Despite the tonal unevenness, however, the mix of hyperreal 3D animation and impressionistic compositions using the techniques of Chinese painting is unique to behold, like a tableaux roused into breathtaking life.

Truly groundbreaking, this astonishing animated adventure from China is worth seeing on the big screen for its outrageously eye-catching imagery.

The result is a vivid, phantasmagoric spectacular that occasionally threatens to leave the actual story behind but which contains enough humour, action and drama to satisfy most tastes.

Some of the vistas and set-pieces are as close to literally breath-taking as a film has ever taken me, which is good because it lifted the otherwise generic plot to the point I was still glued to the screen right to the credits.