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Thread: Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (Tsui Hark)

  1. #1
    White Tiger Field Stay Puft's Avatar
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    Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (Tsui Hark)

    JOURNEY TO THE WEST: THE DEMONS STRIKE BACK
    Dir. Tsui Hark



    IMDb page
    Giving up in 2020. Who cares.

    maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore (Sky Hopinka) ***½
    Without Remorse (Stefano Sollima) *½
    The Marksman (Robert Lorenz) **
    Beckett (Ferdinando Cito Filomarino) *½
    Night Hunter (David Raymond) *

  2. #2
    White Tiger Field Stay Puft's Avatar
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    Stephen Chow stays on as a writer and producer, but make no mistake, this is a Tsui Hark blockbuster, low on laughs and high on Hollywood knockoff action, complete with Tsui's modern studio sensibilities and cartoon aesthetic (the latter, admittedly, being a good match for this follow-up, and does provide the film with its few merits). It's also a bit distracting, although ultimately irrelevant, I suppose, that not a single actor reprises their role from the original (with one exception, which might, unintentionally or not, be one of the film's only worthwhile jokes). The film barely moves the needle, ignoring the journey to find the sutras almost entirely, and basically ends with the dysfunctional group now being slightly less dysfunctional thanks to random, disconnected plot machinations (many of which simply regurgitate elements of the first film). The third act plot twists are just painful to sit through, and some involve basically cheating the audience. The storytelling here sucks, even by modern Tsui Hark standards. And that's saying something.

    Which is a shame, because I've long been a fan and champion of Tsui's modern aesthetics, particularly the Saturday morning cartoon vibe of stuff like Young Detective Dee, as well as Tsui's playful use of modern 3D technology (honestly, he's one of the best in the bizz). The Demons Strike Back is no exception, and the second act climax is almost worth the price of admission, full of dazzling special effects and fight choreography and relentless, entertaining 3D gimmicks. Tsui is still a maestro behind the camera, and he translates years of experience to blockbuster filmmaking better than any of his peers. The Demons Strike Back is the most Hollywood thing China has ever produced, as far as actually looking like it could have been produced in Hollywood, with Hollywood resources. The quality of the CGI maybe still isn't quite there, but China is certainly within striking distance at this point. The production is quite impressive overall, from the pop-up storybook look of the forest (achieved with 3D effects) to the hilarious and bizarre costumes and makeup of the opening circus scenes (complete with Tsui's roving, probing camera); the atmosphere is often rich (there's a few random shots, here and there, with either a particular music cue, or exemplary example of cinematography, that almost took my breath away) and the action often clever (Tsui reminds me a bit of Ridley Scott at this point in his career, a consummate professional and technical expert who still knows who to get in and a craft a movie, but who has seemingly lost his eye, or ear, or whatever, for good material).

    Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for Tsui to actually make a good movie with the modern aesthetic he has cultivated. The Demons Strike Back drops any pretense of story, because we all know that shit just gets in the way of spectacle, and that would almost be a bold move deserving of respect if the end result wasn't... you know... a completely pointless waste of fucking time. Which is to say, this is at once one of the most impressive productions China has produced, and one of the most lousy, a nonsensical kaleidoscope of empty spectacle that might occasionally spit out something of value for your dollar, but doesn't fundamentally respect your time in any real way.

    A part of me actually hoped a collaboration between Tsui and Chow would muster something noteworthy, or singular, but alas... the only decent thing we got from it is the trailer for this film, and the post-credit sequence, in which [
    ]. That stuff got a chuckle out of me. The film itself is a disappointment by any measure, doubly so for a longtime fan of both.

    I don't think Davis posts here anymore, but he doesn't have to, because I can already read his reply, chastising me for my continual misplaced faith in modern Tsui Hark films.

    Oh well.

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    Last edited by Stay Puft; 02-10-2017 at 04:47 AM.
    Giving up in 2020. Who cares.

    maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore (Sky Hopinka) ***½
    Without Remorse (Stefano Sollima) *½
    The Marksman (Robert Lorenz) **
    Beckett (Ferdinando Cito Filomarino) *½
    Night Hunter (David Raymond) *

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