“Painted Skin” is a satisfying if melodramatic thriller that tells a tale of unrequited love and revenge involving demons and humans. Combining romance with comedy and kung-fu antics in the vein of old-school Hong-Kong supernatural action flicks like the “The Bride with White Hair”, “Painted Skin” is an enjoyable guilty pleasure.
Adapted from a short story by novelist Pu Song Ling, “Painted Skin” is about a fox spirit, disguised as a beautiful woman (Xiao Wei), who falls in love with a handsome warrior (Wang Sheng) and schemes to lure him away from his loyal wife (Pei Rong). Donnie Yen is a former army general and martial artist extraordinaire who teams up with a local demon buster to thwart the fox spirit's plans.
Those expecting visceral horror and fast-paced martial arts may be disappointed. The movie is fairly light on action and the fight scenes are mediocre at best. The romantic drama is compelling as it explores themes of fidelity, loyalty and true love. The showdown between Xiao Wei and Pei Rong is one of the film’s highlights. Cinematography, music and set design are also impressive.
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