'The Monkey King' Is A Good Time But Not Very Memorable
Based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, The Monkey King struggles to adapt a classic story to 21st-century standards. With a long-spanning story to adapt from, the story attempts to put many details in a standard animation film, leading to mixed results. The film brings about a plethora of both positive and negative attributes, with a vibrant world for the story to exist in, as well as plenty of narrative issues. Although likely an entertaining outing for children, the film lives within well-trodden archetypes with little innovation beyond these standards. The film’s fast pacing gives the film a source of life but also leaves it feeling shallow as it comes to a close.
The Monkey King follows the story of a monkey (appropriately named Monkey) born from a stone. After seeing his fellow monkeys terrorized by a demon, Monkey (Jimmy O. Yang) obtains a weapon, Stick, from the Dragon King under the sea. Monkey then defeats the demon and goes on a quest to gain immortality by defeating a hundred demons. After his plan for immortality does not go to plan, Monkey is accompanied by a villager named Lin (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) on a quest for immortality and to save Lin’s village. This quest becomes complicated as Monkey becomes obsessed with his journey, and Lin must help him become the hero the world needs him to be.
The film succeeds with a fairly imaginative animation style, interesting character designs, and expansive settings. The world that The Monkey King exists in—though full of tired archetypes—feels fresh, vibrant, and exciting. Each location feels well-established with lore and intricate design. However, the film’s reliance on archetypes makes the world feel uninspired, beautiful as it may be. The abundance of visual details is almost shocking when compared to the lack of narrative creativity, with the plot flowing along with little stakes or consequences.
The film’s pacing makes it a reasonably easy watch, although still hollow. The film’s action scenes, especially involving Monkey’s weapon, Stick, are genuinely inventive and engaging. The movie unfolds at a speedy pace, covering a surprising amount of material through its 96-minute runtime. At times, the plotting comes off as contradictory and uneven. With a somewhat unemotional protagonist, events occur in the film with little feelings of real consequence. The film’s pacing is almost too quick, jumping from event to event without ever letting anything have any greater effect.
This leaves many of the plotlines feeling undercooked as the film goes on. For example, Monkey’s arc–learning he doesn’t need to prove himself all the time–gets completely bypassed in favor of a more combative ending. Lin also seemingly goes from backstabbing Monkey to being completely on his side with little consistency. The film seems more focused on the action of the story than these journeys, which leave them feeling incomplete by the end of the film. The film’s breakneck speed may make the film a fun experience but stops it from being memorable. This choice wouldn’t be much of an issue if the film didn’t still highlight the emotional moments of the story, trying to get the audience to feel something for the characters when little work has been done to do so.
The film’s main characters, Monkey and Lin, feel a bit lifeless at times. Their characterization seems to have a clear direction at the beginning of the story, but this falls flat near the end. For example, Monkey’s goal of immortality appears to be caused by his loneliness, which is addressed but never delivered on. Monkey also acts insufferably to Lin throughout the story, which does not really seem to have any consequences. The film also never takes a definitive stance on Monkey’s desire for immortality, making the story’s message confusing and unfulfilling.
Toward the end of the film, Lin seems to take over as the story’s central character, but her relationship with Monkey is left stagnant by the events of the end of the film, separating them for the rest of their lives. Because of this, the film’s resolution feels empty and unearned. The film’s emotional arcs are left unfulfilled, and the characters move on unchanged. The conclusion itself feels almost like a non-ending. The story never fully ties its character arcs into a satisfying conclusion, leaving the ending pretty empty.
For children, the film will offer plenty. There are enough bright colors, fun sequences, and intriguing character designs to make this a worthwhile distraction. Inventive action scenes fill much of the runtime of the film, giving the film an energetic feel that is sure to be engaging. However, the film does little to have a lasting effect beyond these attributes. It is a pretty movie to look at, but there’s not much more than that.
While its world-building makes the film worthwhile, The Monkey King creates a dissatisfying plotline, rushing through emotional beats and narrative plot points. Monkey and Lin’s characterization falls flat as the story does little to complete the arcs that are set up at the beginning of the story. However, the film’s lightning pace may provide an entertaining watch, with enough clever action and creative designs to spare. This pace also often undermines its own stakes, leaving the film feeling a bit more empty than it should. In an age of revolutionary animated content, The Monkey King ultimately feels a bit behind.
