Green Snake (2021)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Green Snake (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
Length:  133 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Production/Distribution: Light Chaser Animation Studios, Alibaba Pictures, IMAX, Netflix
Director: Amp Wong
Writer: Damao
Actors: Xiaoxi Tang, Zhang Fuzheng, Zhongyang Baomu, Feodor Chin, Grace Lynn Kung, Stephanie Wong, Tianxiang Yang, Zhe Zhang
 
Netflix Blurb: While trying to free her sister from Fahai's clutches, Xaio Qing winds up in a dystopian city and meets a mysterious man who can't recall his past life.

 
Cat’s Point of View:
Green Snake seemed to appear out of nowhere on Netflix. It had an interesting title image and immediately caught my attention, as well as my daughter’s as we were browsing for anime to watch together. I am a fan of kitsune lore and the image seemed to tease a tale where at least one would be involved.
 
It was odd that there hadn’t been any fanfare surrounding this title, since the trailer and ‘poster’ image promised good production quality and a complex story. Given that it wasn’t a holiday movie and had released to Netflix in December, I was thinking that it might have just fallen through the cracks.

 
Alas, the quiet appearance was likely due to the fact that Green Snake was a sequel whose first installment hasn’t released to Netflix. (For those curious, you can currently find White Snake (2019) on Hoopla, according to JustWatch.)
 
Be that as it may, my daughter and I didn’t realize that at the time that we watched it. (In fact, I didn’t even realize Green Snake was a sequel until I began pooling information to write this review.) In retrospect, it does stand to reason. There were some aspects of the story that just didn’t make sense. I do intend to go back and watch the first movie at some point to see if it provides some clarity. For now, however, I just have to focus on the sequel as it stands alone.

 

Green Snake was absolutely gorgeous. The animation team for this movie was apparently working in overdrive to bring this to life. The visuals were breathtaking, and the action flowed smoothly. Even though the reason behind some events wasn’t entirely clear, the story presented in Green Snake did draw me in and compel emotional reactions for its characters. I was rooting for the main character to find a way out of the realm she was trapped in and hoped she’d find her sister. There were interesting twists and turns along the way.
 
I wasn’t disappointed with the kitsune character, either. Though, it was a little odd that the multi-tailed fox spirit would find itself in a story based on Chinese folklore – since, to my best knowledge, kitsune are Japanese in origin. There may be a connection that I’m missing – that whole unwatched first installment notwithstanding. Honestly, I didn’t care and my questions have only come in after the fact. While Green Snake was on the screen, we were only focused on the story as it played out.

As a stand-alone movie, Green Snake wasn’t bad. We enjoyed the movie, even if it was a smidge on the long side. I only wish that Netflix had released these movies in order so the story might’ve made a little more sense. Even so, I definitely don’t regret the experience. I’m even a bit inspired to look up the folk tale that the story is generally based on.
 
If you like fast-paced action with your animation and don’t mind your story picking up a bit in the middle, Green Snake wouldn’t be a bad way to spend a couple hours or so. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 78%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
Movie Trailer: