Feng Shen Di Er Bu: Zhan Huo Xi Qi (2025)

The Beauty Saves the Hero 美女救英雄

Demon Force is the long-awaited second chapter in the Creation of the Gods trilogy. Compared to the first film, it’s a massive letdown. The heart of the disappointment? It strays wildly from the classic novel. The whole “Demon Force” (魔道争锋) arc is a made-up conflict that stuffs the screen with Hollywood-style cosmic battles at the expense of the original’s political scheming and philosophical depth.

The story resumes with Ji Fa defending Xiqi against the Shang king’s demonic hordes. He’s thrown head-to-head against Deng Chanyu, a rising Shang general leading the siege. Mongolian actress Nashi brings her to life with exotic, whip-thin athleticism—she owns every frame, radiating lethal power and feminine fragility in the same breath. I actually cheered this update to the old tale: slipping a fierce, layered woman into the mix. No question, she’s the beauty who saves the hero 美女救英雄 and runs away with the movie.

Too bad director Wuershan seems so smitten with Deng Chanyu that everyone else—from Jiang Ziya to Yang Jian—gets shoved to the margins and practically forgotten. The real crime, though, is what they do to Ji Fa: dumbed down into a lovesick, reluctant hero drowning in self-doubt just to prop her up. Then, to rub salt in the wound, Yin Jiao gets turned into the genie from Aladdin. I swung between fury and helpless laughter at the sheer ridiculousness—and at the total waste of Chen Hailiang’s stunning good looks.

There are enough jaw-dropping (if slightly overcooked) battle set-pieces to keep it from being the worst fantasy flick out there. But it never touches Kingdom of Storms in storytelling. I did love Deng Chanyu’s arc—even if it has no business in the Fengshen trilogy. For me, that lands it at 7.5/10.

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So Many Icons, So Little Story Progress

If someone asks, “Do we need to watch the first part before watching Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force?”
The answer is: YES. 100%.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about the second part. Compared to the first one, the vibe is noticeably different. In part one, it felt super exciting to see all these iconic characters we’re familiar with gathered in one film with a solid storyline. Part two, on the other hand, is supposed to continue and develop the story and characters until the big climax but honestly I didn’t feel like there was much progress in the main plot. Maybe they’re saving it for part 3?

In the first movie, I really liked Ji Fa, Yin Jiao, Ne Zha, Jiang Ziya, Yang Jian and even Su Daji. But in the second movie, the one who absolutely stole the spotlight was Deng Chanyu! She’s such a girl crush. A total badass female general. She’s strong, confident, fearless... like, she actually feels like a general who’s been through war. Not like those so-called "female generals" in idol dramas who look more like pampered noble ladies (full-on peach makeup, innocent vibes) and we’re supposed to believe they’ve been through war as general just because they ride a horse in a general outfit. Deng Chanyu is what a real female general should look like. Most idol dramas should take a note!

Sadly, I feel like her potential wasn’t used to the fullest. The second half of the movie was kinda weak. The romance involving her felt forced. There was also a political subplot that could’ve been much better, but I won’t go into it because spoilers. Either way, I’ll let it slide because Nashi absolutely killed it as Deng Chanyu. Her charisma was unreal.

Now let’s talk about Yin Jiao. he’s BACK, guys! (as expected) And he’s seriously OP. The master (played by Chen Kun) even turned fully white-haired just to bring him back. But it feels like they toned him down on purpose. Like, he’s obviously super powerful and should’ve been a key player in the final battle because he is a new hidden card, but he’s held back, probably because he’s not the main character. Same thing with Ne Zha. His powers didn’t hit as hard this time. Surprisingly, Yang Jian, the Kunlun Immortal, ended up being more memorable than both Yin Jiao and Ne Zha during the final battle. Oh, and I gotta say the CGI for Yin Jiao is kinda cartoony. Sometimes it legit feels like he doesn’t even belong in the same movie lol.

And Ji Fa… well, he’s the main lead, so of course they made him the center of everything. But it kinda feels like the rest of the characters had to be nerfed just so he could shine. Like he got all the credit just because he’s the lead. Maybe that’s a writing or directing issue from the start. It should’ve felt like he was important effortlessly like his presence and actions naturally made him stand out, not just because we’re told, “Hey, he’s the main character.” If we have to remind ourselves that he’s the lead, then something’s off with how the story built him up. A good protagonist just commands attention without forcing it.

Overall, it’s still a fun and entertaining film especially if you’re into cool characters and big battle scenes. And I honestly can’t wait for Part 3.

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