Journey to the West - Conquering the Demons (Stephen Chow)

[Winston*]

IMDB

[Winston*]

So entertaining.

[Spun Lepton]

Judging by the trailer, this doesn't strike me as something that would get as wide a release as Kung-Fu Hustle. Is there any news on a US theatrical run? Big fan of Chow, would love to see this in the theater.

[Winston*]

Judging by the trailer, this doesn't strike me as something that would get as wide a release as Kung-Fu Hustle.

It's been a massive hit in China, so you never know.

[Sycophant]

Loved this.

[number8]

Why does this still not have an American distributor, goddammit. It's like the second highest grossing movie in China's box office history.

[Sycophant]

Good question.

Sadly, it'd probably be a tough sale for all but the most niche distributors, who I expect can't put forward enough money to satisfy the production companies behind one of Asia's biggest blockbusters in history. Kind of a Battle Royale situation, perhaps?

It'd be a hard sell to the public with any kind of high-profile release, I'm sure. Tonally, it's old school Hong Kong action comedy as hell. Weird, difficult tonal shifts with scenes of grotesque horror, slapstick comedy, emotional devastation, and slick, goofy CG action, as well as a lot of overt Buddhist themes and imagery. There's a lot of over the top comic performances in the film's opening scenes, which also include [

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a baby in mortal peril, a loving father murdered, and a Kindergarten-age girl swallowed whole by a demon after violent resistance

] I wonder who would want to try to pitch this. It's not what we're used to. For the average filmgoer, something like Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle, or CJ7 are much more obvious entry points to a name that's still pretty unknown over here.

This is just an area of the international film marketplace that it seems to me the American market just can't provide for. It's probs not arty enough for that circuit, too off-putting to mainstream tastes for the megaplexes... who can put it where?

Maybe I overestimate its impenetrability.

[EyesWideOpen]

I'd much rather movies of this vein get released VOD so at least we can see them in a timely manner instead of waiting years or never to get them in the US.

[Winston*]

Maybe I overestimate its impenetrability.

You are overlooking the fact that it is really, really funny.

[Qrazy]

This was terrible and I love Chow. First of all the film looks like crap. The effects are total rubbish, the scene building basically non-existent, a bunch of people just show up places haphazardly. Secondly the grotesque violence adds nothing to the film. Third, no one here can fill Chow's shoes as a comedic actor and about 80% of the humor falls flat on it's face. I was extremely disappointed, made me want to go rewatch A Chinese Odyssey.

[Stay Puft]

I'm pretty torn on this. I did like Chow's take on the story and especially Bo Huang's performance as the Monkey King. It had some good laughs. But, overall, I'm inclined to agree with Qrazy. I was actually pretty shocked at times that I was apparently watching something directed by Stephen Chow. His previous films have such creative and playful special effects but the CGI work here is overbearing and artless and just plain bad. CJ7 was focused on an entirely CGI character but there was still a deftness to Chow's direction that made it work, made the character feel like an organic part of the story. None of that skill is on display here.

Also I wonder if there was some wordplay being lost in translation because that Prince Important/Impotent bit didn't make any sense to me. It just kept going and just wasn't funny.

[baby doll]

I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I thought some parts were funny, but it's never as funny as Shaolin Soccer or Kung-Fu Hustle, and some parts are just dumb (the whole schtick with the conformity sticker charm thing).

[Sven]

This is practically a masterpiece, kinda sparring with Chen's The Promise in terms of ecstatic use of CG to create 21st century perspectives on traditional culture. Chow's one of the best in the business with effects, and that opening setpiece left me white-knuckled and slack-jawed from its audacious technique and expressive monster-making (love the adherence in its seamonster to classic Chinese dragon representations). That Chow's storytelling requires only modest, and often not-at-all noticeable, tweaks to play into traditional mythological narrative styles, while still managing to be modern and subversive and hysterical, is miraculous.

[Sven]

The 2001 homage in the cosmic Buddha's hand slap is a new Favorite Shot.

[Skitch]

So fucking good. I had an absolute blast with this flick. Amazing how it juggled comedy and emotion. That "blood-sprayer" stuff midway through had me howling. (Being vague to avoid spoilers).

If you havent seen this, bump it up. Its still on Netflix.