The infamous Monkey King is back, this time portrayed by none other than Donnie Yen
It’s a timeless classic of Chinese mythology that has endured through the years. Journey to the West, featuring the Monkey King and gang, is always a favourite.
This latest film stars Donnie Yen (most famous for his role as Ip Man) as the Monkey King. Of course, you can expect martial arts action and epic battles.
The story depicts the rise to power of the notorious Monkey King and his rebellion against the Jade Emperor, before his greatest adventure: The Journey to the West.
Birth from a Rock
After the battle of gods and demons, the Goddess Nu Wa used 36,500 magic boulders to repair heaven, and one of them accidentally fell onto Earth and sat on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, on an island across the Eastern Sea.
Bathed for thousands of years in the energies of Heaven and Earth as well as the light of Sun and Moon, a godly creature was nurtured inside the stone-egg and finally it cracked open to release a full-grown monkey.
The Wilful Warrior
With magical powers beyond that of the mortals who lived in the world, the monkey, named Sun Wukong, constantly seeks validation of his existence. He finds various avenues to further hone his skills and abilities.
Meanwhile, the Demon King, played by Aaron Kwok, seeks vengeance upon the armies of Heaven. A witch tells him that the key to his victory would be Sun Wukong.
In the meantime, Wukong has learnt and trained his skills with Master Subhuti and has mastered skills beyond the measure of any mortal. However, he begins to wreak havoc around the world because of his wilful and mischievous nature.
Determined to find weapons to protect his tribe, Wukong ventures under the sea to the Kingdom of the Dragon King, where he obtains a suit of magic armour and flying boots.
In the process, he creates havoc by lifting the immense Ruyi Cudgel out of the ocean floor. This act destroys the underwater palace and unleashes a powerful tsunami, but he keeps the weapon that becomes the most powerful in his arsenal.
The Demon King sees his worth and convinces him to assault Heaven. Everything seems to be going the Demon King’s way, but will the wilful warrior-king ultimately serve a greater purpose?
A Star-Studded Affair
This exciting take on the timeless tale of the Monkey King utilises a star-studded cast to propel the film. With names such as Donnie Yen, Chow Yun-Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Aaron Kwok (The Storm Warriors) and Gigi Leung (7 Assassins), one would expect this to be a blockbuster.
What most people don’t know is that Jet Li was also considered for the role of the Monkey King.
This timeless tale does have a moral as well, and touches on the themes of the responsibility of power, the acquiring of true wisdom and redemption through sacrifice.
Bored of the same old story or excited about the remake? Watch before you decide.
The Monkey King [PG]
DIRECTOR: Cheang Pou-Soi
STARRING: Donnie Yen, Chow Yun-Fat, Aaron Kwok, Zhang Zilin and Gigi Leung
GENRE: Adventure / Fantasy
RUN LENGTH: 90 min
RELEASE: Feb 6
ADVERTISEMENTS