JOURNEY TO THE WEST: CONQUERING THE DEMONS

Directed by: Stephen Chow and Derek Kok
Starring: Huang Bo, Shu Qi, Wen Zhang, Show Luo, Chrissie Chau
Running time: 110 minutes
Original Title: Xi You Xiang Mo Pian 

The story of Sun Go Kong, or Sun Wukong (I am not familiar with varieties of spelling and dialects, so forgive me if I am mistaken in spelling) is very famous in Indonesia. As a teenager I am familiar with Journey to the West TV series, aired in 1996. Although dubbed, I find the story of a monk, with his three followers, a very entertaining and meaningful one. Not just adventure, but each road trip has a so called moral message in it. The series is very famous in Indonesia and it has been re-run several times.

The TV series is not the only on screen adaptation of the legend, it has been told and re told several times on the screen since 1927. Even this year, Donnie Yen will appear as Sun Go Kong in The Monkey King.

This one is directed by Stephen Chow with the help of Derek Kwok and it tells about the prequel before the monk and his three followers embark on a journey to the west. The central character is Tripitaka, the monk, or Xuan Zang (Wen Zhang), before he is being a monk.

Xuan Zhang is a demon hunter and he believe in compassion and goodness in every demon he encounter. He even try to tame demon with the help of 300 Nursery Rhymes book. His non violence approach is at odds with his fellow demon hunter, Duan (Shu Qi), whose skill is far more better than him.

They crossed path as they try to tame (and capture) each demon. As they keep meeting each other, Duan start to fall for him. As expected, Stephen Chow's jokes are everywhere in it. I myself find the jokes to be funny, fresh and spot on. The part where Xuan Zhang met Sun Go Kong for the first time is also amazing and funny.

If you have seen Shaolin Soccer, Chinese Odyssey and Kung Fu Hustle, plus countless Stephen Chow's movies, you know what to expect. As for those Sun Go Kong fans, this is a re-telling, do not expect a sudden turn to change the story to be more weird, but it is a fresh re-telling and judging from the success in the box office chart, a sequel is guaranteed.