Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
A monkey born out of a mysterious rock aims to become an immortal God and rule heaven. Is it an impossible dream? Not for this special monkey. The 2023 animated movie “Monkey King” is inspired from Chinese epics and is quite like the depictions of the mythical figure in Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel “American Born Chinese”, which was adapted into a live-action series by Disney.
Directed by Anthony Stacchi, “Monkey King” has been written by Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman, and Rita Hsiao. The Monkey King is first introduced as a destructive little baby chimp who cannot talk, and then Jimmy O. Yang breathes life into the character as he comes of age. Once older, the monkey is determined to become an immortal heavenly being and decides that defeating 100 demons should help him get the attention of the Gods and make him one of them.
Since the writers have a lot of folklore and legend to rely on for material, the story is obviously entertaining, especially for those who aren’t familiar with the legend, but the animation doesn’t match up to the grand scale of the tale. The first few minutes of the film are engaging, but the animation style begins to get underwhelming as soon as the first demon comes forth in the film. In-fact, except for the Monkey King himself, almost all other character designs are boring, basic and dilute the film’s fun. The Jade Emperor looks ridiculous and even the Buddha’s is designed to look like massive ball of cloud. The immortal sorceress Wangmu looks like a generic drawn witch out of a British children’s book, instead of looking like a regal heavenly being.
In the first half, for about a minute or two, there’s a brief change in animation style to quickly summarize the Monkey King’s fight with 98 demons. The artwork resembled a digital art flipbook, and this change in style was quite impressive, bearing a slight resemblance to fight sequences in the renowned cartoon “Samurai Jack”. The creators should have used this switching of style a little more to keep the animation engaging. Some of the fight scenes are too dark, probably because they unfold late in the evening or at night, but it’s an animated film, so the animators could’ve sacrificed accuracy for brighter captivating battles. Luckily, Jimmy O. Yang’s spirited voice and the Monkey King’s energetic personality keeps viewers engaged for most parts.
Amid all the not so flashy fights, the film’s primary message might get lost on younger viewers. “Monkey King” is all about forging your own path in the world and fighting towards your goals even if you are all alone and don’t have anybody to watch your back. Although, the protagonist does meet an ally during his quest, an enthusiastic peasant girl called Lin (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), who becomes his assistant and helps the monkey read signs and books. So, the story also emphasizes on the need for friends and family to make one’s journey easier. The biggest lesson in the tale, however, is that regardless of one’s powers, one must be humble and kind to those around them. The Monkey King allows pride and anger to consume himself, requiring the intervention of Buddha descending to Earth to keep him in check.
I couldn’t help but think about Marvel’s 2021 animated series “Hit Monkey” while watching this film, which might not be the exact same genre as “Monkey King,” but is also about a lone monkey fighting evil forces. The Monkey King has a magic stick to take on enemies, while Hit Monkey uses swords, knives, and whatever he can grab to defeat his opponents. Okay, fine, both monkeys are cool in their own ways. Besides, the Monkey King does crazy things like visit both heaven and hell in the same day.
The climax is very different from the tone of the rest of the film, but in sync with the original legends surrounding its hero. Overall, this 2023 movie is a decent one-time watch for animation enthusiasts and is completely family friendly.
You can stream “Monkey King” on Netflix.
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