The words “White Snake” might bring to mind an 80s hair metal band in America, but in China they think of an ancient folk tale. And that tale is the premise behind the new animated movie of the same name, heading to disc and digital formats later this month.
As you know, Chinese animation factories have been aggressively trying to steal the crown from the US, but it remains to be seen if they can do so. China’s cartoon movies tend to focus on ancient legends specific to the region, that only Chinese citizens have heard of. They’re also hamstrung by one of the heaviest censor boards in the world, and can’t say or do anything the government doesn’t approve of already. For these reasons, we have doubts a Chinese animated movie can ever reach the universal appeal of something from Pixar. …But this isn’t to say the movies are BAD. This one looks pretty great.
Xuan is a snake catcher from a small village who one day saves the life of a young woman he’s never seen before, named Bianca. He...
