108 Demon-Kings / 108 Rois-Démons

 

US Premiere • Animated Adventure • France, 2015 • In English

DCP • 1.85 • Dolby SR • Color • 104 min

Directed by: Pascal Morelli

Written by: Pascal Morelli et Jean Pêcheux

Director of animation: Olivier Joubert

Film Editing: Alexandre Coste, Benoît Humbert

Original Score: Rolfe Kent

Produced by: François Cornuau, Vincent Roget

International Sales: EuropaCorp

 

Blending live action with 2D and 3D animation in a way that’s never before been seen, 108 Demon Kings adapts the Chinese literary classic Water Margin to make a visually bold and humorous adventure aimed at older children and adults. In 12th century China, after the assassination of the king, Prince Duan and his teacher Zhang-The-Perfect are forced to flee the kingdom. Merciless demon kings now terrorize the countryside. Few have seen them, and fewer still have the courage to face them. Prince Duan wants to restore order, but legend has it that defeating the demons requires the courage of 100 tigers, the strength of 1,000 buffaloes, and the cunning of as many serpents, not to mention the luck of the devil. Prince Duan will have to make do with Zhang-The-Perfect’s bewildering proverbs, and the little beggar Pei-Pei’s gift of gab. But the Prince, the monk, and the beggar have one advantage: they’ve never been told that defeating the demon kings is impossible.

 

For his second animated feature, writer/director Pascal Morelli and his co-writer Jean Pècheux worked with just a few of the storylines found in Water Margin, an epic 14th century work that stems from long generations of oral tradition. Set during the Song Dynasty, the film’s opulent medieval Chinese backgrounds are contrasted against mixtures of both drawn and photographically realistic elements to create a stunning new look. Morelli’s critically acclaimed previous feature, 2001’s Corto Maltese in Siberia, was a darker and denser film adapted from Hugo Pratt’s comic book series. Here, Morelli brings a lighter touch for a picture more fine-tuned to a younger 10+ audience. In addition to his feature work, Morelli is known for directing animated television, including 1997’s ANNIE award nominated episodes of The Legend of Calamity Jane.

 

Quotes:

“…absolutely sumptuous sets that are a feast for the eyes.”

– David Morelli CINENEWS BE

“…captivates especially by its unique aesthetics.”

– Yannick Raoul NO POPCORN JUST MOVIES