How much do quality visuals contribute the overall quality of a movie? White Snake proves that it is important, but great visuals can not necessarily save a mediocre story.
I watched this movie in Chinese a few months ago, and I was wowed by the amazing visuals. The backgrounds look spectacular, and the animation of the fight sequences is also very good. For some reason, I also really like how the fabrics look. If I had to point out some flaws about the visuals, I would say that some of the animation of the clothing looks stiff and that the character designs are bland.
I'm a sucker for xianxia and wuxia stories, and I was disappointed by White Snake. While watching this film, not once did I think that the story live up to the exemplary visuals. The characters were uninspiring, in particular the villains, who were especially one-note and dull. The story was inoffensive at best and extremely forgettable at its worse. Its cutaways to flashbacks were sometimes confusing even though the rest of the plot was extremely simple. I actually had to watch the trailer to refresh my memory.
Despite all this, I think White Snake was pretty enjoyable. I won't watch it again, but I don't regret watching it. It was a net positive experience. At the very least, I'm glad more people are willing to give Chinese animation a chance.
