Monkey King: Hero Is Back (2015) User Reviews

Advantage & disadvantage

[hooraychining · 7/10 · 25 July 2015]

Advantages:

1, The character image is more mature.

In the animation image design, the film didn't use children's characters for leading roles, like Monkey King, make the characters more mature.The image of Monkey King and Pig Zhu Bajie are all adult who have a background of adult socialization, which is beneficial to the depth of the hero image, rather than the superficial adventures.

It is very distinctive that Villain the leading monster's face design for Sichuan Opera Face, and the leading monster's body feels elegant in the sky, I would like give him a name of "the beauty of evil".But after he become a big worm, disgusting, and the modeling of the worm, feel copying the image of the other films.

2, Technical level greatly ascend.

The mouth moving is more realistic;The background picture more rich layered.

Disadvantages:

1, The plot is weak.Writers had neither according to the novel, nor made innovation. The screenplay is only designed some abused poking fun which amused the audience once or twice. Even more worse, the focus is not prominent that the Monkey King turned into a hero of justice, slightly weak, it is not enough to convince me.

2, Poor continuity in action.Action before and after in a few action scene is not smooth, give me a feeling of unknown cause and effect.

3, Insert abrupt improper music.When the Monkey King, Pig Zhu Bajie, and Liu went alliance, background music style suddenly turned from the traditional Chinese opera into rock & roll, it appeared not harmonious.

The picture is cool

[clinluo · 6/10 · 4 May 2020]

Storytelling is boring and simply misses the point. The main event was not written at all, so it was not a passing plot at all. This film is a great, international-quality picture. Fail because of the plot.

Finally a great Chinese animated picture!

[chris-chong-ch · 8/10 · 16 December 2015]

I truly recommend this movie for all! I have long been disappointed of Chinese animated pictures. But now they have got talents, great animators. Great "new thinking" plot on a well exploited story, great characters with real emotions as motivation for character development, great camera-work, great character design, great action and so on! But there is still one thing almost all Chinese animation lack, including this one, and that is good sound effects. The movie feels unintuitive and unnatural at times, because the sound doesn't match what's happening in the screen.

In short, see this movie! If you want to see a great Chinese animated picture!

not perfect but you should check out this one

[agneswdy · 7/10 · 7 August 2015]

Before you went into a cinema, you may need to know that this film may not satisfy your imagination.

Is it funny? Yes, but less funny than Kongfu Panda(Dreamworks). Is it high technology? Yes, but less technological than FINAL FANTASY（Japanese). Is it a moving story? Yes, but less touching than 《UP》(Pixar). Is it a fantasy film? Yes, but less creative than 《Monstors inc.》 （Disney).

And why should you pay money to see it? Because it is the best original Chinese animation film you will ever seen. It tells simple story of responsibility and how a middle-aged hero(who has lost his power) outdo himself again. You may not understand some Chinese-background-related concept but you will still be shocked when these catching moment comes.

If you ever wanted to be a superhero, the gravity told you "NO" and life itself mock you in your face. This is the right film for you because this glory-lost monkey is you in the past. If you were ever beated down by cruel world, you still fighting on your feet to stand up. This is the right film for you because this awakened monkey is you tomorrow. It's a awosome animation film for the whole fimily. Kids may love it for the cool action characters and a lovely story telling good people defeat bad ones. Adults can enjoy the same thing as their children but some may prefer the true story hiding behind.

Someone has said that Chinese cartoon films is 20 years falling behind the Disney、Pixar and Dreamorks. Today the monkey king dramatically narrow this gap down to 10 years over one single night. I am so proud of this monkey and the team who brings its story to the big screen. I'd love to tell every one of my friends how cool this monkey is.

If been asked for spinion, I will tell him this: it's not perfect but you should check out this one.

"the best animation film of year" may probably belongs to a Disney panda in 2016 but (to me) this year it belongs to a Chinese monkey.

Not Your Grandfather's Jungle Book Monkey King

[BabelAlexandria · 7/10 · 23 October 2020]

The animation is kind of clunky and the characterization leaves a lot to be desired, but the scenery and battles are epic, and there's something touching about the bond between the monkey king and the persistent boy monk. And it's interesting that the great jade king was cast down from heaven and became a great, corpulent, cowardly pig. My 6-year old son Sebastian particularly liked this movie.

A Chinese hero

[howeverttsong · 10/10 · 13 July 2015]

I grow up watching Japanese anime and American cartoons in China; Chinese people seldom watched our own cartoons; we have never expected to enjoy a good animation directed and made by ourselves. We watched Evangelion; we watched Captain America, but we never have a Chinese hero in our hearts， but now we have one; There is an old word in China: Defects cannot belittle virtues; I have to admit that it impressed me, though it is worse than some Japanese anime,some American cartoons；most people in China read Journey to the West; the story is amended from the book; it has some faults, ambiguous ending for the rule of Chinese Cultural Affairs Bureau, but everyone finishing this movie says:It is the best Chinese 3-D animation I have ever watched; At least, it is a good start of Chinese animation.

Regular...

[RosanaBotafogo · 6/10 · 1 January 2022]

Animated version, equally cute, but little attracted me as much as the two previous films, but it's cute, the little ones will like it, I'm just not in the vibe...

The Best Chinese Animation So Far

[jxz-12935 · 10/10 · 11 July 2015]

I don't know if it was because I'm too sentimental or what, but I was literally tearing when I was watching the trailer with the moving song by Kit Chan. I went to the cinema with hesitation actually,thinking that I might have too much expectation on it, and was kind of afraid that it would let me down. After watching it, I would say it absolutely deserves my expectation and infinite applause. It is probably the first Chinese animation for adolescent and adult audience, comparing to childish Pleasant Goat& Big Big Wolf and Bonnie Bears. The latter actually made nearly 300 million RMB in China. The plot of Monkey King is quite common, especially in western movies: the fallen hero's rebirth, but this kind of themes still attracts large portion of audience and wins lots of tears, including those of the two little boys who sat next to me during the movie. The animations and features are just impressive, maybe not as good as many of the western masterpieces, but definitely good enough to describe it as unprecedented in China's animation history. The bad thing is that, because they almost used up all their budget on the film's creation and modification, they literally didn't do anything on marketing and advertising. Something even worse is that, although I admire the crew's courage and resolution, they chose to compete with extremely fan-based Tiny Times 4.0 and Forever Young, which are acted by a bunch of idols with tons of fans in China. The two I mentioned already made more than 100 million RMB on their first day respectively, but only about 20 million for Monkey King due to the lack of exposure and coverage. However, I always believes that one cannot evaluate a movie only by looking at how much it makes, neither an actor nor a director.

RETURN OF THE KING

[mmthos · 7/10 · 26 April 2021]

Vibrant. Colorful and fast, with some amazingly innovative, original animated images. Characters include an orphan taken in by an aged monk, an ugly obnoxious shape-changing pig, an enemy lord with his armies of kidnapping trolls, and the disgraced Monkey King who must defeat the evil lord to atone for past sins.

Do not watch on Netflix

[TheJeffryButnic · 4/10 · 9 March 2018]

So I just finished watching this on Netflix and have to say I am greatly disappointed. After doing a little research I can see why, obviously the version available on Netflix is the worse possible version to watch as it is neither the original or the US version. It is in fact an American dubbed version where not only is the script terrible for the dubbing but the voice acting is equally as bad. It's frustrating because the animation itself is impressive but honestly if you were thinking of giving this film a go don't watch it on Netflix you would be better off watching the original with English subtitles.

The "Monkey King: Hero is back" (2015)-- And On His Way Home

[Forestaller · 9/10 · 19 July 2015]

The "Monkey King: Hero is back" (2015)-- And On His Way Home

TECHNICALLY speaking, "Monkey King: Hero is back" (2015) is essentially "all there"-- meaning that you can sit back and let the 3D animation take you into the story, without issues like lip-syncing or frame-rates breaking the "flow". But the frequent use of jump-cuts, fades-to-black and other cost-saving techniques (e.g "indestructible" clothes) also makes it clear that this is blockbuster film-making on a shoestring budget-- though the director can be seen burning through his budget where it matters., e.g. a cameo of the first-ever 3D-animated (available in IMAX) Chinese dragon rendered with mane, scales and all.

So even if the animation is not as detailed/fluid as the state-of-the-art Hollywood fare, you might still be able to enjoy how differently the developer of this film, October Animation Studio, chose to animate Chinese characters and landscapes.... Using old-school "motion capture"-- i.e. making animators study rehearsing actors like in "Only Yesterday" (1991)-- and manipulating space and perspective as deliberately as Chinese ink-paintings, this film accomplishes (in 3D, no less) the cinematic sweep and kinetic camera-work from kung-fu fantasy classics likes "Swordsman" (1990) and makes the likes of "Kung Fu Panda"(2008) look "cartoonish" by comparison.

But pretty moving pictures aside, now that I've established that this film is perfectly "watchable", what's the real story here? Well, a little background would be helpful.

N.B.(or BACKGROUND): More than 400 years ago, "Journey To The West" hit publishing houses in China (oldest existing print, 1592) and has never been out-of-print since-- but with all the spins-off and sequels that have been written/published throughout the centuries, not one of them has been a "true" successor worthy of re-reading or analysis.

Then some 50 years ago, with the advent of film technology, the animated film "Uproar In Heaven" (1965) hit the cinemas and showed audiences all the fantastical action and imagery described in the first major action set-pieces of "Journey To the West", such as the classic "transformation duel/pursuit" between the 3-Eyed God and the Monkey King-- and for decades, sealed the on-screen character of the Monkey King as an irrepressible rogue with a child-like sense of wonder/humor.

Then some 20 years ago, the 2-parter live-action film "A Chinese Odyssey" (1995) hit the cinemas and gave the Monkey King a "tragi-comical" love story as an alternate/added background to his journey to the west-- and so, like the young adult audiences it garnered, the Monkey King reached adulthood and began to see everything with a sense of loss and cynicism.

Then, just over a week ago, the 3D-animated film "Monkey King: Hero is back" (2015) hit Chinese cinemas and saw the character of the Monkey King take the next step of his development in film-- taking on the joys and frustrations of parenthood, and daring/struggling to care again.... With a predictably simple story that is smart enough to "show, don't tell" (go on-- get your parents to "explain" why they love you...), this film is about the emotional journey of a few lost souls on their way home... under the guise of a comic-fantasy action-adventure.

TD;DR (or REVIEW): At only 80+ minutes, the film throws in everything at breakneck speed-- so the current generation of film audiences (Chinese and international) should be able to enjoy it as mindless fun, IF they are not too concerned about "originality"... seeing as how, in their impressionable but uninformed minds, the Monkey King and Chinese dragons are based the likes of "Dragonball" (1989) **face-palm**.... "Journey To The West" was the progenitor of party-based "challenge of the week" serial storytelling-- complete with slapstick humor and witty banter-- and this film stays true to its roots and that time-honored formula, despite continuity and pacing issues (see first paragraph above).

But for the previous 2 generations of Chinese film audiences with memories of "Uproar In Heaven" (1965) and "A Chinese Odyssey" (1995)-- who have all but given up ever seeing the "true" Monkey King again (much less in 3D)-- this film is like a long-lost dream coming true.... In short, it is almost incomprehensible if you don't know enough about the "Journey To The West" universe (e.g. the Monkey King's reputation for finding and beating up dragons), but jam-packed with brilliant homages, meaningful references and clever in-jokes for the aficionado.

No wonder then, that it has become an internet and movie industry phenomenon in China as fans of the "Journey To The West" universe, or just Chinese animation generally, flooded social media and thanked the director for "bringing back my youth/childhood!" and "reminding me who I was!" In fact, the allegorical appeal of film (much like the novel) is so "spoiler-proof", that October Animation spoiled its story in a promotional music-video and STILL attracted repeated viewings in China-- possibly because the "tour-de-force" of escalating drama and action in the final act never gets old!

P.S.: Bets are on (and vulture/venture capitalists are circling) now as to whether this film will be become the "Nausicaa of Valley of the Wind" (1984) for Chinese animation, and whether October Animation will become the Studio Ghibli of China. Hopefully for everyone who "laugh-teared" throughout the film, October Animation will be able to finance all the planned sequels to "Monkey King: Hero is back" (2015) without any more money trouble, or interference from the moneyed-interests of the Chinese film industry-- and, unlike "Nausicaa of Valley of the Wind" (1984), finish telling the story it wants to tell.

P.P.S.: In contrast, one can see how/why the "Superman" (1978) movie has yet to see a "true" successor, whether its reboots/remakes tried aping it or veering off in a different direction-- e.g. "Superman Returns"(2006) introduced Superman's son but had nothing much/new to say about the characters or their relationships, while "Man of Steel"(2013) re-introduced Superman's father but had nothing much/new to say about the characters or their relationships either...

Monkey see, monkey can't do

[cyberknight · 1/10 · 5 March 2019]

First of all, save your life time, don't ever watch this!

If ignoring the first statement, then at least watch this in the original (uncensored/unabridged) Chinese version.

This is not as bad as other recent Chinese computer generated animations, technically speaking, but it's very bad. The image and animation quality is worse than one could get in a modern videogame (either on console or PC), what tells a lot about the effort spent on production.

Spoiler: the main character is NOT the Monkey King, it's a detestable brat that gets more annoying every time he opens his mouth! Seriously, how could a human child possibly help a god?! Well, he can't! All he does is get in the way. That total lack of logic and common sense is spread along the whole film, till the very end: the brat is buried under a pile of stones... "Yay, he's finally dead", I thought and hoped. Then the Monkey King defeats all his enemies and, ta-dah, the brat is back, still alive!!! Monkey sucker son of a gun! Yes, the brat survives, after being covered by what looked like really heavy rocks... But, who cares, it's an animated film, so real life rules don't apply, right...? Well, they should!

The film has several toilet jokes (yes, scatological, really!), which might have sounded funny to someone during storyboarding, but they're only embarrassing and disgusting. What is worse is that those might have been the funniest jokes the production team could have come up with, because there is not a single funny moment/joke/gag/goofy-whatever in this whole mess.

P.S.: I'm pretty sure I have already reviewed this film, but both my rating and the review were gone. This time, I hope it'll stick!

terrific

[m-00963 · 10/10 · 16 July 2015]

Never imagine in this summer, such a Chinese 3d anime could inspire so many people in China where big screen once is full of western heroes,now we have our own hero with such a splendid debut.Thanks to this movie's cast staff,with the awesome 3d effects and well-designed music and scenes full of Chinese traditional cultural elements we regain our belief in China's anime. The last time I was touched by Chinese's anime is the Lotus lantern,but it still fails to bring the glory of Chinese anime time(1964,Havoc in Heaven,1981,The Nine-Colored Deer),now with this movie,we can expect more .May monkey king lead us to the renaissance of china's anime

Remember 2014's 'The Monkey King?' (Da Nao Tian Gong.) This isn't that.

[angelsjuliana · 8/10 · 20 July 2015]

I must warn you that this review may hold some nostalgic bias.

After last year's Frankenstein's monster of a movie adaption ( Da Nao Tian Gong), 'Journey to the West' or 'The Monkey King' gets not the adaption we need, but the adaption we deserve.

Though Sun Wukong's heaven-slaying conquests and prideful persona are skimmed over, 'The hero is back' requires prior knowledge of the original tale in order to have that emotional punch to the stomach we all want. Those who are new to the story though, can still enjoy it just fine.

This is a nation's childhood re-imagined- the righteous monk (Tang Seng) is now an energetic young boy, while our hero is a lackluster ghost of his past self. The story delves into the toll of being imprisoned under a mountain for 500 years, as you know. Typically, this is a story of resurgence and finding oneself after having lost the way: a fun romp for children that resonates with adults too. Though rather clichéd, the story is a welcome departure from the traditional telling of Monkey King's adventures.

What wins loyalties however, are the characters rather than the mostly one-dimensional story. The casting of the child actor for the role of Jiang Liu'er ( I watched it in mandarin dub) is something to be applauded- it really bought out a charming innocence that never once became annoying. Liu'er is a delight.

The one that carries the movie is of course the Monkey King himself, who mainly went by his title, The Great Sage equal to Heaven. The voice acting is phenomenal here; with everything at a minimal, the Monkey King delivers his conflict to the audience brilliantly. Gone is the squeaky high-voice , gone is the corniness of line-delivering in previous incarnations, this Monkey King is genuine and ridiculously endearing through his relationship with the boy. When his voice breaks in high-stirring emotions, my heart breaks with it :)

Animation wise, this is the best animation that has come out of china so far, period. All of those people who accepted that eastern animation would forever be inferior to the west need to re-evaluate their life choices-like the Monkey King. This movie looks about not far from big blockbusters out of dreamworks. Unlike the mostly easy-going tone between conflicts, the fight scenes elevated the movie to a whole new level- expect well choreographed, quick-fire action and an intensity that keeps both adolescents and adults invested. Beware the tear-jerker scenes, they sneak up on you unexpectedly.

However, keep in mind that 'the hero is back' is first and foremost a children's fantasy story, and falls back on slap-stick humour most of the time; though in my screening it got quite a few good laughs too, just not me. Other than the two main leads, the secondary characters are a shambles.The villain did all the villainous things expected. It seems like Pigsy is purely here for cringe-worthy comic relief, though the kids seem to enjoy it. The pig is demoted here more than ever before. More glaringly is the fact that the third disciple Sandy ( Sha Wujing) is completely omitted, meanwhile, even the white horse-dragon has a happy cameo. But no matter I guess...

The resolution, though satisfying, was somewhat lacking compared to what was an equally rash, but spectacular, build up.

beware mild spoilers: The ending suffers from a deus ex machina feeling, though it made sense in terms of the Monkey King's emotional journey. The fight seemed to have ended just as audience blood pressures began to peak. In the end, removing the Monkey King's powers from the equation made perfect sense- all the fights would have lasted mere seconds had he had them from the get-go.

Spoiler spoilers:

The Monkey King's trauma would have been more impactful if he was imprisoned consciously, instead of being frozen in time as portrayed. It would have been nice to see him acknowledge that Jiang Liu'er was the one who freed him, but again, no matter. How much badassery can you shove into a single moment? This movie challenges this through the Monkey King's entrance in the last act, when the all-too-familiar theme song (from Stephen Chow's incarnation I believe) plays in the background.

End Spoilers:

Edit: Did you know the director Tian Xiao Peng also worked on the 1999 cartoon series of journey to the west? Clearly it shows.

All in all, this is the resuscitation of a literary classic and, for me at least, a childhood (and adulthood!) hero that I will gladly follow re-envisaged again, and again.

Bored King: Monkey Strikes Back

[sebastianali123 · 5/10 · 3 August 2020]

Monkey King is a movie that although it has a plot that hooks you somewhat, it does not end up compensating it with its multiple flaws, whether it is annoying characters or forced situations in the story. This of the annoying characters is applied more to the protagonist of the movie "Liuer" who spends the entire movie screaming "Great Sage"! Over and over, becoming the last part in which the Monkey King realizes that the boy is alive as a mockery of this. In that sense I end up sharing the feeling of the Monkey King. I want it to go away! Liuer in my opinion is one of the most irritating characters in the history of entertainment !!! And in a way as simple as repeating the same phrase over and over again, you have succeeded !!! As for the forced situations (even becoming plot holes) there are those that the old man from nowhere finds Liuer near the end of the movie or that the Monkey King received the help of the Dragon as if nothing, without any explanation, even though he had attacked them before. Nor do they say what the Monkey King did to be expelled from heaven and what he had to do to break the curse that sealed his powers. Then there are the graphics, that although the backgrounds are fine, the character modeling is disgusting, the only decent ones being the Monkey King and Hundun (the main antagonist), the rest look very ugly and generic, more to be a animated film of the year 2015. It also suffers from characters that appear and it is not explained very well who they are, what their intentions are and that they appear to be important but in the end they are not, like Budha, the pig (who was previously a heavenly guard ) or the two disciples of Hundun, with little charisma and appearances, in short, all the problems suffered by generic animated films made in a hurry, with the typical stereotype that as they are for children they do not have to have a developed and complex plot . The most outstanding parts of the movie are the beginning. with the story and that art syle and the end, with a more or less epic final combat, but that does not do justice to the boring and irritating parts that they have. I'm sure some people will tell me that I don't know anything about oriental culture, but a movie based on myths or legends, has to try to attract both those who know the story and those who don't, which is why I like movies like Hercules from Disney that explain everything and reinvent the original story and that I did not know anything about before (equally, having now read the story of the Monkey King, you do not miss much ..., so that excuse that some could give, does not counts) It is a personal opinion, and although I give it a 5, I recommend it, since it has some interesting things in the concept of the story, and the fighting is entertaining to see, which saves it in part, but neither it is a masterpiece, and i am surprised it exists a ps4 game honestly....

Breeding new life to the Classic

[johnxu-54050 · 10/10 · 19 July 2015]

With an almost Pixarian flair that marries perfectly with an Miyazaki-type of emotional twist, "Monkey King, hero is back" is an uproar in a usually quiet Chinese animation market. Cheap tearjerker, well some of those who have had enough of Hollywood stuff might grumble, but it was wrong to juxtapose "Monkey King, hero is back" to other mainstream American animations, at least not in a Chinese scenario. For the adaptation of the classic Chinese Novel "To the West" this film is a bold departure from the old word- by-word translation that nobody really cares anymore. Monkey King, portrayed as an outcast was only able to pick himself up from words of a little monk. In some way, this was significant as it applies powerfully to the real world. What we are afraid of is nothing but figments of our own fears. The movie deals courageously with the theme of lost. Donned with a old cloth, nothing suggests even a remote element of kingness except his occasional up-hands on small monsters. To put it another way, he was a loser, a pariah who has lost faith in himself. There are a couple of close-up scenes which presented an unusually meticulous and delicate approach to the portrayal of Monkey King's mentality. Few words were being said and yet the emotion rocked us powerfully.

For me personally, the story of Monkey King has always held a special place in my mind since I was young, which I believe applies to many other people who were born in the twenties century China where American and Japanese popular culture had yet made their strides into the quiet and sometimes monotonous Chinese entertainment market. Since all the way back, there has always been Monkey King and the story of "Journey to the West" where fable-like interplays between pigsy, Monkey King, Liuer (who in the book was called tang sen) serve as lessons to Chinese kids, where moral creeds like respecting the elder and knowing thy place insinuate into people heads and ultimately define us as Chinese. Whereas in the movie "Monkey King: hero is back" the Monkey King was the indisputable protagonist, the novel written in Ming Dynasty China focused more on the interplays between different characters where Monkey King was always portrayed as irrational. This definition would carry on in modern Chinese history till now.

There's a sense of powerlessness in the otherwise almighty character. After being locked up under a huge mountain for five hundred years, Monkey King has certainly lost his edge. Worn-out and beaten, his weariness and regret are evermore powerful to Chinese viewers just like American viewers seeing Captain America getting beaten up and driven away. Yet this powerlessness draws us ever closer to the once sacrosanct image. Gone was the Monkey King who were once inscrutable, manically irrational. What appears in front of us instead is an individual swept away in a current he was not longer able to ride on, a person just like us. I could never fail to connect Monkey King with the rest of us, swept away in a social current we had no control of. Beaten up by the mounting expectations and pressures society demand upon us. May not we haven't been locked up under mountains for five hundred years, but we were just as beaten-up and as tired. Then what could we do. Was there a way we could find our younger selves lost during our journey in life?

In the movie, the bracelet that kept Monkey King's power was a metaphor of our inner feeling of lost and powerlessness. The bracelet was shattered not by spells or powerful magics. It was shattered rather by a renewed sense of hope and drive, an edge that most of us have only when we were young, when we were carefree and fearless. The climax seems to resonate well with a sometimes cliché but nevertheless true statement: we are never normal and we have nothing to fear.

I was almost driven to tears during the movie and I rank it the best Chinese animation I've ever seen in my life. Good news is that it will come to US soon, which I anticipate a great deal of. It makes me proud to be able to introduce to my friends something that is not only Chinese but also sheer pleasure.

The Monkey King is not back

[indigoshadowking · 3/10 · 30 December 2019]

So this is the most famous monkey in Chinese legend, yet twisted into something else. Da Sheng (The Great) in the original Xi You Ji (Journey to the West) is the all mighty escorting his Shi Fu all the way while defeating all the fearsome demons. Yes it is good to give the old legend a twist, but no this monkey only carries the same name (and maybe the same image) and left the spirit somewhere else.

SUN WUKONG!!!!!

[NemoForevermore500 · 9/10 · 20 July 2023]

This is my favorite movie I've seen so far. This movie takes a creative spin on jttw and makes it about a fallen hero who has lost sight of who they are, regaining their powers because a child believes in him. The animation and music is absolutely beautiful. I also really love the character designs. Out of the many designs of Sun Wukong this one is definitely my favorite. Although though are a few criticisms like how the plot isn't explained that well or how the dubbing sometimes doesn't match with their lips, despite these flaws it is still an overall great movie. I think with a higher budget and more time, the director could've achieved this movie to its perfection. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves Chinese films or is a big fan of the monkey king legend.

The Monkey King is back, but he rushes too quickly out the door

[davidchenhere · 8/10 · 28 September 2016]

Within the first 15 minutes, Hero is Back realizes its goal: bring older audiences on a nostalgia trip, and enrapture young moviegoers with Sun Wukong, one of the most fantastic characters in Chinese mythology. The director spent 7 years developing this movie to show his son (a Batman junkie) the wonders of Chinese superheroes.

Serving as a "pre-sequel" bridge between his two most famous adventures, the flick gives us a VERY interesting take on Wukong's struggles with self-doubt 500 years after he wreaked havoc in heaven.

I was so excited for this unique premise that I flew to China to catch the premiere. The theaters were PACKED, as the trailer generated a lot of hype for domestic audiences. Everyone left with a smile on their face, and some with tears in their eyes, having seen their childhood hero brought to life with 21st century technology. The vibe in the theater lobby was amazing, and we all had a great time afterwards.

Hero is Back's main failure is to move WAY too fast. After being introduced to our main cast, we barely spend any time with them at all before being moved right to the finale. Indeed, Hero is Back does a good job of establishing character motivations, and develops good chemistry. But the audience needs a few slow scenes here and there to appreciate the gravity of their journey, and to reflect on Wukong's growth!!!

Overall, definitely DO watch Hero is Back, especially if you're a Wukong fan. Although it may feel rushed, you will laugh and marvel at the animation, and the insights to Wukong's character make it a unique experience.

hot garbage (not the sexy kind)

[mauriciofernandogerhardt · 1/10 · 24 January 2017]

First, I must say I only saw like 10 or 15 minutes of the movie, and it was already enough for me to know that I didn't want to see the rest, and that I should go to IMDb to rate this. Seeing as there were no bad reviews, I wanted to help out other people into not seeing this.

Spoiler alert: Starts with monkey king being some kind of god or wannabe god fighting other gods to be accepted into heaven. Does not tell us his motivation for doing so.

Even though he wins the fight against 3 other gods, Buddha, which is some kind of super evil god, decides to imprison monkey king under a mountain.

Fast forward thousands of years: There's a group of humans going through a narrow path in the mountains. Doesn't tell us why. The path was obviously built by humans. A group of super strong monsters attack the humans. Doesn't tell us why. Also, how did the humans build a path in a monster ridden place? Wouldn't the humans bring warriors to protect them from monsters? When a baby in the group cries, all the monsters forget everything else and go for the baby. Doesn't tell us why. The mother of the baby jumps with the baby out of the mountain path into an abyss. In the next scene there's a baby coming down a river on top of a wooden crate. I think you skipped some important things here: How did the mother falling hundreds or thousands of meters/ miles get to rescue her baby? where did that box come from? At this point I thought: Well, I guess the movie makers are always going to treat the audience as if we're idiots, and I'm no idiot, so bye!

Best Movie of 2015 (Snubbed at the Oscars)

[gashgorilla · 10/10 · 16 August 2020]

Monkey King evolved not only cinema, but what it means to be a human also. It's profound writing will bring joy into the hearts of even the most evil men.

"A cinematic masterpiece of this caliber has never been attempted, though I couldn't imagine it ever being pulled off better." - Quentin Tarantino 2020.

Monkey King seamlessly integrates comedy and drama, making the movie an indescribable viewing experience for people of all ages. All in all Monkey King will be remembered as one of the greats in cinema history, up there with The Godfather: Part II, The Shawshank Redemption and Step Brothers. (11/10)

Myth of China

[o-54079 · 9/10 · 25 March 2020]

The story of growth and courage, the director from a new perspective to show the journey to the west, mainly tells the story of being under the pressure of the five fingers mountain, the Monkey King to help the young monk jiangliuer save the children in addition to the demon story. The performance of the film is more of a process of self-growth and self-redemption.

Tragic rating

[cederhorn-carl · 10/10 · 6 March 2021]

This movie is incredibly good, if this would be american made people would rate it 10/10 but sadly there is alot of racism towards the chinese and people cant read so they watch dubbed version wich is never a good idea.

It should be regarded as the best cartoon made in China in the past 20 years

[yoggwork · 8/10 · 19 February 2019]

It should be regarded as the best cartoon made in China in the past 20 years. The whole film has outstanding pictures, smooth special effects and full 3D sense, completely crushed other domestic pit dad films. From a visual point of view, this is a sincere masterpiece. Defects: 1. The broken Wang Feng of the episode is really the aesthetic feeling of the broken picture; 2. The plot is too young.

Issue with Chi fu and Sha Zang and other bad work

[cmc2392 · 10/10 · 10 May 2019]

Good movie though and kid can be less anointed and Wukong is a bit difference of personality by legendary Jackie Chan!!!