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Review | Netflix movie review: The Monkey King – Jimmy O. Yang voices lead in animated adventure that, despite its Asian-American voice cast and striking imagery, is sadly generic
- The Monkey King, based on Chinese folklore, follows the mischievous protagonist’s quest for immortality – and a village girl who hopes he can save her home
- While the movie looks slick and is a passable fantasy adventure, The Monkey King doesn’t offer a window of any sorts into the rich Chinese cultural universe
Reading Time:2 minutes
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2/5 stars
In the latest attempt to introduce Chinese folk hero the Monkey King to a Western audience, Netflix teams up with director Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls) for a colourful and action-packed animated adventure that shares more in common with Kung Fu Panda than Wu Cheng’en’s Journey to the West.
Despite an entirely Asian-American cast that includes Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang and BD Wong, the film’s Chinese mythological elements feel wholly cosmetic.
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Characters, dialogue and musical numbers all follow the familiar formula of Pixar, Illumination and other Hollywood studios, rather than offering any substantial insight into the original legend.
Drawing from the earliest parts of the story, The Monkey King traces the mischievous protagonist’s origins, hatched from a rock and immediately alienating himself from the rest of the simian community.
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Lonely and unloved, Monkey (voiced by comedian Jimmy O. Yang) determines to seek acceptance by gaining immortality. Snatching a sentient magical “Stick” from the ocean-dwelling Dragon King (Bowen Yang), he sets out to defeat 100 demons and take his place alongside the other immortals, who are less than thrilled at the idea of him becoming a deity.
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