Genre: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
Directed by: Yu Ao, Tienan Zhou
Starring: Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell
Release Date: TBD (Screened at the 2026 Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival)
Platform: TBD
Star Rating: 4/5
By Bryce Payne
“Time manipulation is always a tricky thing for films to get right, yet it never tries to take on more than it can handle.”
Time bending shenanigans set against a 1930s China backdrop may sound strange but in Yu Ao and Zhou Tienan’s new 3D animated film it somehow comes together in a heartwarming and endearing way. THE GIRL WHO STOLE TIME kicked off the 11th Annual Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival.
The film follows Qian Xiao a young girl from a small fishing village who runs away to go to the big city only to find a strange golden medallion at the bottom of the ocean, which is imbued with time bending powers allowing her to stop and manipulate time to her heart’s content. Soon after arriving in the big city, she runs into Seventeen, a young mercenary who’s been searching for the Time Medallion and has been on the run from his gang due to his inability to find it.
The unlikely duo team up to outwit their chasers. All the while allowing Xiao to have only 24 hours with the medallion to curate her perfect day in the city. The two make new friends and new bonds all due to the mysterious powers now at their disposal.
The 3D animation style is nothing we haven’t seen before. It’s very similar to last year’s Ne Zha 2, which can be quite jarring to get used to, especially with how the character models are juxtapositioned against the near photo realistic backdrops. But once you get used to the framing, it quickly becomes an visually beautiful experience with colors vibrantly exploding off of the screen. The 1930s setting lends itself to creating an almost Indiana Jones feeling of adventure, complete with period accurate clothing and architecture making it feel like a film lost in time.
The humor can be seen as geared towards a younger demographic but there’s plenty of dark moments sprinkled throughout, especially when viewing the action sequences that have engaging martial arts fights and fun gun play moments allowing the heroes to feel untouchable.
Aside from the action, THE GIRL WHO STOLE TIME includes very sweet moments as Xiao and Seventeen’s relationship grows closer, climaxing in an emotionally resonating ending that’ll reframe the entire film, and change the way you viewed their relationship.
Time manipulation is always tricky for movies to get right; the rules need to be set and logical. Otherwise, it takes the audience out of the moment. Yet the film never tries to take on more than it can handle with the logic being solid and factual, creating a grounded experience even with the magic behind it all.
THE GIRL WHO STOLE TIME ultimately isn’t about controlling time but about the desire to pause the moments that matter most. To make the most out of the life we live while we have it. By the time it reaches its final moments it leaves behind a feeling that lingers, less about what was seen and more about what was felt.
