The Monkey King (2023)

The Monkey King is loose and making westward journey...to Hollywood!

Netflix films can be hit or miss. That's no secret. However, between last year's Pinnochio, and the recent releases of Nimona and now The Monkey King...Netflix is doing pretty well. So far. With that out of the...now: pay your writers and actors a fair and livable compensation 😤.

On the subject of the film itself: This is pretty much the classic Chinese folk epic Journey to the West  getting the 90s Disney treatment in the vein of Hercules or Aladdin. It starts out a little chaotic because they’re really trying to breeze through an origin story about a character that’s manic by nature, and it makes some of the humor fall a little flat at times. That said,  once it finds its footing and starts delivering the beats of the classic folk character for whom it’s named, The Monkey King actually does a rather amazing job of exploring and humanizing one of the most prolific heroes of Chinese fiction while remaining startlingly faithful to the spirit of what makes him unique and timeless. The two main musical sequences are a blast (especially the Metal-infused demon-slaying montage early on). The lead vocal performances are energetic and committed to selling a modern, comedic tale on characters that have been around for hundreds of years. I also appreciated. Distinctly non-white washed cast that felt authentic to ancient Chinese setting while still delivering thrills and laughs to match the youthful new vibe brought to a rather ancient lore of source materials.

Overall, the film is fun, colorful, beautifully animated and the voice cast does an excellent job at bringing life to its characters. So while it starts off a little south of stellar, I wound up loving it by the end; as both a fan of animation AND a years-long fan of the monkey king mythology. That villain song will live rent free in my head for weeks 😩

Oh yeah, and pay your writers and actors a fair and livable compensation 😤

You're on notice, Hollywood