Film Name: 绿林大冒险 / Jungle Master
No time for long reviews? Check out these quick takes!
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In terms of 3D animation and technology, this film stands among China’s most polished productions, meeting international standards.
The pivotal supporting characters “Monkey” and the talkative jailer Müller are among the film’s relatively well-developed roles.
Hippo Animation consistently struggles with delivering punchlines effectively. Scenes like the “foodie” and rap performances fail to elicit laughter from either adult or young audiences throughout the entire film.
The plot lacks refinement and suffers from glaring flaws.
Indeed, after honing their skills on “AniMen: Triton Force,” mechanical design has become Hippo Animation’s forte.
Seeing the nonsensical rap by the two Tree Tribe members, and recalling last year’s rap sequence in “Animen II,” it seems Director Tsui really loves this style!
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After much deliberation, this review might be better split into two parts. One part will express my feelings candidly, while the other will ask questions without holding back.
I
If “Jungle Master” is an ‘Avatar’-style adventure, I’d rather compare it to last year’s domestic animation “Yugo & Lala” (click to read the review). This association struck me when I noticed the similarities: both feature a female protagonist, both involve conflicts with family, both involve being transported to a strange new world, and both emphasize the novelty of the new world’s unique vegetation upon arrival.
In terms of the motivation for the journey and the depiction of the new world, the two films are quite comparable. The difference lies in the nature of the journey itself: the transition in “Yugo & Lala” is romantic, while that in “Jungle Master” is sci-fi. Immediately after the transition, “Yugo & Lala” stages a thrilling, internally tense first adventure—”crossing the border”—while “Jungle Master” presents an equally thrilling, externally expressive first encounter with a giant creature.
Why emphasize the first adventure? Both “Yugo & Lala” and “Jungle Master” center on the word “adventure,” so depicting the protagonist’s progressively escalating trials is paramount. Among these trials, the inaugural adventure serves as a pivotal indicator—commonly termed a “wake-up call.” It represents the otherworld’s most distinctive challenge to the intruder, essentially declaring, “Let me show you who’s boss.”
Through this initial trial, we see that while both films involve time travel, their creative intentions diverge immediately: one emphasizes human drama, the other science fiction; one excels in narrative depth, the other in action sequences. It’s unsurprising that “Jungle Master” prioritizes sci-fi and action, as its production studio, Hippo Animation, specializes in these genres.
However, compared to ” Yugo & Lala,” whose “showing of force” uses psychological tension to build suspense in its dramatic scenes, extends this approach throughout the rest of the work. In contrast, “Jungle Master’s” “showing of force” remains confined to its own segment, which is somewhat regrettable. This opening sequence establishes a world teeming with ferocious creatures, a realm where the weak are preyed upon by the strong. Yet, this foundational concept of survival of the fittest receives no further development or resonance throughout the rest of the story. The subsequent adventures in the film seem entirely disconnected from the two dragons featured in the opening scene. While I appreciate the progression from surface-level adventures in a strange world to deeper quests of discovery, rescue, and personal growth, the lack of any connection between these deeper adventures and the initial surface-level escapades makes it difficult to form a unified sense of the story.
Let’s skip over the emotional thread skillfully conveyed through the dagger by the male protagonist, Boule, and dive straight into the female protagonist’s emotional arc—her journey from disappointment in her family to sensing her mother’s love, which she channels into the motivation to overcome the ultimate challenge. Personally, while watching the film, I was reminded of another animated film depicting profound mother-son affection: Leafie: A Hen Into the Wild. That film moved middle-aged viewers in the theater to tears, yet the emotional arc in “Jungle Master” failed to resonate deeply with me. The reason lies in the fact that ‘Leafie’ evoked genuine empathy, while “Jungle Master” felt superficial.
The mother expresses her love for her daughter and bravely ventures into a foreign world to rescue her. The daughter witnesses this love, and they ultimately embrace. Shouldn’t this be the case? At best, it tells us: Oh, so my mom loves me constantly even when she’s so busy with work; or, Oh, I should carve out more time from work to spend with my child. Is the hardship of a single mother truly reduced to the minor conflict of juggling work and family? Does the child’s journey amount to nothing more than a shallow shift from ignorance to understanding of her mother’s love?
In my view, the greatest burden for a single mother lies in enduring immense emotional pressure. Her ultimate achievement must be a profound expression of love—far greater than merely firing a freeze gun. For the child, the most crucial lesson is learning empathy—understanding their mother’s hardships and beginning to share the burden. Yet the female protagonist in the film remains stuck in a state of being spoiled, even striking the male lead without hesitation, showcasing the bad habits of an only child. These are traits that should not be encouraged.
II
1. What product is Xiaoyu’s mother’s company attempting to develop through genetic engineering? Who manages whom within the company—Kun or Xiaoyu’s mother? Why did Xiaoyu’s mother sneak into the underground laboratory? After obtaining the genes of the World Tree species, will Kun bring disaster to the human world? The film remains unclear about the societal impact of the company’s genetic research, and the true motivation behind preventing Kun from acquiring the genes remains ambiguous.
2. Is Bulle’s grandfather a positive or negative character? My interpretation suggests he’s a complex positive figure seeking redemption for past mistakes. Yet why does he risk his life for Kun to find more World Tree species? When discovering two such species, why does he appear so malevolent—with terrifying expressions and extreme cruelty? Does such a character truly represent positivity? At this point in the film, the grandfather’s portrayal feels jarringly inconsistent with his earlier benevolent image.
3. I suggest expanding the depiction of the World Tree Seed race. Are only three individuals left of this race? The film must feature grand scenes showcasing the entire race to generate sufficient awe and conviction that this world deserves protection. The final showdown should pit the entire Tree race against Lord Kun, not merely a few individuals. Lord Kun should have a major conflict with the Green Forest world, not just with a handful of specific people. He should be more ambitious. If the entire race collectively unleashed the power of nature to oppose Lord Kun’s machinery, the spectacle would be truly magnificent, and the audience’s anticipation for the race’s victory would be sky-high.
4. My personal suggestion is to expand the depiction of the male protagonist Bule’s past. A flashback sequence should be included when Bule encounters his tribe members, showing how his grandfather snatched him away to the treehouse. During Bule’s internal conflict, another flashback should reveal how his grandfather raised him bit by bit over the past decade. The final scene in this sequence should naturally be the birthday celebration with his grandfather and Xiaoyu. Only with this flashback can the plot threads be better woven together, making Bule’s psychological transformation feel more natural and logical.
5. Personally, I suggest adding an overhead shot after the scene where Kunzong is hanging from the tree. This shot should reveal that beneath the tree where Kunzong is suspended, numerous dragon-like behemoths—similar to those Xiaoyu encountered when first entering the Green Forest world—are now glaring menacingly at Kunzong. This would significantly enhance the humor while providing closure for the earlier giant beasts. Otherwise, the earlier giant beast sequence risks feeling isolated and underdeveloped.
6. The beasts are too ferocious; they should be given a comedic twist. My suggestion is to portray them as superficially savage but utterly obsessed with a specific type of fruit. Once offered this fruit, they’d act like dogs begging for treats. This way, when Bule rescues Xiaoyu, he could simply toss the fruit to them. This setup could also serve other purposes later on.
7. Tule’s hair constantly obscures his eyes. I suggest revealing his eyes during the final battle’s climactic moment, accompanied by a powerful burst of magical energy. If his hair remains uncovered throughout, its constant concealment loses meaning.
8. Bule is described as a magical prodigy, yet he ultimately only casts a simple spell—growing vines on machinery to block vision—failing to showcase his genius’s evolution. If neither Müller’s nor Tule’s giant flowers could withstand Kunzong, could Bulle summon even more formidable plants? Without such a display, how is his genius demonstrated?
9. The Special Forces quartet appears too abruptly, lacking foreshadowing. At minimum, they should have been mentioned earlier.
10. The Green Forest Adventure ultimately devolved into a Stone Land Adventure, as the forest scarcely appeared in the film’s latter half. The sacredness of the World Tree and its people could only be fully manifested through the green forest. My suggestion: the final showdown should have occurred within the forest, with Kun attempting to fell the trees while the World Tree tribe fought desperately to protect their forest and homeland. As an ancient magical people, they must possess their own totemic culture, and the World Tree tribe’s totem is naturally the World Tree itself. Yet in the film, the World Tree is ultimately given little screen time and fails to convey its totemic significance.
11. Is Da-Chuan a symbolic father figure to Xiao-Yu in the film? If not, his relationship with Xiao-Yu’s mother is too ambiguous; if so, his role hasn’t been fully realized.
Please specify：Anime Phone Cases » Jungle Master 2013 Animation Film Review: The green forest also harbors the sci-fi shadow of a “super frog.”