of the good, and Deng Chanyu (Nashi), the female general of the Shany army. The two share many thrilling battle scenes in the movies, leading their troops and one-on-one, but watching their defenses gradually break down from the power of their growing mutual attraction is the heart of it all. Wuershan deserves credit for flipping the gender roles of his two leads, too, with the more aggressive action-hero character played by Nashi and the less aggressive, almost timid role given to Yu Shi. That doesn’t mean they don’t have fabulous fight scenes with each other or anybody else standing in their way, but it’s an intriguing role reversal to watch.