[yasr_overall_rating]
500 years after the Monkey King wreaked havoc in heaven, a traveling monk releases him from his confines under the Five Finger Mountain. With newfound freedom the Monkey King vows to protect the innocent from a demon seeking immortality as he accompanies the monk on an epic journey to the West.
“The Monkey King 2” is the sequel to the 2014 hit, aptly titled, “The Monkey King.” It is based on the classic novel ‘Journey to the West’ by Wu Cheng’en. Growing up in Ireland back in the ’70s and the ’80s, my friends and I used to watch a TV show called “Monkey,” about a skilled fighter who becomes a brash king who, by the powers of heaven, is assigned to a Buddhist monk who undertakes a pilgrimage from China to India to fetch holy scriptures. They are accompanied by two former members of the Heavenly Host and they must all protect the monk, no matter what the cost. This is pretty much “The Monkey King 2,” adapted from the book and TV show and while I was initially excited to see a film version of a much-beloved TV show that has been engrained into my memory from childhood, sadly, while the story remains intact, everything else does not. Part 2 is actually closer to the novel and TV show which it is based upon, as opposed to the first movie which only encompasses elements from them both.
Having been imprisoned for 500 years under the Five Fingers Mountain for impatience and for running amok in the heavens above, he is accidentally freed by a young Buddhist monk named Tang Sanzang (Feng Shaofeng). Once he is released though, he is informed by the Mercy Goddess (Kelly Chen), that he must accompany Tang on his long and dangerous journey to India, where he is to collect Buddha’s scriptures. Along the way, they become associated with Zhu Baije (Xiao Shen Yang), a salacious pig demon, and Sha Wujing (Him Law), a djinn-like monk. On their trek, all four must battle the White Bone Demon (Gong Li), an evil spirit who steals children and feeds on their lifeforce. When she finds out about Tang and his purity, she decides that she must kill him, the result of which will bring an end to her mortal life on earth, and allow her the ability to become an immortal demon. She and her minions disguise themselves as beautiful lost women in a dark and treacherous forest, as they try to deceive the foursome but with the Monkey King’s fiery golden eyes, which gives him supernatural penetrating vision, he sees through their facade and manages to save his friends. As they near the Yun Hai Xi Kingdom, the home of the White Bone Demon, they must battle not just her, but also an army of the undead, if they are to survive and get Tang to India safely.
“The Monkey King 2” tries too hard to be entertaining, combining excessive slapstick with more serious thematic elements, resulting in a very unbalanced conclusion. While this exact same style of humor worked on the 1970s TV show I grew up on, it did so because the show’s overall theme was farcical, nothing was ever taken too seriously and what few moments of sincerity it did produce, were quickly forgotten about when Monkey would utilize his magic powers and quickly summon a cloud upon which he could fly, as well as all the outrageous martial arts fighting that materialized in each episode. I think in today’s world, the sort of slapstick humor on display here is best suited for younger audiences, who can accept what they are seeing and have fun with it. Even though I am a big kid at heart, there are some films that try too hard to please, and instead, end up insulting your intelligence.
Available on Blu-ray, DVD & On Demand Tuesday, December 27th
