Pili International Multimedia, 99 min. Dir. Chris Huang. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing a wuxia martial arts epic filled with occult secrets and black magic spells, incredibly choreographed sword fights with spinning / flying / leaping combatants, hidden tombs, lakes of fire, the eternal battle between darkness and light – but told entirely with puppets – then your wait is over! LEGEND OF THE SACRED STONE is based on the tremendously popular Taiwanese TV show “PILI” launched in 1984 that uses traditional Chinese budaixi glove puppetry to tell amazingly elaborate wuxia stories packed with nonstop action and swordplay. An equal mix of classic Shaw Brothers martial arts movies, THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO, TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, and Jim Henson’s beloved THE DARK CRYSTAL, LEGEND revolves around a group of warriors of Wulin led by white-maned hero Su Huan-Jen trying to prevent Mo Kuei and his spectral assassins called “The Unkind” from gaining possession of the all-powerful Sacred Stone.

The Unkind in particular are a riot with their screechy Skeksis-like voices and unexpected sense of humor: “We’re the most handsome men in the world!” one chortles. Along the way, you get treated to martial arts moves like Aeolian Surprise, Thunder Bars, heroes riding a flying sword like the Silver Surfer, living corpses with melting flesh – oh, and if you’ve ever wondered how a puppet bleeds, you’ll see that too. (And keep an eye out for the second Pili feature DEMIGOD: THE LEGEND BEGINS coming out through Deaf Crocodile later in 2026!) In Taiwanese Hokkien with English subtitles.

For thoughts on Legend of the Sacred Stone, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Legend of the Sacred Stone arrives on Blu-Ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a pleasing 1080p master that executes every subtle moment of these puppets with an assured hand. Without Deaf Crocodile, we would be blind to so much that international animation has to offer, and this is yet another example of the many gems out there waiting to be discovered by a larger audience. With this particular style of puppetry, you get some intricate renderings that are translated with the utmost texture, coupled with the treasure trove of ridges in the background. So much painstaking artistry has been put into bringing these scenes to life, so it is joyous to see it expressed with so much depth and vitality.

The colors are expertly saturated to capture the reserved aesthetic of the feature, although you will still find some rich hues to delight in when key sequences arise. These colors are showcased with a resolute rendering of their complex hues. Highlights avoid any blooming, and the black levels are strong with no issues of banding or compression. The movement of the puppets flows naturally and never breaks the illusion of the manufactured reality. This Blu-Ray provides a terrific presentation that has us hungry for more within this unique subgenre.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the original Taiwanese Hokkien (with optional English subtitles). A particularly memorable element of this viewing experience is the music that accompanies the action, which flows through with a confident fidelity. Dialogue comes through clearly without sounding hollow or shrill. The action-packed sound effects complement this very well without anything sounding drowned out. Every unique sound effect brings these events to life with the complexity of a live-action film. The track is complex and is presented authentically, absent of damage or other unwanted issues. This track does everything that is asked of it.

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of Legend of the Sacred Stone arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page bound book featuring new essays by Fantasia Festival programmer Rupert Bottenberg and film critic Walter Chaw. All of this provides great insight into the film, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Puppeteer & filmmaker Ben Wolf Page, Associate Editor of The Puppetry Journal for the Puppeteers of America, delivers a really informative commentary track in which he discusses the genre at large, the origins of the project, the approach to the puppetry, the blending of practical and digital effects, the influences of various works, and more. This is a great addition that fans of the film should definitely check out.

Puppets, Wuxia, and Spirituality: The Lore and Inspirations Behind Legend of the Sacred Stone – New Visual Essay by Evan Chester: A 17-minute visual essay that looks at the traditions of the genre, its origins and history on the silver screen, the distinctions between various subsets, important aspects within the story, and more.

Character Spotlight – Su Huan Jen: A five-minute piece that looks at the character at the center of this feature over many decades at the studio.

Interview with Director Chris Huang and Members of the PILI Puppeteering Team: A 42-minute conversation between Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok and several of the creative figures from this production, who discusses their roles on the film, their work at PILI, the rewards and challenges of the artform, and more.

Original Trailer #1 (1:53)

Original Trailer #2 (1:30)

Deluxe Edition Artwork Creation: A 44-second time lapse of the designs created for this release.

Deaf Crocodile Trailers: There are trailers provided for The Pied Piper, Jiri Barta Shorts, Hoffmaniada, Song of the Miraculous Hind, and Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel.

Final Thoughts

Legend of the Sacred Stone finds a home on physical media during an era in which every boutique label under the sun is trying to meet the demand for martial arts cinema. Of course, if Deaf Crocodile was going to explore this area of filmmaking, you know there had to be a bit of a twist, given what they have curated to date. Glove puppetry is the exact type of art we never knew we needed, but now love that it exists. The film follows classic thematic arcs, but it is done with a level of artistry that is frankly awe-inspiring. You get so invested in the story that it is easy to forget a human is attached to these characters, but that handcrafted touch is never lost. Deaf Crocodile has released a fantastic Blu-Ray which sports a strong A/V presentation and a welcome assortment of special features. Recommended

Legend of the Sacred Stone is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.