Monkey King: Hero Is Back (2015)
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Monkey King: Hero Is Back Movie Review
Monkey King: Hero Is Back is a 2015 Chinese animated family fantasy film directed by Tian Xiaopeng. It is one of the best that Chinese animation has to offer.
After spending 500 years in an ice cage, the Monkey King is released by a child to save his village from monsters. Based on the iconic Journey to the West, this is yet another among numerous iterations of the Monkey King myth and it’s one of the better ones. While the movie isn’t really for adults, I personally found that childlike element very endearing and ultimately wonderful.
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What sets this Monkey King movie apart from other Chinese animated pictures is its easy to follow narrative. I cannot stress this enough, but this was hugely refreshing for the country that has the tendency to produce animation that features way too many narrative threads and characters, making it difficult for Westerners to properly understand. This one is different in that it’s a simpler, and thus all the more enjoyable tale.
An absolute hidden gem that not enough people talk about, Monkey King is a movie that features so many utter delights. Whether talking about its lovable characters or its goofy humor, the flick is difficult not to fall in love with. I personally found that goofy, sometimes gross-out and mostly childlike humor highly enjoyable. It represents some of the best slapstick animation I’ve seen recently and it harkens back to the Disney classics of yesteryear.
I laughed so hard more than a couple of times, which I did not expect from a fantasy film. And that is not to say that the filmmakers forgot about the fantastical elements, which they most certainly did not as the action is thrilling and the imagery is frequently spectacular. There is this bluish dragon in the movie that is just gorgeous and epic to behold. The same goes for the other creatures. Trolls may be a bit too goofy, but they work in the context of the creatures’ origins.
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The animation is just phenomenal. The character designs are lovely and the color palette is richly colorful and pleasingly bright. The fluid, polished CGI and VFX made for such a gorgeous viewing experience. The fights aren’t overly utilized, but when they are, they’re a blast to follow. The villain is cool and menacing while his final transformation reminded me pleasantly of Ghibli’s ‘Spirited Away’.
As for the other characters, the titular monkey is great. I loved his arc and how he changed his personality gradually. His connection with the boy was tender and so sweet. The boy is the cutest little monk out there. Just watching his mannerisms was so adorable. Another highlight has to be Pigsy. A war god who is now a pig, he is such a hilarious buffoon that he threatened to derail the movie at first with overwhelming comedy, but he is so funny that ultimately he worked.
The ending to Monkey King is sweet, but somewhat rushed. The whole flick is overly short and the additional ten minutes or so would have helped it significantly. The pacing is also not amazing. However, the dialogue is quite funny as is the slapstick while the movie’s treatment of this oft-told tale was authentically family-friendly and elegant. It really deserves more love.
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