White Snake

The film's landscape shots look breathtakingly real, but animated figures, especially during fight scenes, are tripped up by a dimension-flattening veneer that makes "White Snake" look more like an iPhone game.

There's not enough on-screen to make this listless time-waster worth recommending.

A superior effort that should find enthusiastic audiences on our shores.

Even if you're not familiar with the source material, this Chinese production provides plenty of supernatural thrills for the modern young adult.

The film feels more like a smattering of action scenes strung together by the barest thread of plot.

It's a weird hodgepodge... But there's a loveliness to the visuals that was transporting.

White Snake proves that animation is more than children's entertainment.

White Snake is a romance at heart that was stretched and mixed into an action epic. The film's ideas don't work all the time, but it is fun to see the filmmakers try.

It's obvious that the team created this world with great care. Unfortunately, this level of detail does not extend to the overall story and characters.

The backdrops are often spectacular to behold, but the story could use a bit more oomph.