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The Monkey King 2
2016; directed by Soi Cheang

The Monkey King 2

Quite possibly the umpteenth (yes, that is a real term -- I just looked it up) onscreen adaptation of the popular classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, Soi Cheang's The Monkey King 2 may be a little too specific in both source and summation for more casual viewers, but for fans of the story and/or high-flying CGI-fueled wire-fu, the film offers a fun (if a bit immature and brainless) ride.

The Monkey King 2

Aaron Kwok takes over the reins (or is it the banana?) of the titular character from Donnie Yen, and does a fine job. Honestly, the difference in martial arts style and finesse is negligible due to the heavy use of CGI employed in both films, and Kwok brings a bit more panache and humanity to the role. Placed against a near-perfect foil with Gong Li going wonderfully over the top as the movie's villain, the chemistry makes for a real counterpoint to the sometimes too fantastical happenings.

The Monkey King 2

RATING: 7

This movie has been released uncut and in the original Cantonese language (a Mandarin track is also available) with English subtitles in North America by Well Go USA. It is available on VOD, DVD, and Blu-ray from Amazon. Extras on the disc-based versions include behind the scenes featurettes and trailers for the movie and other Well Go releases.

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