Princess Iron Fan (1941) User Reviews

Historically interesting, but it gets old fast

[MissSimonetta · 7/10 · 11 August 2013]

This was the first Chinese animated feature film and I must say the animation itself is impressive. The use of rotorscoping added more than it detracted from the movie, and lent a surreal quality to the atmosphere. The story was handled well enough that it makes me wish to seek out the picture's source material, Journey to the West, since the plot here only covers a fraction of the heroes' adventure.

My problem with Princess Iron Fan is that it feels more like an overlong short subject rather than a feature. While the slapstick routines are charming at first, they go on for much too long, making the eighty minute running time feel like an eternity. This one is more for animation geeks and fans of Chinese cinema than anybody else.

Venerable early work

[suchenwi · 7/10 · 16 June 2008]

The novel "Journey to the West" (Xiyouji) was written around 1590, and to this day forms an important part of children (and adult) culture in China, possibly also in neighboring countries like Japan. The figure of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, has long been the Chinese equivalent of Mickey Mouse, in toys, comics, animations in TV and cinema.

Having read a number of Sun Wukong books, I immediately recognized all the crew members: the monk Xuanzang, riding his white horse; Shazeng, the "sand" monk; pig-headed Zhu Bajie. So even though this animation film is old, black & white, and sometimes imperfectly produced, I immediately felt at home with it - and enjoyed some of the ideas very much, like the beetle trick. I'm not sure how children would react to this movie today, but I had my childish pleasure with it!

Historicaaly Significant, But Not Great

[crossbow0106 · 7/10 · 26 May 2008]

As the DVD jacket states, this is the first full length animated film produced in China. That alone gives it historical significance, while the quality of the film is pretty good. The story has a lot of things going on. It concerns three travelers, a monkey, a pig face (thats the best I can do) and a human male as they try to travel west. They stumble onto the fiery mountain, where the fires can only be quelled if they obtain the iron fan from the local princess (hence the title). She is beautiful, of course, and does not wish to part with it. There are many great images here, but the story itself is not that compelling. Still, it is not very long, and the film, again, is a pioneering one, so I feel it should be watched.

Often beautiful, often dull this is more of interest for animation buffs

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 29 November 2010]

First feature length animated film from China is a retelling of some of the story of the Monkey King. Three travelers are stopped in there travels by a huge area of fire. The fire can only be conquered by a fan in the possession of the titled character. They must get the fan from her and deal with further complications if they want to continue on their way.

Historically important film is a mixed bag when it comes to entertainment. I know part of the problem, at least to these Western eyes is that the film storytelling is not in a style I'm used to. Its similar in a way to the classic forms of Chinese entertainment. Its also very much of the time with the film looking and acting like other films from the period which in all honesty are not my cup of tea.

The animation is a mix of straight animation and rotoscoped action. Ralph Bakshi has argued that in many cases the use of rotoscoping was more in use than we might like to admit, but here the the effect is out in front in all its glory.

The more fantastical elements are not rotoscoped- after all how does one copy a fire demon? The background designs are actually quite beautiful, and along with some of the character design the film often takes on the quality of a classical painting come to life.

That said, the film can be dull. The film goes on and on in a couple of different directions and it has sequences (a follow the bouncing ball one for example) that make it very much for a specific audience. Its not bad, but it just means that my interest wandered from moment to moment- kind of like when I went to a Chinese New Year show in Manhattan and quickly wondered what in the hell we had gotten myself into.

Animation fans and those who want to know about the history of Chinese film should see it. Others may want to consider what they want to do.

Film of more value to Chinese and other Asian audiences than audiences elsewhere

[jennyhor2004 · 10 August 2011]

This retelling of a Chinese folk tale "Journey to the West" featuring the Buddhist monk Xuanzang and his disciples Sun Wukong aka the Monkey King, Zhu Bajie who is part-human / part-pig and the not too-bright human Sha Wujing is historically valuable for being the first Asian full-length (over 40 minutes) animated movie to be released. Made under very difficult conditions in Shanghai – China at the time was occupied by Japan, the Communists and Nationalists were fighting the Japanese military and the workshop where the film was made had been bombed in 1937 - "Princess Iron Fan" is impressive to watch with beautifully detailed backgrounds and very active and excitable characters. The film uses the rotoscoping animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement frame by frame: this technique saved a lot of money and renders the characters in the movie very life-like with lively and shining eyes (of actual actors, I should add).

The plot is straightforward: Xuanzong and his followers wish to visit a town but their path is blocked by a fierce fire demon. To get rid of him, they need an iron fan from a beautiful goddess but she refuses to lend it to them. Monkey King and Zhu Bajie each try to get the fan off the sulky lady – Monkey King himself tries a neat trick in which he transforms into a tiny ladybug and gets himself swallowed by the goddess so he can kick around her stomach and cause aches and pains – but both followers discover she has tricked them by giving them dud fans that only fuel the flames. The three disciples also have to battle the goddess's husband the Bull King and subdue him if they are to get hold of the real iron fan.

The plot unravels in a series of episodes and each is long – there's a lengthy sub-plot in which a disguised Zhu Bajie tries to seduce a fox lady and then the goddess herself – so viewers unfamiliar with the Chinese stories or who can't understand the Mandarin language spoken in the film may think each episode is independent of the others and wonder why it has to be there. The characters' looks and movements appear influenced by old Walt Disney cartoons – the Monkey King has rubbery arms and legs and twirls at hyper-Mach speeds while flying through the air pursued by the fire demon or the Bull King – but there is a definite Chinese flavour and style in the backgrounds, reminiscent of classical Chinese paintings of landscapes and nature, drawn for the movie and most male human characters look very Chinese. The foxy lady looks Betty-Boopish with her huge eyes and elaborate hair-style.

The film aims to entertain as well as teach children about their myths and legends and there's slapstick galore accompanied by constant music and descriptive sound effects that again show the Walt Disney influence and which can be very shrill. A house forced to bend with a storm puts out hands to stop its roof from flying away and a cat, clinging to the roof for dear life, sees all his fur rip off his body hair-strand by hair-strand.

The film has the feel of an extended cartoon short with three linked episodes of gags and action, one of which centres around Zhu Bajie, the others focussing mostly on the Monkey King, and none of the characters having much personality development. There are breaks in continuity as well – how the Monkey King escapes out of the goddess's stomach isn't clear from the film – and some of the frames seem to wobble and the characters' lines go watery as if the whole film had gone underwater. Given the conditions it was made under, "Princess Iron Fan" looks much better than expected and some special effects, especially the hot flames for the fire demon and a scene in which two characters move behind a semi-shuttered screen, are very well done. Scenes are milked for all they're worth for humour and drama and fight scenes are very realistic. Western audiences may find the plot and theme of collective action being better than individual action dull and the film is probably of more value to Chinese and other Asian audiences familiar with tales of the Monkey King's adventures.

Hello, China!

[ericstevenson · 7/10 · 11 August 2018]

I seriously think this is the only Chinese movie I've ever seen that wasn't a martial arts film. Why do I keep seeing Chinese films recently? Anyway, it's the first animated Chinese film. Then again, I can't think of any others at all. This was based on "Journey To The West" which I've heard of a lot, but don't really know what it's about. I was surprised at how surreal the story was.

It features a shapeshifting monkey, pig, and man who try to get a magic fan from the title princess. It's always great to learn about other cultures. This is another animated film debut made during World War II, but unlike "Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors", it wasn't a propaganda film. The Japanese certainly saw it though. The animation does look weak many times, but that can be forgiven. With over a billion people, you should know about them. ***

Historically significant, but dated

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 22 June 2016]

I had to watch this because a) it was the first ever animated film made in China, and b) it's an adaptation of part of the classic JOURNEY TO THE WEST series of stories featuring the lovable 'Monkey' and his companions. PRINCESS IRON FAN is short and action packed, and surprisingly well animated for its time. You have to remember that in 1941 China was in the middle of being occupied by Japan, so it's amazing that they managed to make any films during those turbulent times.

The free-flowing animation in this film is one of the things that makes it so easy to watch. The source material is also delightful and the characters instantly recognisable. I was intrigued to see how the animation of the characters is clearly inspired by the look and feel of the early Mickey Mouse cartoons. Some of it is quite juvenile, but the most off-putting thing I found was the way that 90% of the dialogue is shouted, which makes this become tiresome very quickly.

Are we following the villains?

[peefyn · 4/10 · 30 April 2017]

The plot of this movie is probably more interesting for those who are familiar with the original story. Basically there's three henchmen, and they're supposed to get a fan from a princess so that they can put out a magic fire that's in the way for them. As I am not familiar with the original story, I have to admit that I thought the three henchmen were supposed to be considered the bad guys (and I'm still not entirely convinced that the movie for some reasons takes the side of the villains).

It's interesting that the movie opens with a text saying that it's not a fantastical story, but a metaphorical one. Perhaps the metaphors are more obvious for the audience it was made for.

Today, it's the animation that makes this movie interesting. At times it's actually quite good, and with an interesting style. But mostly it's really bad. The rotoscoping is often quite fluid (and nice), but anything that could not be rotoscoped (like the animal faces, or exaggerated movements) is quite jarring. Perfectly understandable (this is one of the first animated features in the world, and the first one from China), and still interesting to watch. It lives up to it's reputation: Obviously influenced by American animation, but still very much Asian.