Stephan Chow's Journey to the West: Conquering Demons

Martial Media, Culture and Other Arts Martial Media and Popular Culture
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The Mountain of Fruit and Flowers

Check out our latest web pub: Visiting the Home of the Monkey King by Gregory Brundage

10 February 2013| last updated at 08:56PM
Cinema: Humour saves the Journey
By LOONG WAI TING | loongwaiting@nstp.com.my

HELMED by directors Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer) and Derek Kok (Gallants and Frozen), Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons sees Chow’s return to the big screen after his slightly disappointing movie, CJ7, in 2008.

Chow, who found international fame after his successful 2001’s Shaolin Soccer and then 2004’s Kung Fu Hustle, continues to impress in his latest effects-driven movie about the legendary pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk Xuan Zang and his three disciples — Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.

But the movie is not without its flaws. While trying hard to keep to the original storyline of Xuan Zang and his disciples’ journey to India to obtain sacred Buddhist texts, Chow seems to have something else on his mind. In his version, the world is plagued by demons who cause terrible suffering to mankind. Guided by his belief of sacrificing himself for a greater cause, young demon catcher Xuan Zang (Wen) risks his life to catch the water demon, pig demon and Monkey King (Huang Bo).

He makes them his disciples and reforms them. The monk then discovers the true meaning of Greater Love when he meets another demon slayer, Miss Duan (Shu Qi).

In this blend of delirious comedy, romance and martial arts, Chow never once makes an appearance (not even a cameo) in this movie as he did in Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer and CJ7. He last played Monkey King, Sun Wukong in Jeffrey Lau’s two-part adaptation movie A Chinese Odyssey (1994).

But his absence in the movie should not stop his fans from catching the movie, a Chinese New Year attraction. However, whether they will like this as much as his previous comedies remains to be seen.

The movie is peppered almost shamelessly with flawed computer-generated images. The transition from scene-to-scene isn’t as smooth as one would have hoped. Attentive audiences will have no problem in spotting the many mistakes and unrealistic computer-generated demons.

The overall acting is enjoyable. Shu Qi’s Miss Duan is a joy to watch. Her witty performance is natural, despite some flaws in her Cantonese pronunciation. All the other actors seem to be having great fun bringing their characters to life.
Conquering The Demons is enjoyable because of the humour the actors pull off with deadpan expressions.

NOW SHOWING

JOURNEY TO THE WEST: CONQUERING THE DEMONS (Cantonese)
Directed by Stephen Chow and Derek Kok
Starring Shu Qi, Show Luo, Wen Zhang, Huang Bo, Chrissie Chau
Duration 110 minutes
Rating PG13


Before becoming a monk, Xuan Zang (Wen Zhang) was a demon catcher.

22

Yippie Ki Yay!

John McClane beats out Sun Wukong in HK…:frowning:

Hollywood maintains grip on HK CNY
By Stephen Cremin
Thu, 14 February 2013, 15:55 PM (HKT)

For the second year in a row, a Hollywood film has taken the most money over the Chinese New Year holidays in Hong Kong.

This year’s box office winner was A Good Day to Die Hard, taking HK$12.0 million (US$1.55 million) over the four-day holiday period. One year ago, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2011) took HK$14.2 million (US$1.83 million).

According to Hong Kong’s Motion Picture Industry Association Ltd (MPIA) , the holiday box office was 6.34% down on 2012 figures, from HK$47.1 million (US$6.07 million) to HK$44.1 million (US$5.68 million).

Second-placed this year was Stephen CHOW 's Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons with HK$10.5 million (US$1.35 million). It has now taken HK$15.8 million (US$2.04 million) after seven days on release.

Runner ups included I Love Hong Kong 2013 and Hotel Deluxe on HK$8.11 (US$1.05 million) and HK$6.36 (US$820,000) respectively over the four day holiday period.

In fifth and sixth place were Hotel Transylvania and animation The Mythical Ark: Adventures in Love & Happiness with HK$3.02 million (US$389,000) and HK$483,000 (US$62,300) respectively.

Although figures are not yet available for Taiwan, early estimates suggest that the latest episode in the Die Hard franchise was also the number one film at the Taipei box office. However, local comedy David Loman may have won nationwide.

In China, Journey to the West is the undisputed box office leader, and has likely crossed RMB300 million (US$48.1 million) after four-and-a-half days in cinemas. It’s main competition on Valentine’s Day today is romantic comedy Say Yes! which opened strongly on RMB13.6 million (US$2.18 million) on Tuesday.

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What an odd date movie for PRC…

Journey breaks China single-day BO record
By Stephen Cremin
Fri, 15 February 2013, 17:55 PM (HKT)

Stephen CHOW 's Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons broke single-day box office records in China yesterday, taking between RMB116 million (US$18.6 million) and RMB122 million (US$19.6 million) on Valentine’s Day.

The previous record holder was Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) with RMB112 million (US$18.0 million) on a single day on release in July 2011. Michael Bay’s film ended its run with RMB1.11 billion (US$178 million) in China.

After five days in cinemas, it is already the tenth highest grossing Chinese-language film of all time in China. It will likely overtake If You are the One II (2010) and The Founding of a Republic (2009) today to be eighth-placed.

The three-highest grossing Chinese-language films at the Mainland box office were all released in the past twelve months. Chow’s film has no major competition until the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey next Friday.

Also performing strongly is Leste CHEN 's romantic comedy Say Yes! , taking approximately RMB44 million (US$7.1 million) yesterday. In three days, it has grossed approximately RMB73 million (US$11.7 million).

Say Yes!, a feature film adaptation of Fuji Television Network Inc 's television drama 101st Marriage Proposal (1991), stars LIN Chi-ling opposite HUANG Bo . Huang also co-stars in Journey to the West and Lost in Thailand , China’s biggest domestic hit.

ALL-TIME CHINA BOX OFFICE (CHINESE-LANGUAGE FILMS ONLY)

1.Lost in Thailand () — RMB1.25b (US$200m)
2. CZ12 () — RMB869m (US$139m)
3. Painted Skin: The Resurrection () — RMB727m (US$116m)
4. Let the Bullets Fly () — RMB674m (US$108m)
5. Aftershock () — RMB665m (US$107m)
6. The Flowers of War () — RMB597m (US$95.6m)
7. Flying Swords of Dragon Gate () — RMB543m (US$86.9m)
8. If You are the One II () — RMB483m (US$77.3m)
9. The Founding of a Republic () — RMB420m (US$67.3m)
10. Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons () — RMB417m (US$66.8m)

I’ve seen 6 out of the top 10. Soon to be 7 when I manage to get a gander at this flick.

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Just realized Kwok was co-director. Awesome. Gallants is an all-time favorite.

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Monkey King is KING!

Who will post that first forum member review?

February 20, 2013, 7:21 PM

‘Journey to the West’ Conquers Chinese Box Office


MediAdvertising (HK) Ltd
Stephen Chow’s ‘Journey to the West’ is breaking Chinese box-office records.


MediAdvertising (HK) Ltd.
A scene from the movie

Just weeks after “Lost in Thailand” broke box-office records to become China’s highest-grossing movie ever, a new blockbuster is giving the low-budget comedy hit a run for its money.

As of Tuesday, “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” pulled in 762.3 million yuan ($122.1 million) since opening on Feb. 10, according to media-research firm EntGroup Inc. It still has a long way to go before reaching the 1.26 billion yuan earned by “Lost in Thailand,” but the Hollywood Reporter predicted this week that “Journey to the West” would soon march past “Lost in Thailand” to become China’s highest-earning domestically produced movie.

“Journey to the West” is the creation of director-writer Stephen Chow, best known for “Shaolin Soccer,” “Kung Fu Hustle” and dozens of other hits. (Mr. Chow, a popular comedic actor, doesn’t appear in “Journey to the West.”) The 3-D movie, based on the classic Ming Dynasty novel “Journey to the West,” follows the adventures of a young demon-catcher. Audiences have responded enthusiastically to Mr. Chow’s potent mix of action, comedy, terror, romance, and a trio of popular stars: Shu Qi, Wen Zhang and Huang Bo.

The movie has already set some records. Its opening-day take was 81.7 million yuan, breaking the 70-million-yuan record of “Painted Skin: The Resurrection” for a domestic movie. The Hollywood blockbuster “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” remains the opening-day champ with 102 million yuan. But last week “Journey to the West” claimed the title of largest single-day gross (on Feb. 14) of 123 million yuan for all films — domestic and foreign — surpassing the previous one-day record of 114 million yuan set in 2011 for the third installment of the “Transformers” franchise.

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Review

Ok. I got this one. :slight_smile:

You’ve got to take my review with a grain of salt though because I have a serious hang-up about works of literature being butchered in order to make blockbuster movies–I know it’s necessary, but it still bothers me.

Anyway, it’s not a bad movie, but it’s not a great movie either. Probably much more enjoyable to watch in 3D, but really I didn’t find anything memorable or special about the movie.

It made me laugh a few times, and there were a few surprises in it, and even one or two somewhat profound moments, but not nearly enough for a movie over two hours long.

The action is all fantasy wuxia style which is appropriate to the subject, though I found it totally over the top even for ‘Journey to the West.’ Still probably was fun to watch in 3D.

The changes for the sake of the movies box office success are what really bothered me–Xuan Zhang is not supposed to be brave and handsome…Could complain more, but anyway that’s what happens in movies.

IMO it’s a kind of fun movie, but offers absolutely nothing special. Sorry. :o

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I found a place to watch it online. I’ll let you know what I thought about it when I get a chance. I’m studying for midterms right now.

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[QUOTE=ghostexorcist;1213713]I found a place to watch it online. I’ll let you know what I thought about it when I get a chance. I’m studying for midterms right now.[/QUOTE]

I just finished watching it. Shaolindan hit the nail on the head; this movie lacks something that Stephen Chow’s previous movies had. It’s too serious to be a comedy and too funny to be a drama. It is extremely slow and, as Dan mentioned, it butchers the hell out of the original story. Don’t get me wrong, I thought some of the changes they made were a fresh take on an old subject. For instance, they initially portray Sun Wukong as a balding middle-aged man dressed in tattered clothes. When he first appears, he gives off a very eerie “I’ve been down in this hole for so long that I’ve lost my mind” sort of vibe. One of the few funny scenes involved Wukong flirting with a female character and giving her dance lessons. There is just something hilarious about one of the most powerful beings in the universe trying to get into a girl’s pants. There were a few characters that the kung fu crowd will like, such as the guy (Xing Yu) who channels animal spirits while fighting with demons. When he fights using tiger style, for example, a giant tiger appears behind him. The ending is, I feel, the best part of the movie. I won’t give anything away, but just know Sun Wukong reminds us of why he is such a bad ass, and the Buddha reminds us that an enlightened mind wins over brute strength.

I give it a 2 out of 5. This could have been much better than it was.

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Kudos to SD & ge!

[QUOTE=ShaolinDan;1213617]The changes for the sake of the movies box office success are what really bothered me–Xuan Zhang is not supposed to be brave and handsome…[/QUOTE] Did you see Chinese Odyssey? Xuan Zhang was a droning bore in that one - played so for comic relief.

[QUOTE=ghostexorcist;1213742] this movie lacks something that Stephen Chow’s previous movies had. [/QUOTE] Indeed. Might that have been Stephen Chow?

Haven’t seen this yet myself. It’s in the queue tho. Thanks guys!

Meanwhile…

Special Effects Team To Blame For Asuras Wrath Plagiarism, Say People Blamed for Plagiarism
Eric Jou

Stephen Chow’s latest box office offering, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, is slated by the Chinese press to rake in billions of yuan by the time its run is over. However one thing is still causing problems for Chow: the allegations that his movie stole assets from a video game.

Chow, the director, who has acted in gems like Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, is seen like something of a comedy god in China. He’s been given the honorific of “ye ,” which is often given to elders or people of high esteem such as nobles. Last week we reported that various Chinese press spotted scenes in Chow’s Journey which had ripped off Capcom’s Asura’s Wrath.

A Mr. Wei speaking on behalf of Chow’s camp came out and said, “The plagiarizing has nothing to do with Chow and our people, the special effects and everything regarding the graphics were done by the effects company, please direct your questions towards them.”

Wei’s comments seem to skirt the issue of whether Chow was involved at all, but Tencent was quick on the uptake. They report that in a previous interview with the co-director of the movie, Derek Kwok, Kwok said that the duo has seen Asura’s Wrath and that they’re “fans of animation, so long as the animation is good, we are fine.”

Kwok’s comments seem to contradict what’s coming from of Chow’s people. In that same interview, Kwok also made a point about how Chow couldn’t have been implicated in any wrongdoing, going so far as saying “Chow is a busy person.”

Kotaku has reached out to both Capcom and Chow. Capcom has declined to comment and Chow’s camp has not returned a comment at all.

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[QUOTE=GeneChing;1213842]Did you see Chinese Odyssey? Xuan Zhang was a droning bore in that one - played so for comic relief.[/quote]

They didn’t really butcher the novel; they just inserted a storyline into the main storyline. A good example is the Supplement of the Journey to the West (1641). This brief novel describes a story that is inserted in between chapters 61 and 62 of the original. It has time travel just like A Chinese Odyssey.

Indeed. Might that have been Stephen Chow?

Haven’t seen this yet myself. It’s in the queue tho. Thanks guys!

I knew from your posts that he wouldn’t be in it. That was certainly disappointing. I think you will see what I mean, though, when you watch it. Even if he had been a character, I don’t think it would have seemed like one of his projects. Normally, his movies are funnier and faster paced. However, I will say Chrissie Chau, who plays one of Shu Qi’s underlings, is smoking hot! An example:

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[QUOTE=GeneChing;1213842]Meanwhile…[/QUOTE]

Wow, check this page out for a side-by-side comparison of the video game in question and Chow’s film (SPOILER). It’s undeniable.

http://www.martialartsmoviejunkie.com/2013/02/18/did-journe-to-the-west-steal-a-scene/

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You guys can can watch it here:

http://osemtv.com/watch_video.php?v=82H89H3K3SD7#_

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Still doing quite well

See also in the article Stephen Chow Signs Deal for ‘Journey to the West’ Theme Park in our Chinese Theme Parks thread.

Local films score at BO around Asia
By Patrick Frater and Stephen Cremin
Thu, 28 February 2013, 11:59 AM (HKT)

Asian films put in some strong – and sometimes surprising – performances at the box office around the region.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons  (pictured), Stephen CHOW 's historical fantasy, continued its remarkable journey at the Chinese BO, by adding a further RMB335 million (US$53.7 million) last week. That gives it a cumulative total to 24 Feb of RMB993 million (US$160 million). Newcomer The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey scored RMB115 million (US$18.5 million) over three days at the weekend. Local romantic comedy Say Yes!  had taken RMB170 million (US$27.3 million) by Sunday night. Cloud Atlas, which has significant Chinese, Hong Kong and Singaporean investment, nudged its total up to RMB165 million (US$26.5 million). It is now expected to overtake its $27 million North American total.

In Singapore Ah Boys to Men 2  topped the local box office chart for the fourth successive week. That took its cumulative total to S$7.08 million (US$5.72 million) in 26 days and improved its record as the biggest Singaporean film of all time. It score now also makes it the tenth highest grossing film of any nationality in Singapore, behind Spiderman III on S$7.83 million (US$6.32 million). Distributor Clover Films Pte Ltd estimates that ABTM2 will finish its run on S$7.5 million (US$6.06 million). The highest grossing film of all time in Singapore was last year's The Avengers on S$13.73 million (US$11.1 million).

In South Korea, the top two chart positions are taken by local films, New World  and Miracle in Cell No. 7  ; both are financed and distributed by indie firm Next Entertainment World. New World managed ticket sales of 1.04 million in its first five days on release. But it is Miracle that has really rocked the chart. Released on 23 Jan, it has become only the eighth local film to sell more than 10 million tickets in the modern era. By 26 Feb it had scored 10.4 million admissions, for a box office total of 74.5 billion ($69.3 million). Directed by LEE Hwan-kyung  on a budget of 3.8 billion (US$3.5 million), it is the tale of how a man-child's 6-year-old daughter is snaked into his cell after he is falsely imprisoned.

In Taiwan, David Loman has crossed NT$100 million (US3.37 million) at the Taipei box office. By Sunday night, the Chinese New Year comedy had taken NT$111 million (US$3.73 million), and is estimated to have made three times that nationwide. Other local films released over the holidays had disappointing box office, including Step Back to Glory  with NT$10.9 million (US$366,000) and Get Together  with NT$7.25 million (US$244,000). Still on release, Ang LEE 's Life of Pi had taken NT$220 million (US$7.41 million) by Sunday night.

In Vietnam, 3-D costume-action film The Lady Assassin M nhân k broke records as the number one local film of all time, with 52 billion (US$2.49 million) by 17 Feb, smashing the 42 billion (US$2.00 million) record of gangster comedy Big Boss Long rui (2011). On Valentine's Day, it broke single-day records with 5.5 billion (US$263,000). It had no major competition in local cinemas until 22 Feb when Journey to the West, Beautiful Creatures, Broken City and The Last Stand opened.
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Monkey still climbing the tree

‘Journey to the West’ Passes $160 Million at Chinese Box Office
6:35 AM PST 2/25/2013 by Clarence Tsui


Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons 2013 H
Stephen Chow Sing-chi’s fantastical comedy becomes the second Chinese film in as many months to hit 10-digit local earnings at home, with its quest to top “Avatar’s” record takings of 1.38 billion yuan possibly hindered by the release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

HONG KONG – Another month, another record-breaker. Less than two months after Lost in Thailand became the first Chinese production to take more than 1 billion yuan ($160.3 million) at the local box-office, Stephen Chow Sing-chi’s Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons did the same – and in fewer days than the previous record-holder.

According to figures released on the state-backed China Film News blog, Journey to the West generated 330 million yuan ($52.9 million) from Feb. 18-24, bringing its total box-office earnings to 983 million yuan ($157.6 million) up until Sunday. Averaging daily takings of 65.5 million yuan, the film would easily have crossed the 1 billion yuan threshold on Monday, thus sealing its standing as the second highest-grossing local production ever in mainland China.

With Chow still traveling around the country to promote the film, Journey is expected to continue its challenge to beat the local-production record set by Lost in Thailand last month (1.26 billion yuan/$202 million) and then the all-time Chinese box-office mark of James Cameron’s Avatar (1.38 billion yuan/$221.2 million, from Jan./Feb. 2010). By earning 122 million yuan ($19.6 million) on Feb. 14, Journey has already broken the single-day ticket-sales record set by Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011 (116 million yuan/$18.6 million).

Whether Chow’s film could fulfill that quest hinges on its ability to withstand the challenge of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which has performed remarkably since its Feb. 22 opening, taking in 115 million yuan ($18.4 million) in just three days. There’s also Jean Valjean and Fantine to take care of, with Les Miserables – the profile of which has certainly risen again with Anne Hathaway’s Oscar win and the ensemble performance at the awards ceremony on Sunday – opening in the country on Feb. 28.

Where Bilbo Baggins has thrived, Tom Cruise has withered, however. Up until Feb. 24, Jack Reacher has just taken 80 million yuan ($12.8 million) – a situation which would possibly leave its Chinese total earnings trailing that of Cloud Atlas, which has now accumulated 170 million yuan ($27.3 million) in the territory.

But Monkey hits an obstacle…:frowning:

Stephen Chow, China’s Huayi Brothers in Dispute Over ‘Journey to the West’ Profits
12:54 AM PST 2/28/2013 by Clarence Tsui

Stephen Chow - P 2013
Getty Images
The Hong Kong director and mainland Chinese film studio are locked in a war of words over the distribution of earnings for the blockbuster.

HONG KONG – As Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons continues its record-breaking march towards becoming the top-grossing domestic production ever released in China, a parallel drama is unfolding online, as the film’s producer-director and his mainland Chinese partner engage in an escalating battle over how the spoils are to be shared.

For the past week, Stephen Chow Sing-chi’s Bingo Group and the Beijing-based Huayi Brothers studio have issued separate notices contesting how Journey’s net profits are to be divided. The main sticking point is whether Huayi is an investor in the production, or merely the Chinese distributor of the film – if the latter, the studio’s take will be considerably less.

The saga began on Feb. 5, when an entry in Huayi CEO Wang Zhonglei’s blog stated how his company is contracted to receive the biggest share of Journey’s net profits – a comment followed two days later by an official notice claiming the studio to be an investor as well as the mainland Chinese distributor of the film. This claim contrasted sharply with Bingo’s announcement last Nov., which did not name Huayi among the project’s four financing parties.

As Journey broke the 1-billion-yuan ($160 million) threshold on Monday, Huayi issued another notice stating the company should receive pre-tax profits of $31.5 (196 million yuan) from the film. Bingo responded in the evening with an online notice saying that Huayi would receive 12 percent of the film’s net profits as distributors plus an additional share of box-office dividends, while the investors – excluding Huayi Brothers – may “actually obtain approximately 70 percent of the net income calculated from distribution of the film in mainland China.”

After Bingo’s missive dismissing Huayi’s claims of being an investor, Wang fought back with yet another post the next day claiming it should be his company, under an agreement struck with Bingo and their partners, which is to receive 70 to 90 percent of the film’s net takings after the deduction of the distribution fee – an amount which would translate to total earnings from $43 million (270 million yuan) to $57 million (356 million yuan) if the film is to surpass 1.2 billion yuan ($192 million) in ticket sales, as many analysts predict.

Speaking to the Apple Daily newspaper on Wednesday, Chow declined to comment on his conflict with Huayi, saying his company is already dealing with the matter. The potentially disintegrating relationship between Chow and Wang is startling, given how the pair regularly appeared together at promotional events for Journey before the film opened.

Huayi has been pursuing better financial returns in 2013 after the disappointing performance of Feng Xiaogang’s historical drama Back to 1942 in 2012. Made with a budget of $33.7 million (210 million yuan), the film only took $58 million (364 million yuan) during its Nov.-Dec. run, losing out not just to Ang Lee’s Life of Pi but also actor-turned-director Xu Zheng’s comedy Lost in Thailand, which has since gone on to gross $202 million (1.26 billion yuan), becoming China’s highest-grossing domestic production ever.

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Just .16 billion to go…

Stephen Chow’s Blockbuster continues box office conquest
(Xinhua)
11:03, March 05, 2013
(Source: CRI Online)


“Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons,” a period adventure comedy created by writer-director Stephen Chow, had raked in more than 1.1 billion yuan (176.7 million U.S. dollars) as of Sunday, the film’s production company announced.

The film took in 80 million yuan when it debuted on Feb. 10, the biggest opening ever for a domestic film. It pulled in a combined 1.08 billion yuan throughout February, the Huayi Bros. Media Group said.

Chow’s 3-D action comedy, based on the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” follows the adventures of a young demon hunter.

China’s current box office record is held by “Lost in Thailand,” a low-budget comedy that has earned more than 1.26 billion yuan since it debuted last December. However, many believe Chow’s movie will break that record before it leaves theaters.
Still haven’t seen this or LiT.

36

Funny review

Talk about academic snobbery…:stuck_out_tongue:

Monkey Man
Global Times | 2013-3-7 19:38:02
By Jonny Clement Brown


Monkey in all its reincarnations, including Huang Bo as Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, in Stephen Chow’s latest adaptation Photos: CFP




According to statistics from the state-backed China Film News blog, just two weeks after its release, the Stephen Chow directed and produced Journey to the West: Conquering Demons (Chow’s third film interpretation of the 16th-century classic Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en) broke all manner of Chinese box office records by surpassing an unprecedented 1 billion yuan ($160 million).

Official figures on Sina Weibo state that within the first 15 days of its February 10 release, the film had been played 435,620 times throughout the nation and seen by an estimated 24.8 million.

Less than two months after previous local box office champion Lost in Thailand became the first Chinese production to take in more than 1 billion yuan, the enduring story of a young monk traveling west to India at the request of Buddha seems to still strum an emotional chord within the local consciousness.

With Chow - the star and man at the helm of some of China’s most successfully exported comedy capers (Shaolin Soccer in 2001 and Kung Fu Hustle in 2004) - reportedly signing on for a 25 percent stake in a 173-acre Journey to the West theme park in Wuzhen (just outside Shanghai) as well as the impending release of The Monkey King starring Donnie Yen this July (yet another re-interpretation of the classic novel), it seems everyone has gone bananas for the Monkey King. Not to mention that one of Spain’s finest directors, Guillermo Del Torro, is purported to be working on a Hollywood adaptation of Wu Cheng’en’s novel.

“It’s a story about austerities. About how human beings achieve perfection through austerity. It’s a book full of wisdom,” says Li An’gang, professor of Chinese classical literature at Yuncheng University, Shanxi Province. “The monkey character represents our minds, which can transform 72 times, travel 9,000 kilometers and change size in the blink of an eye.”

If anyone should know about how to relate the appeal of the main protagonist - ostensibly a talking primate - to modern world dwellers, it’s professor Li. He’s been lecturing on the book for more than 30 years. Li states that the appeal of Monkey for Chinese people is simple: “It’s a story about how to enlighten your mind. So everyone, not only Chinese, can find something for themselves within. No matter where they are from, those who know growth will come to understand this book.”

However, despite the astronomical takings at the box office for Conquering Demons, not everyone found peace and wisdom in Chow’s Monty Python-esque and somewhat trippy-slacker re-imagining of the tale.

“I would never recommend this movie to my friends,” says University of Science and Technology Beijing graduate student Heaven Wang, 25. “I probably will never understand the success of this movie. It’s haphazard and lacks consistency. I didn’t get the humor and it was a bit too scary for children and those with heart conditions,” she said. Wang is not the only person Metro Beijing interviewed who thought little of Chow’s interpretation. But Li didn’t have too many expectations for Chow’s version and all its special effects.

“It’s quite clear from the title that this was going to be a spoof of monkey movies from the past,” says Li. “Clearly, people of this generation like these kinds of movies and the box office figures show that.” Li calls Chow’s efforts “spirited,” but hopes for a more serious film adaptation in the future.

“I couldn’t care less if there is an upcoming movie starring Donnie Yen,” Wang says. “The story has been exhausted completely. I don’t know how it will do at the box office, but I know I will never go to see that movie.”

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Variety review

Film Review: ‘Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons’
03.10.13 | 05:48PM PT
Richard Kuipers

Visuals are more dazzling than the storytelling in “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons.” A qualified return to form for Hong Kong hitmaker Stephen Chow (“Kung Fu Hustle) after mushy sci-fier “CJ7,” this mostly entertaining action-fantasy-comedy about a demon hunter soars when pyrotechnics take centerstage, but is less successful when the focus switches to words. Nevertheless, “Journey” has gone bananas since its Feb. 7 domestic release and looks certain to crack the $200 million mark and overtake “Lost in Thailand” as the highest grossing Chinese movie. Commercial potential beyond Chinese-speaking auds appears limited. North American release details are pending.

The pic is the umpteenth movie inspired by Wu Cheng-er’s classic 16th century novel “Journey to the West.” The source material about the arrival of Buddhism in China provided the basis for “A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora’s Box” and “A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella,” domestic hits starring Chow as the mischievous Monkey King.

With Derek Kwok (“Gallants”) credited as associate director, “Journey” follows a simple pattern of elaborate set-pieces followed by brief pauses for reflection and explanation, not all of which are entirely compelling or convincing.

The first spectacular sequence shows young demon hunter Xuanzang (Wen Zhang) arriving in a fishing village during a gory, “Jaws”-like attack by the fearsome Water Demon. Chow’s knack for mixing suspense and slapstick is impressively displayed as Xuanzang leaps about rickety walkways and see-sawing bridges resembling the board game “Mouse Trap” before rescuing a baby just inches from becoming the creature’s next meal.

In one of several new ideas brought to the old tale by Chow, Kwok and six other credited writers, sensitive Xuanzang reads nursery rhymes to demons in the hope they will reject the dark side and join him as allies in the quest for spiritual enlightenment. His belief is that these beasties were once good-natured humans that suffered terrible injustice, and a lilting lullaby is all it takes to undo the damage. Watched by villagers as his technique restores the Water Demon to his previous human form as Sand Monk (Lee Sheung-ching), Xuanzang’s moment of glory is stolen by the sudden arrival of Duan (Shu Qi, “If You Are the One”), a feisty femme demon hunter with radically different ideas on creature control and a flair for showbiz that the nerdy Xuanzang lacks.

Duan invites herself on Xuanzang’s missions to challenge and change other demons — pig K.L. Hog (Chen Bing-qiang) and Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King (Huang Bo), an especially tricky customer who’s served 500 years of solitary confinement in a remote cave on orders from Buddha himself. While sequences such as Duan using her “Infinite Flying Rings” to disintegrate Hog’s minions at his restaurant-cum slaughterhouse are filled with razzle-dazzle CGI and exciting 3D effects, talk-based segs between showpieces too often lack the nimble scripting and heartwarming charm that distinguishes Chow’s best work, like 2001’s “Shaolin Soccer.”

The main problem is Duan’s wildly enthusiastic attempts to woo Xuanzang despite his avowed devotion to “a greater love” than what she’s offering. Pushing the opposites-attract notion a bit too far, Duan’s repeated declarations of passion for Xuanzang never ring true, and it remains a mystery why she finds him so irresistible. An early sequence showing Duan and her sexy comrade (Chrissie Chau) conspiring to activate Xuanzang’s libido produces chuckles, but variations on the theme prove far less mirthful.

Although Chow does not appear in the movie, his acting style and screen persona are writ large on the main cast. Shu is dynamite as the all-action Duan, Huang amuses as the eccentric Monkey King, and Taiwanese singer Show Lo scores big laughs as Prince Important, a narcissistic rival demon hunter with an entourage of soon-to-be-superannuated female sidekicks.

Where the helmer’s touch works least is the central role of Xuanzang. Mainland thesp Wen does nothing particularly wrong, but his perf as the nervous greenhorn feels Chow-lite, and his narrowly written character is less lovable than he ought to be. It doesn’t help that Wen sports a ghastly “finger-in-the-light-socket” hairdo more fit for a costume party than a serious young seeker of spiritual fulfillment.

The pic is beautifully designed and photographed in predominantly rich earthy tones by lenser Choi Sung-fai (“Flying Swords of Dragon Gate”). The orchestral score by regular Chow collaborator Raymond Wong adds plenty of punch to action sequences, but is slightly overused in the dramatic passages. The rest of the technical work is first class. Things conclude with a set-up for a sequel.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

Sai yau: hong mor pin

(Hong Kong-China)

Reviewed at Hoyts Tea Tree Plaza Cinemas, Adelaide, March 4, 2013. Running time: 110 MIN.

An Edko Films (in Hong Kong), Huayi Brothers Media (in China) release of a Village Roadshow Pictures Asia, Chinavision Media Group, Bingo Movie Development, Edko Films production. (International sales: Bingo, Hong Kong.) Produced by Wang Zhongjun, Stephen Chow, Ellen R. Eliasoph, Han Sanping, Dong Ping, Bill Kong. Executive Producer, Chow.

Directed by Stephen Chow. Associate director, Derek Kwok. Screenplay, Chow, Kwok, Huo Xin, Wang Yun, Fung Chih-chiang, Lu Zheng-yu, Lee Sheung-ching, Ivy Kong. Camera (color, widescreen, HD, 3D), Choi Sung-fai; editor, Chan Chi-wai; music, Raymond Wong; production designer, Bruce Yu; art director, Eric Lam; costume designer, Lee Pik-kwan; sound (Dolby Atmos), Zhu Yanfeng; visual effects supervisor, Ken Law; visual effects, Macrograph, Different Digital Design; action choreographer, Ku Huen-chiu; line producer, Ivy Kong; associate producer, Alice Chow; assistant directors, Leung Kwok-fai, Keith Chan Cheung-kei, Ng Ka-pui; second unit camera, Gao Hu.

With: Shu Qi, Wen Zhang, Huang Bo, Show Lo, Lee Sheung-ching, Chen Bing-qiang, Cheng Si-han, Xing Yu, Lu Zheng-yu, Chiu Chi-ling, Yang Di, Chrissie Chau, Ge Hang-yu, Fung Ming-hun, Yeung Lun.

(Mandarin dialogue)

BTW, has anyone seen Lost in Thailand?

38

So Close

The title of this post is a Shu Qi reference. Get it? :wink:

Village Roadshow Asia’s film nears China’s box office record
Neala Johnson, Movie Reporter
News Limited Network
April 03, 2013 6:46PM


Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, film

A scene from Village Roadshow Asia’s co-production, ‘Journey To The West: Conquering the Demons’', which is close to breaking box office records in China.

CHINA looks set to crown a new box office king - and the power behind the throne is an Australian company.

Village Roadshow is well known at home for its cinema chain, theme parks and Hollywood movie co-productions including The Matrix, Happy Feet and Baz Luhrmann’s forthcoming The Great Gatsby.

Now Village Roadshow Pictures Asia, a Beijing-based division of the company founded in 2011, has found wild success with its first local co-production in China, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons.

With total box office in China of $191.9 million (1.245 billion yuan), Journey to the West is close to surpassing last year’s hit Lost in Thailand ($194.2 million) as the highest-grossing Chinese-made film in the country’s history.

Greg Basser, CEO of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, told News Limited the movie “has exceeded expectations”. But he added the company was not getting carried away with the result.

“We have a philosophy in China of what I call ‘crawl, walk, run’ - we’re taking a very cautious approach there” Basser said. “It’s not really going to change our operations.”

Journey to the West is an action, fantasy and comedy concoction directed by filmmaker and action star Stephen Chow, and based on the same novel that inspired 1970s-80s TV favourite Monkey.

Village Roadshow has a 30 per cent stake in the film, which cost around $19 million to make.

Back in February, its opening-week gross of $89.4 million set a record for China (knocking off Titanic). It also pulled in $18.8 million on a single day, beating the previous record set by Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Its run at the box office is slowing, however, as it fell out of the Top 10 for the first time last week.

“It’s probably got another two to three weeks in theatres, so maybe yes, maybe no,” said Basser of its chances of becoming the No.1 local film. “Either way, we’re very happy with the outcome.”

Currently, Journey to the West is the third biggest film of all time in China overall, behind Lost in Thailand and Avatar ($214.3 million).

The Australian media company’s success has Hollywood studios taking note. Revenue from the Chinese movie market has doubled in the past four years and is predicted to match the US by 2017.

Industry reports put takings at the Chinese box office overall up more than 40 per cent year-on-year. Cinemagoers are also increasingly choosing local titles over foreign imports.

“There’s something like nine screens a day opening in China and it just so happens local product this year is running at 70 per cent of the box office,” said Basser. “When you’re in a marketplace that’s growing so rapidly, the rising water basically seems to pull everything up.”

While some of the major studios have dipped their toe into the market by co-producing both English and Chinese-language films (Paramount yesterday announced it will partner with Chinese companies to make the fourth Transformers movie), Village Roadshow has set itself apart by focusing solely on locally-made Mandarin and Cantonese-language productions.

The company’s presence in China with multiplex operations since the mid-1990s appears to have given it a prime vantage point to observe the rapidly-growing market.

“If you look to places like Korea and Japan, local productions make up more than 50 per cent of the box office,” said Basser. "We saw similar stuff happening in China and realised that market was going to be a very significant market, not just in the region but globally.

"We thought the opportunity would be to work with the indigenous side of the industry, because we’re already working in the global part through our partnership with Warner Bros.

“Village Roadshow Pictures Asia is firmly focused on China and films for that local market, but what we hope to learn is how to mould the pictures to be more popular outside of China.”

Village Roadshow followed up Journey to the West with a more modest hit, the $30.9 million-grossing romance Say Yes!

Its next big Chinese release is Man of Tai Chi in late June - directed by and starring, oddly enough, Keanu Reeves.

“We’re looking at another three or four films going into production this year,” said Basser.

“The goal is six-to-eight films a year. We’re in this market for the long-term and we see great prospects. And it’s certainly nice to start off the way we have.”

The Asian venture has been good news for Village Roadshow Ltd’s ASX share price. After sitting below $3.50 last September, it peaked above $5 in March and was $4.86 at close on Wednesday.

39

It was cute, but not great.

40

Whatchootalkinabout?

I laughed so hard I nearly hurt myself. The monkey king himself was basically dead-on perfect.