Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013)

[galvatron1976]

Stephen Chow is in 'Journey To The West'

It turns out that Hong Kong comedy titan Stephen Chow takes more than just the director’s chair for his latest flick Journey To The West. A bigger surprise awaits those who are anticipating his latest directorial work during Chinese New Year: he's IN the movie.

"Actually I do take on an important role in the film, but of course I am in disguise. Those who are interested can try to look for me in the film," he teased at a recent press conference in Hong Kong.

Apart from his cameo appearance, the 50-year-old also revealed another secret weapon ("an atomic bomb in comedy," he said), in the form of Taiwanese pop star Show Luo. The popular singer-actor-host played "the fairest character in the film", according to Stephen, as the latter heaped praises on Show for his brilliant comedic timing.

"He came up with a lot of his own things in the film. I had to teach others on the set, but when it comes to Show, he is a fast learner and has great comedic talent," he said.

The comedy, also starring Taiwanese actress Shu Qi, is hailed as one of the most anticipated Lunar New Year flicks of 2013 as it marks Stephen's return to the film scene after a three-year absence.

Link

http://www.dailychilli.com/happenings/19751-stephen-chow-is-in-journey-to-the-west-

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Just got done watching this in the cinemas. Wow, a batshit insane folklore only Stephen Chow can come up with. As much as I had fun with this film, I just wish it had a little more Martial Arts in it. Is this folklore story always been limited to martial arts or comedy is the biggest aspect of this story because I remember Forbidden Kingdom doing this story but had way more martial arts in it, anyone?

[Guest Markgway]

Didn't Chow already do this with the rubbish A Chinese Odyssey films?

[Sheng]

Just got done watching this in the cinemas. Wow, a batshit insane folklore only Stephen Chow can come up with. As much as I had fun with this film, I just wish it had a little more Martial Arts in it. Is this folklore story always been limited to martial arts or comedy is the biggest aspect of this story because I remember Forbidden Kingdom doing this story but had way more martial arts in it, anyone?

Biggest Chinese blockbuster this year, raked in almost 200 million... US dollars that is! Still a serious disappointment for this long-time Stephen Chow devotee though. Film starts off brilliantly and then gets weaker & weaker the longer it lasts. And the mind-numbing CGI blowout in the final reel is just friggin' hard to sit through. Not total garbage of THE AVENGERS-like proportions, but that ain't sayin' much...

Originally Posted by Markgway

Didn't Chow already do this with the rubbish A Chinese Odyssey films?

Say what? Those films were bonafide gems, just so much more inspired and a whole lot funnier than this.

[Guest Markgway]

Chow's films are very hit 'n' miss for me; some I like, some I don't, and I haven't been able to figure out a pattern that explains which and why? I didn't rate A CHINESE ODYSSEY at all (though Part 2 was slightly better than Part 1). For me his funniest films are FORBIDDEN CITY COP and MAGNIFICENT SCOUNDRELS. Humour more than anything is a matter of taste.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Yeah the Chinese Odyssey films feels a lot more authentic Chinese folklore while I do like Journey To The West relies heavily on CGI and once you throw in the CGI, it looks like every other film that uses CGI regardless of country of origin. Then again it's a movie about a Monkey God?? Of course there's going to be CGI practical effects don't exist in modern filmmaking. Why doesn't it exist anymore?? HMMM, I don't know maybe because it takes more time,money,resources, fuck I don't know but CGI will never go away, but for a fantasy film like this, it doesn't really bother me because once again, it's a movie about a Monkey God with a magical staff fighting giant rock Buddha master killer, FUCK CGI!!!

[Neil Koch]

Chow's films are very hit 'n' miss for me; some I like, some I don't, and I haven't been able to figure out a pattern that explains which and why? I didn't rate A CHINESE ODYSSEY at all (though Part 2 was slightly better than Part 1). For me his funniest films are FORBIDDEN CITY COP and MAGNIFICENT SCOUNDRELS. Humour more than anything is a matter of taste.

I didn't like the Chinese Odyssey movies as much as most of Chow's other work. For me, it was the stories that are based on a novel that I was not familiar with at all so some of the jokes/references went over my head, moreso than usual for a white guy watching a moylentau comedy. Also, the Mei Ah DVDs have terrible burnt-in Chinese/English subtitles that are hard to read and poorly translated.

[Sheng]

I didn't like the Chinese Odyssey movies as much as most of Chow's other work. For me, it was the stories that are based on a novel that I was not familiar with at all so some of the jokes/references went over my head, moreso than usual for a white guy watching a moylentau comedy. Also, the Mei Ah DVDs have terrible burnt-in Chinese/English subtitles that are hard to read and poorly translated.

I'm not surprised that the cultural in-jokes and references in CHINESE ODYSSEY are sometimes difficult to grasp for people with no rudimental knowledge of classical Chinese literature. Not to mention all the allusions, puns, twistings of words and phrases that Chow's mo lei tau routines are saturated with.

But you made the point, things could be considerably better if the vexing issue of subtitling of these films (hell, of the vast majority of Chow's 90s movies released by HK distributors) wouldn't exist. The subs on the original Mei Ah discs were an epic disaster, the ones on the otherwise halfway decent BD box that Panorama put out in 2009 are hardly a big improvement (furthermore they zoom by at breakneck pace, sometimes just flashing up for milliseconds...) Just ordered the recent Dragon Dynasty double DVD coz I'm desperately hoping for an improvement. These two films are definitely amongst the most inspired Chow ever made.

[Drunken Monk]

I watched this yesterday and feel like it's the best Asian movie I've seen certainly within the last year. I loved it.

It does lose its pace a little towards the end but the entire finale feels like a Final Fantasy X fight and, well, that's definitely my cup of tea.

I also laughed out loud...a lot. I didn't expect to like it this much and yet I think it's a wonderfully entertaining bit of fun that's genuinely hilarious in places.

If the "A Chinese Odyssey" films are better than this, I really need t check those out too.

[reason108]

Just saw this yesterday at the local cinema. Really liked the beginning and end. The middle was sorta flat and typical. Entertaining though. Too bad that there was not any real martial arts on display; only a few forms. I liked it.

[MonkeyFu]

Just ordered the recent Dragon Dynasty double DVD coz I'm desperately hoping for an improvement. These two films are definitely amongst the most inspired Chow ever made.

I realize that you posted this a long time ago, but can you, or anyone else confirm if the subs on the Dragon Dynasty release of A Chinese Odyssey are any better?

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I realize that you posted this a long time ago, but can you, or anyone else confirm if the subs on the Dragon Dynasty release of A Chinese Odyssey are any better?

Sorry for the long response, but I finally rewatched the first film (first time watching it on DD) a few days ago. So the answer is yes, the subs are a heck of a lot better and improve the viewing experience quite a bit (unless you are not a fan of Chow.) The Mei Ah release (I have a nice thick special edition) is pretty bad with the subs, but luckily the DD release is a good improvement.

Watching Journey to the West prompted me to revisit the first film in A Chinese Odyssey. I prefer the older films then this latest one, but it was still worth a watch to me. I tend to like Chow's offbeat humor (when I think he is at his funniest) more than the puns because a grape is a grape is a grape (a good translation tends to help though in understanding them.)

[GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG]

Suuuuy litle pig suuuuy suuuuy.

Well that pig is big and disgusting.

Halfway through I stopped.

Hope to finish it soon.

Found a copy at my local library.

Mind boggling to say the least.

I hope the last half will add more surprise to one very insane out as Stephen Chow (can only do).

GD Y-Y

[GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG]

The Gau restaurant.

Is that not also the name of the restaurant owners in Shaw Brothers the Black Tavern?

If so it seems Stephen Chow employed the same name.

GD Y-Y

[Drunken Monk]

I hope the last half will add more surprise to one very insane out as Stephen Chow (can only do).

The ending is flat out bonkers!

[GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG]

The ending is flat out bonkers!

Good news DM.

Thanks for the heads up.

Will hopefully finish this tonight.

GD Y-Y

[AlbertV]

I watched it a few weeks ago and it was mind-blowing...best described as a "Stephen Chow movie" without Stephen Chow in it. The pig demon scene made me laugh so hard and yes, I won't spoil it either, but the finale was out of this world!

[GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG]

I watched it a few weeks ago and it was mind-blowing...best described as a "Stephen Chow movie" without Stephen Chow in it. The pig demon scene made me laugh so hard and yes, I won't spoil it either, but the finale was out of this world!

Jeeze, I thought the main demon slayer (the male) was Stphen Chow.

Who is that actor?

Of course I can read it on the cover.

What else has he been in?

GD Y-Y

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Jeeze, I thought the main demon slayer (the male) was Stphen Chow.

Who is that actor?

Of course I can read it on the cover.

What else has he been in?

GD Y-Y

Wen Zhang's best role that I have seen was in the non-actioneer Ocean Paradise (2010), but you might have seen him in The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011), The Guillotines (2012) or Badges of Fury (2013) -- still need to see that last one though with the reviews on here I have kept putting it off.

[theThirdMaster]

FYI Journey to the West is on Netflix streaming.

[AlbertV]

Personally, I thought Wen Zhang did better here than in Badges of Fury. I mean, had they had not Jet Li, Collin Chou, and Wu Jing in the film, it would have been a good Wen Zhang vehicle. However, it was just ehhhhh

[Jay Stone]

Got this on Blu for my library. I thought it was real good. Very typical Chow film. Has it been said anywhere why he didn't star in this? Hope he hasn't given up acting but I guess as long as he keeps directing and writing.

Also it's nice that the HK and Chinese movies cgi effects are finally getting better. Some good ones in this.

Edit: Jeez, sorry for all the misspellings. That's what I get for using my iPhone!

[MonkeyFu]

Got this on Blu for my library. I thought it wa real good. Very typical Chiw film. Has it been said anywhere why he didn't star in this? Hope he hasn't given up acting but I guess as long as he keeps directing and writing.

Also it's nice that the HK and Chines movies cgi effects are final getting better. Some good one in this.

I just bought it as well. I have always liked Stephen Chow's movies and even if you knew nothing about the movie you would know that he was involved with it. He has a very distinct style when it come to comedy.

The CGI is getting better, but at times was still a little rough still. As you said though, it's good to see the improvement!

I am not really familiar with Huang Bo (the actor who played the Monkey King) but I thought he was very good. He reminds me a bit of Ku Feng. A natural actor who can play many different roles.

I still like the original Chinese Odyssey movies better, but if you are a fan of Chow, this new one is worth checking out.

[Sheng]

I'm not exactly a Chow Sing Chi completist, but I have the vast majority of his output on my shelves and always harboured a deep-rooted love for his dark & dry sense of humour. Couldn't really get into JOURNEY though. When I saw it a good year or so ago my résumé was ...

'... Stephen Chow’s re-enactment of the Monkey King legend, nothing less than a box office supernova on the Mainland, was something of an unexpected disappointment for me. Yes, with Shu Qi, Huang Bo and Wen Zhang the three principle leads were brilliantly chosen and the film kicks into gear immediately with a pretty hilarious JAWS spoof where Chow’s insidious dark humour works incredibly well (though the sea monster that’s happily munching swimmers in the waters around an ancient Chinese stilt village isn’t a shark but some sort of an oversized coelacanth!). But after this grand opening things go rapidly downhill. Roughly told in four segments JOURNEY TO THE WEST seems to loose steam the longer it lasts. And when the last act rolled around and the Monkey King morphed into some sort of intergalactic King Kong in the midst of mind-numbing CG mayhem (that looked as cheap and gaga as if it was lifted straight out of some wacked-out computer game!) I felt that the tremendous promise the film hinted at in its first half hour or so had all but dissipated...'

BTW, anybody seen this in Mandarin? Inexplicably, my HK Blu Ray only offers Canto audio...

[Jay Stone]

The version I borrowed from my library was the US release. Magnet or Magnolia was the release co. I think? The audio tracks were Mandarin and English. I didn't even try the English one.