02-10-2026, 02:33 PM
My IG algorithm has dialed me into some accounts that post weird movies, which is great. Been getting lots of tips through there. Last night there was a crazy fight scene from this film and I just had to know more.
The Traveller is by one of my fav directors, the always irreverent Wuershan. It's based on a manhua that I've never heard of - translated as Under One Person. It's full on Xianxia, delving deep into the world of magical martial arts and qi blasts. Kinda cheesy but Wuershan specializes in this sort of cinema. A 'chosen one' kid is the inheritor of some divine power that can control the martial world, and suddenly finds himself being abducted and assaulted by all manners of crazy characters with magic fighting skills, including several hawties.
The movie is a blend of live action, special effects and animation. Flashbacks, of which there are many, are told in surreal animated sequences that remind me of A Scanner Darkly stylistically. There's some great cinematography, accentuated by CGI enhancements, that capitalize on drone shots. The costumes and story is outrageous. There are zombies, smoke demons, kinky dwarves in straight jackets, awkward teenage blues as the chosen one is seduced by hawties, qi lightning, magic missile weapons, and goofy villains. The special effects are cartoonish, but that works here - seems like it's meant to be.
Set in modern day, the clans harken back to ancient times, and the themes of warring clans stand strong. One concept I liked was the idea that Xianren (warriors with magic powers) exist today in underground places like an Amazon-esque warehouse, using their magic to do mundane things like ship merchandise.
But where this movie shines is the fights. These are total superhero fights - flying about with impossible physics, blasting through walls, juggling flying weapons, pole dancing (srsly) and other imaginative spins on hackneyed super fights. I rather enjoyed its irreverent approach to action.
Seen here:
Note that the subtitles are likely AI-generated and make a lot of mistakes. In Chinese, the distinction between pronouns (him vs her) is subtle - different radicals in the same character but sound the same - so the sexes are messed up a lot. Also many of the idioms are translated literally which doesn't make a lick of sense. But therein lies the fun, or at least some of it.
D00M recommended, at least for a taste - don't have to watch the whole thing because it gets longwinded and confusing but just fast forward to the fight scenes for some violent fun.
The Traveller is by one of my fav directors, the always irreverent Wuershan. It's based on a manhua that I've never heard of - translated as Under One Person. It's full on Xianxia, delving deep into the world of magical martial arts and qi blasts. Kinda cheesy but Wuershan specializes in this sort of cinema. A 'chosen one' kid is the inheritor of some divine power that can control the martial world, and suddenly finds himself being abducted and assaulted by all manners of crazy characters with magic fighting skills, including several hawties.
The movie is a blend of live action, special effects and animation. Flashbacks, of which there are many, are told in surreal animated sequences that remind me of A Scanner Darkly stylistically. There's some great cinematography, accentuated by CGI enhancements, that capitalize on drone shots. The costumes and story is outrageous. There are zombies, smoke demons, kinky dwarves in straight jackets, awkward teenage blues as the chosen one is seduced by hawties, qi lightning, magic missile weapons, and goofy villains. The special effects are cartoonish, but that works here - seems like it's meant to be.
Set in modern day, the clans harken back to ancient times, and the themes of warring clans stand strong. One concept I liked was the idea that Xianren (warriors with magic powers) exist today in underground places like an Amazon-esque warehouse, using their magic to do mundane things like ship merchandise.
But where this movie shines is the fights. These are total superhero fights - flying about with impossible physics, blasting through walls, juggling flying weapons, pole dancing (srsly) and other imaginative spins on hackneyed super fights. I rather enjoyed its irreverent approach to action.
Seen here:
Note that the subtitles are likely AI-generated and make a lot of mistakes. In Chinese, the distinction between pronouns (him vs her) is subtle - different radicals in the same character but sound the same - so the sexes are messed up a lot. Also many of the idioms are translated literally which doesn't make a lick of sense. But therein lies the fun, or at least some of it.
D00M recommended, at least for a taste - don't have to watch the whole thing because it gets longwinded and confusing but just fast forward to the fight scenes for some violent fun.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse