Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Monkey King 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Planet of the ape.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 23, 2016

Joseph Campbell made part of his inestimable reputation on the thesis that myths were archetypal creations that blasted through the artificial barriers of nationality and culture and which therefore appealed to some “universal” aspect of human consciousness, but I had to wonder about the veracity of that stance as I watched the fascinating but peculiar The Monkey King 2. There’s no doubt that all sorts of foreign films treating folkloristic aspects from whatever culture their “native” nationality might be may well not play as convincingly to other cultures as they do in their own homeland, but The Monkey King 2 seems especially befuddling at times, perhaps due at least in part to the fact that this film’s progenitor, The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven's Palace, doesn’t seem to have had an official release stateside (the link is for an MOD BD-R, which makes me question its authenticity, though if you poke around the internet, it does appear that there are Hong Kong releases available that are supposedly Region A compatible). Would, for example, a typical Asian viewer respond as “naturally” to a distinctly American piece of folklore like Paul Bunyan or even Johnny Appleseed the same way someone born and raised in the United States would, however artful a cinematic adaptation of such tales might be? It’s something at least worth considering, though The Monkey King 2, for all of its visual ingenuity, may have other, more foundational, problems to address which may contribute to a kind of chaotic viewing experience, at least for those not completely conversant with the film’s source material, let alone the first Monkey King film.

The kind of ironic thing about that very source material is that it is evidently one of the all time classics in Chinese history, having appeared in the 16th century in its original novelistic form and seemingly attaching itself to the Chinese consciousness in a completely unprecedented way, ultimately giving rise to literally scores of both cinematic and television adaptations through the years. The original novel was entitled Journey to the West and detailed the adventures of a monk tasked with retrieving sacred Buddhist texts, a quest which ultimately brings him into contact with a trio of rather odd acolytes and/or mentors, including the titular Monkey King. The basic narrative framework of Journey to the West is followed, more or less anyway, in The Monkey King 2, though the film has a whirlwind energy that tends to elide some plot points and which can therefore tend to make things seem a little chaotic at times.

The Monkey King 2 quickly introduces monk Tang Seng (William Feng), who is basically forced to free the Monkey King (Aaron Kwok), otherwise known as Sun Wukong, from his mountain lair when Tang is attacked by a giant white tiger. Sun is convinced the event is part of a prophecy that the Mercy Goddess (Kelly Chen) has revealed to him, something that also seems to have been imparted to Tang, even if Tang isn’t quite sure that this weird simian-human hybrid is actually fulfilling. Within a short span of time, a pig demon named Zhu Bajie (Xiao Shen Yang) and a blue skinned genie type named Sha Wujing (Him Law), who are also convinced they’re part of the same prophecy, are assigned by the Mercy Goddess to make sure Tang is able to complete his sacred text quest.

This patently odd quartet is being tracked by the White Bone Demon (Gong Li), who amounts to this film’s version of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz (including her ability to skry the goings on via a kind of magical “television” like device). The film is deliberately structured as a series of vignettes, something that in and of itself tends to reflect a kind of folkloristic ambience, with Tang and his peculiar friends facing a series of obstacles (again, rather like the L. Frank Baum classic).

The Monkey King 2 is an almost willfully breathless experience, ping ponging from event to event kind of like the Monkey King himself bounces and darts from cloud to cloud with his magic baton. The film is really astounding from a production design standpoint, and the CGI effects are generally very well done. Kwok (who played a different role in the first Monkey King film) is quite winning as Sun Wukong, bringing a nice quasi-feral aspect to the character, while also dealing with the athletic demands of the role extremely well. Feng also does well as the somewhat timid but determined monk, one who repeatedly tries to “normalize” what is in essence an outlandish series of adventures.

Both the first film and this one were released in 3D in China (and, I assume, other overseas markets), but as tends to be the case more and more these days, this domestic Blu-ray only offers a 2D version. The film's visual whimsy is obviously designed to exploit dimensional effects, but even in this "flat" version, the often jaw dropping visuals manage to create a gorgeously surreal alternate universe filled with colorful (in both senses of that word) characters.

The Monkey King 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Monkey King 2 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists the Red Epic as the camera of choice, with a 2K DI, and the results are by and large glorious looking. This is a film built out of both impeccable practical elements like sumptuous production design, but a wealth of CGI and greenscreen elements, and all of them are knitted together fairly organically throughout the presentation. There are occasional moments where the CGI isn't totally convincing, but the bulk of the effects are quite impressive, even if many of them were obviously designed with 3D in mind, something that this 2D Blu-ray obviously doesn't offer. Colors are often incredibly vivid, from Sha's cobalt blue skin to Sun's kind of orange-yellow fur. Fine detail levels pop very well in close-ups (as can be seen in some of the screenshots accompanying this review), and aside from some expected softness in CGI and greenscreen elements, this presentation offers excellent clarity and sharpness.

The Monkey King 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I believe The Monkey King 2 is the first release I've personally reviewed that features a Cantonese Dolby Atmos track (there are other tracks in both Cantonese and Mandarin—see the specs above for details). While it looks to me that at least some of the actors weren't speaking Cantonese on set, at least as evidenced by the occasional mismatch of lip movements with dialogue, in terms of the sound mix itself The Monkey King 2 is a consistently enjoyable and immersive experience. Many of the big action sequences featuring the Monkey King offer a glut of surround activity, with some whimsical sound effects smartly placed around the soundfield, helping to establish the character's ability to move at lightning fast speeds and whack the living you know what out of his nemeses. Other effects, like a kind of web the White Bone Demon weaves as part of a spell are more subtle but still extremely effective. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly and fidelity is superb on this problem free track.

The Monkey King 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of offers several short EPKs focusing on various characters:

  The Monkey King (1080i; 3:16)

  The Monk (1080i; 3:33)

  Bajie (1080i; 3:27)

  Wujin (1080i; 2:33)

  A New World (1080i; 2:17)

• Trailer (1080p; 2:08)

As is the case with most Well Go USA releases, the disc has been authored so that all supplements follow each other automatically, and then the disc segues right on to the trailers for other Well Go USA releases.

The Monkey King 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I frankly had more than a few questions about not just the plot dynamics, but indeed the characters themselves, as I watched The Monkey King 2, but you know what? It ultimately hardly mattered, for the film's breathless pace and visual virtuosity made this a consistently entertaining viewing experience. This is a bright crazy quilt of energy, and for those willing to just go with the flow, the journey (to the west or otherwise) is extremely enjoyable. Technical merits are very strong, and The Monkey King 2 comes Recommended.