IMDb Synopsis: JOURNEY TO THE WEST
In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Xuan Zang risks his all to conquer a water demon, a pig demon and the demon of all demons, Sun Wukong. Adhering to his firm belief in giving of one’s self for the greater cause, he embraces the demons as his disciples. However, in order to atone for their own sins and save the common people, the four of them must embark on a journey to the West that’s full of challenges.
THE MOVIEBrought to life by the wacky but talented director Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle), Journey to the West is an adaptation of a Chinese literary classic, but with his own unique twist. We are shown a world full of demons and demon hunters, where the protagonist, Xuan Zang (Zhang Wen), is a Buddhist monk and amateur demon hunter. His master has taught him that rather than killing demons, which were once humans and have become corrupted by evil, he can free them by connecting with their inner good through the recitation of lullabies to them from a book called “300 Nursery Rhymes.” His method contrasts sharply with traditional hunters who use their mythical powers to slaughter the beasts. One such hunter is Duan (Qi Shu), whom Xuan encounters early in his travels. Duan is intrigued by Xuan and decides he is suitable as a love interest. Their relationship develops as they chase down an escaped pig demon, encountering other hunters and creatures along the way to a final confrontation with the Monkey King of the Demons.
Journey to the West is a fun martial arts adventure with a smattering of Eastern mysticism and host to a number of inventive set pieces and memorable characters. While often slapstick, the film has a darker tone than many of Chow’s previous efforts in line with the evil menace the characters face. As ever with Chow, the choreography and action is really the highlight of the film. It is always impressive how he plots scenes of such chaotic grace and energy. The film has a attractive, dreamlike quality to it, playing up the mystical vibes. The CGI used for the creatures lends itself well to the themes and whimsy of the film; it’s not state of the art, but it fits.
Zhang Wen plays Xuan Zeng as a somewhat bumbling, naive character, but one that clearly has good intentions to stop the demon menace and help people. Duan, played by Shu Qi (The Transporter) makes a more memorable mark as the kick-ass Duan, demonstrating great comic timing. Chow has always been able to assemble a memorable cast, and Journey to the West is no different. The whole film is full of characters with their personalities and physical attributes fleshed out well.
Where Journey to the West falters is in the structure of the film. It plays more like a splicing together of several episodes of a ongoing TV show. There are issues with repetition and loss of momentum at several points between the larger action sequences. These points between are largely concerned with the romantic relationship between Xuan and Duan, which itself feels forced. A lot of the dialogue feels stilted in general, but the love arc is more disruptive as it at times reduces a strong, confident female character to one seemingly suddenly dependent on the actions and feelings of a man. Overall, the film is just not as tightly scripted or paced as Chow’s previous works, even if it does compete on a technical level.
THE PACKAGEThe film is presented on a single Blu-ray disc presented in a metallic slip case. The transfer is of mixed quality. In wider, brighter shots the film has a washed out look, losing definition and depth. Some colors pop, and its a beautiful film, but overall it lacks any real bold clarity. There are a number of short behind the scenes segments on the disc focusing on Stunts and Special Effects, Cast and Characters, Director Stephen Chow, The Laughs, Production Design and Choreography. In all, it presents a somewhat superficial look at how the film was put together. Mostly these are short clips of the film intercut with a little behind the scenes footage. It’s quite repetitious, and with such a creative filmmaker being involved it is a little disappointing to not get a greater peek into the background of the film’s conception and execution.
Fans of Stephen Chow will find much to appreciate in this effort, impressively choreographed and with innovative fights, imaginative characters and plenty of action. There are stumbles with the structure and momentum, however, and it is lacking when placed against his previous efforts. The presentation of the disc also is somewhat disappointing. This is not the best film to introduce someone to Chow’s undoubted talents, but perhaps more one for the completists.
Journey to the West is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Magnolia Home Entertainment on May 27, 2014.