In the summer of 2008, Hollywood's animation studios kicked their Chinese counterparts out of the ring in technique and power. To add insult to injury, they did it in true Chinese style.
That was Kung Fu Panda, which took $26 million to become the highest-grossing animation film released in China.
In true plucky underdog style, the humbled, undervalued but newly inspired Chinese animators fought back, and in the summer of 2011 released five features, including the first to use 3D - The Legend of a Rabbit.
Sadly, although they all showed marked improvement in quality of animation and special effects, like the hero bunny's ears, they flopped. The Legend of the Rabbit grossed only 20 million yuan ($3.2 million; 2.47 million euros) in China. It had cost around 150 million yuan to make.
Of course, it didn't help that the superior sequel Kung Fu Panda 2 was released a couple of months before, going on to take a record-breaking $93 million for an animation film in China. ...
It is not enough to do an animated movie cheaply. You must also do it well. Or nobody will come to see your movie ... and you won't be able to stop them.
There will come a time when China produces credible animated features that movie-goers will want to see. I'm just not convinced that the time is near at hand.
But you have to give China credit. It's building infrastructure and training technicians. THe barrier, as always, is creativity. Can the middle kingdom build a culture inside its spanking new facilities that will nurture experimentation and independent thinking. You can't make an animated feature by rote.
But let's give the Chinese credit for perseverance. They're not giving up.
... Dong Fachang is producing The Legend of a Rabbit 2, due for release next year. Perhaps this one will stand up to the might of Kung Fu Panda.
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