The first half of "New Gods: Yang Jian," a Chinese animated fantasy, is a frantic and colorful action-adventure. There are snappy back alley chases, playful fistfights, and a serviceable whodunit plot. There are also a slew of computer-animated backgrounds and a slew of eye-catching monsters, such as dragons, demons, and tigers.


The second half of "New Gods: Yang Jian" strives for high fantasy seriousness. This section of the film is still visually appealing, but the main characters won't stop explaining why they're taking part in an apocalyptic battle between combative young gods and their treacherous relatives and/or loved ones.


"New Gods: Yang Jian" is the second film in what appears to be an expensive series that began in 2021 with the uneven but relatively straightforward "New Gods: Nezha Reborn." If you're just curious to see what a polished Chinese mythological fantasy might look like, don't worry about these two "New Gods" movies being narratively related in any way. And, while the first hour of "New Gods: Yang Jian" is as appealing as it is surreal, the second half only works if you care about the fates of its unremarkable protagonists.


That's not to say the first half of "New Gods: Yang Jian" is completely original, but it doesn't have to be. There are some similarities between Erlang (Wang Kai), the happy-go-lucky bounty hunter, and Spike Spiegel, the cool but melancholy bounty hunter from the oft-imitated Japanese sci-fi/noir anime "Cowboy Bebop." Erlang, like Spike, appears to be carefree, drifting from job to job and literally floating above the clouds in a steampunk-style airship.


Erlang and his companions have also recently depleted their supply of Cosmic Gas, so they must seek a bounty in order to remain airborne. Their target is Erlang's estranged nephew Chenxiang (Li Lanling), who is now on the hunt for the Lamp of Universal Contentment, a powerful plot device that will liberate Yang Chan (Risa Mei), Chenxiang's mother and Erlang's sister, from a rather extreme form of imprisonment. We're told that Erlang buried Yang Chan under a mountain 12 years ago to punish her for having an affair with a mortal man.


Chenxiang's whatsit bridges the film's well-paced and easy-to-follow front half and its narratively convoluted and dramatically inert back half. And, as you might expect, the link between these two parts is rather flimsy, possibly because the first half of the film is a perfect example of style over substance.


At first, "New Gods: Yang Jian" appears to be an excuse for director Zhao Ji and the creative team at Light Chaser Animation studio to showcase various character designs, action figure-ready poses, and matte-painting perfect locations. We've arrived at Square Pot Casino, which features floating hologram screens as well as gold-colored lighting and fixtures. We've arrived at Smugglers' Point, which is populated by dock-side cutthroats and other shady stock characters. It's fun to see Erlang fly through these early scenes.


Toward the end of "New Gods: Yang Jian," the filmmakers ask viewers to care about Erlang, who was previously known as Yang Jian. Yang Jian's quest to stop Chenxiang was always a shaky path back to his former self, culminating in a showdown with Yang Jian's enigmatic former teacher, Master Yuding (Li Lihong). Everyone has ulterior motives, and they all inevitably set up the overarching fantasy narrative of the "New Gods" series, which vaguely concerns a centuries-old truce between the gods that will be broken at some point in the future. Both films reintroduce viewers to beloved mythical characters, such as Sun Wukong, the mischievous Monkey King, who are likely well-known to mainland Chinese audiences.


Unfortunately, the archetypal nature of these characters in "New Gods: Yang Jian" does not necessarily enliven their actions. They frequently try to reveal themselves to each other, usually through larger-than-life animal avatars such as tigers or dragons, but there isn't much emotional substance here aside from some breathless expository dialogue. The film's voice actors are all competent, but they can only do so much.


"New Gods: Yang Jian," like many big-budget fantasy series, feels more like a set-up for whatever comes after. Many small but enjoyable details, such as the creaking of a wooden airship's hull or the zippy give-and-take rhythm of a few early chase scenes, add up and suggest that the filmmakers know exactly what they're doing. I'll gladly watch whatever Light Chaser Animation does after "New Gods: Yang Jian," but I'm afraid the next "New Gods" sequel will be yet another gorgeous and over-explained advertisement for the next big thing.



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