西游记之大圣归来
Monkey King: Hero Is Back
The Monkey King, stripped of his powers, regains his pride thanks to a little monk
Synopsis
Five hundred years after defying Heaven, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, is still imprisoned under a mountain. One day, a young orphan monk, Jiang Liu'er, frees him by accident.
But Sun Wukong has lost his powers: a magic seal still blocks them. Grumpy and disillusioned, he reluctantly agrees to protect the child, who is pursued by Hundun, a mountain demon who kidnaps children. Along the way, the little monk will give him back the will to be a hero.
Directed by Tian Xiaopeng after eight years of production, the film was released in China on 10 July 2015. It runs 89 minutes and freely reinvents Journey to the West.
World
The film borrows the world of Journey to the West: a land of mountains, villages and temples where demons and gods meddle in human life. The story takes place before the famous pilgrimage to India: Jiang Liu'er is the child who will later become the monk Tang Sanzang.
Power system
Sun Wukong is known for his 72 transformations, his magic staff and his superhuman strength. In the film he starts without any of it: he must regain his powers to face Hundun, a demon who can manipulate mountains and spirits.
Reception & popularity
With 956 million yuan at the box office, the film broke the record for Chinese animation in 2015. Carried by exceptional word of mouth, it is often seen as the starting point of the revival of Chinese animated films.
My take
Monkey King: Hero Is Back is a turning point: before it, few Chinese viewers believed in their own animation. Its 3D has aged a little, but the bond between the grumpy monkey and the little monk is as touching as ever.
The story is simple and the villain rather conventional. But the scene where Sun Wukong recovers his battle armour remains a great moment of animated cinema.
Who is it for?Watch it with family, or if you like epic adventures and Journey to the West.
Main characters
More character profiles are coming.
Adaptations
This franchise also exists in other formats — each with its own pacing and audience.
Trivia
- The film took eight years of work, with a team and budget modest compared to its success.
- Tian Xiaopeng went on to direct Deep Sea (深海, 2023) and announced a new Monkey King film, Havoc in Heaven.
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