The Monkey King

I love animated movies. Luv 'em luv 'em. So when I say this is a stinker, it's for good reason. Considering the overall rating of this movie (at this time) is about 5.6... I'd say this film has some serious conceptual problems.

Start with a conceited, self-centered, destructive, unlikable character and add in non-stop pointless action-adventure throughout, and you have the Monkey King. The only redeeming grace of this movie is the girl Lin, whose character, personality and role is enjoyable and at times heart-warming. She's really the main character of this film. She is the only one that has any degree of empathy and growth.

The Monkey King himself is really an irredeemable scoundrel. I've seen Disney Villains that were more likeable than this psychotic nutcase. Okay yes, the Monkey King is historically a chaotic character, but in this film they take that concept way too far. Monkey is definitely the anti-role-model of the year.

The movie doesn't really have an overall theme to speak of, doesn't really make a point, doesn't teach any value lessons to kids. The whole message of the film is: "Do what you want and hang the consequences." Lin points out that Monkey was born from an egg, didn't have a family and even the gods rejected him (as if they had no reason)... so that's supposed to be an excuse for him being a total sociopath?

Sorry, but some movies just don't pull it off, and this is one of them. In the whole movie the Monkey King learns absolutely nothing, experiences no personal growth, doesn't change at all. If you're needing an adrenaline rush this might do, but don't look for anything else in this poorly-conceived plot and presentation of an ageless character.

(Parental note: some parents may object to the film presenting Buddha as God of the universe. Some parents may be delighted at such. Let the viewer be aware.)

Set in a world overseen by Budha (BD Wong) consisting of Heaven, Hell and the world between, a monkey is born from stone (Jimmy O. Yang adult, Dee Bradley Baker baby) who is endowed with extraordinary powers but is an outsider from the rest of the monkeys. The monkey hones his abilities and after vanquishing a demon using his a stick stolen from the Dragon King (Bowen Yang) he is given the title of Monkey King. Convinced he's meant for a place in Heaven, the Monkey King sets out to conquer 100 demons in the hopes Heaven will extend an invitation to him. Along the way Monkey King has many encounters including from a young girl named Lin (Jolie Haong-Rappaport).

The Monkey King is a 2023 animated film for Netflix co-produced by Reel FX Animation and Pearl Studio. The film is an adaptation of the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West (in part anyway) which is no stranger to adaptations with many Chinese or Hong Kong productions having been produced in the past 10 years alone as well as having served as inspiration for other stories such as Dragonball Z. While The Monkey King doesn't stray to far from prior adaptations, but it is an impressive animated effort in its own right that does adequate justice to the story.

In terms of the central character, the movie does a solid job of establishing The Monkey King as an arrogant character who while powerful is lacking in wisdom or humility and is brought to life quite effectively be Jimmy O. Yang's performance. The medium of animation works very well for this story with a strong sense of freedom of movement among the characters and fantastical environments. While the Monkey King is positioned as an arrogant prideful character, the movie does a solid job of keeping him in check from becoming too grating by counterbalancing him with his Stick weapon (who despite not talking is also a character) and Lin who work well against him. While the movie sticks pretty closely to its source material, it also does feel like it plays up some parts of silliness up a little more than it should. While I have no problem with Bowen Yang's performance as the Dragon King who's the primary antagonist, the movie follows a trend of European and Asian animated productions where the overplay the comedic sides of their villains at the expense of treating them as threats.

The Monkey King is a decent animated film that isn't especially ground breaking in its rendition of this story, but it's an agreeable experience with some engaging setpieces and performances and assuming the producers decide to continue this incarnation with a follow-up I'd be interested.

As someone who has read the actual Journey To The West novel, I cannot be more disappointed with this characterization of Sun Wukong. It is embarassingly unfaithful to his overall personality, like the writers for this movie glanced at his Wikipedia page and decided to make a movie about him. In the original novel he was well liked by his fellow monkeys and was deemed the king FAR before he had obtained his staff. He is not an underdog, nor was he ever an underdog. I don't know where the idea that he had to overcome some kind of hurdle about being "different" because he was born from stone. Heck, the first two chapters of JTTW are about how he made friends with every animal in the forest, and was generally wiling his days away playing with other monkeys. He's not an outcast. He was loved and I dislike that this movie made it a point of contention to try to make it seem like he became egotistical as some kind of crutch because he was SOOO lonely. No, he became egotistical because he was IMMORTAL and INCREDIBLY STRONG, and even then he only got THOSE powers by SPENDING OVER TEN YEARS training under a legendary monk, defeating the Demon King of Havoc with his bare hands, and by then and only then did he find himself worried that he could not defend his subjects that he decided to get a weapon- which happened to be his staff (which, by the by, is not sentient and Wukong had to actually learn how to use it instead of the thing doing everything for him). I also find the East Dragon and the Jade Emperor's depictions to be alarmingly terrible. They were not the villians of Monkey King's story. There are no villains in his story other than his arrogance. The Jade Emperor is wise and capable, he was not lazy nor rude as he appears in The Monkey King (2023), and the East Dragon was noble and without vain. In fact, they were both tricked and ruffled by Wukong, who threatened them as he pleased. The whole reason the Jade Emperor had him imprisoned is because he was upset that his job wasn't high ranking enough so he fought his way out of Heaven in a massive temper tantrum and upon returning to earth declared himself heaven's equal. The Jade Emperor, The East Dragon, and Wukong are not without flaw- but even this movie stretches too far to try to make a terribly written underdog story of a character who was never meant to be an underdog.

The humor is what I can only describe as being "Netflix Humor", the type of joke that tries too hard to make you laugh. By the third line spoken by Monkey King I was already sick of him. He's not funny. He's boring, one-note, and painfully egotistical, and not in a way that lends to him being any sort of three dimensional.

My only positive is the animation is fluid and clean, but even that is not without it's flaws. The character design is terrible, the texturing worse. I applaud Wukong's face design being a reference to his appearance on stage but he looks like he should not reasonably be able to exist with a lower body the circumfrence of a pole with the upper body resembling the shape of a curled dorito. His head is shaped somewhat like a dinosaur, the best example being something like a Parasaurolophus, complete with the most unreasonably pointy and long swoop of hair I have ever seen. Having to look at him during the run time of this movie was painful. As an artist myself, it was like having cardiac arrest. I'm not dissing stylized animation at all, in fact, I approve of it. A better example of a stylized, eye-pleasing design of a monkey is Monkey from Kubo and the Two Strings. In fact, that movie is just better. Go watch Kubo and the Two Strings instead.

If you're still looking for a Journey to the West themed show aimed at children, watch Lego Monkie Kid. It is beautifully animated and the fight scenes are WELL done. It's overall funnier, better-looking, and offers a more faithful yet still original adaptation of the original JTTW.

A monkey is born from a rock with light ray eyes. He gets banished from his troupe for his carelessness when a Demon takes another baby monkey. He tries to battle the Demon and fail. He steals a magical staff and intends to defeat 100 Demons to become a God himself. Village girl Lin joins him as his assistant.

The Monkey King is a traditional Chinese character and this Hollywood Netflix movie is trying to adapt it. I can't speak to the accuracy of the adaptation. The story is a series of energetic fights over some unknowable God/magic/fantasy. It all makes sense but it doesn't make it compelling. Mostly, I don't really like the Monkey. It may be easier to center the movie by using Lin as the lead. She seems to be the more relatable character. Maybe the kids will like a fighting monkey cartoon.

Just watched on Netflix

I am only familliar with the Monkey King concept through past games, anime, and movies. So really I can understand why this movie was positioned as more of a family friendly introduction to this kind of character.

We all know the Monkey King as a cocky, balls to the wall character who aim to achieve greatness alone and so on. Him being hated by the heavens, revered by the gods, the titels go on and on. Knowing that, this movie explained his character perfectly in the start. Mostly the reason why he is who he is and his origin for having this mindset.

Even so, the story of the movie is...kinda incomplete? Like they could of done so much more on a bigger scale. At times it was hard to tell was this a comedy or a cultural tale? This is one of those films that should of just stuck to one genre instead of appealing to several demographics.

Then again I'm not gonna judge a family friendly movie too hard, its okay but the flaws are there.