THE MONKEY KING - Mark Reviews Movies

The Monkey King, Netflix

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Review by Mark Dujsik | August 17, 2023

The concept of the Monkey King is almost certainly going to be new most audiences, except for those in China or with a particular interest in folk lore from around the world. It's appropriate, then, that The Monkey King, a computer-animated movie, serves as an origin story of the super-powered simian, who is born from—or, one supposes, hatched out of—a rock and rebels against gods and demons alike in order to prove the worth he is certain he possesses.

This legend comes from a much larger work, namely the 16th century novel Journey to the West from China, which means two things. First, we're not seeing the entirety of the Monkey King's tale, and second, the more cynical amongst us will see this movie as the starting point for a whole franchise to come. The first observation shouldn't matter that much, except that this version of the character feels a bit too static throughout to make much of an impact beyond the plotting in which the Monkey King finds himself. The second is just what happens now, but beyond that, it also means the movie feels as if it's going in circles just to make sure that there's as much of the source material remaining as possible.

Beyond all of those concerns, too, this movie's Monkey King (voice of Jimmy O. Yang) is kind of irritating. As a starting point for a character who will go through a lengthy journey and undergo plenty of changes along the way, there's nothing wrong with that characterization. Again, though, this is just the first stage of the Monkey King's quest, so whatever lessons he might learn and changes he might go through along the path are fairly limited. He's slightly less annoying by the end of the movie, and that doesn't come across as much of an accomplishment, considering how much plot-based busywork the movie makes us endure.

The basics of the plot, which is about as basic as can be, has the Monkey King emerging from the rock, trying to fit in but being rejected by a group of other monkeys, spending years alone training to fight, and hoping to become a hero. When his plans to be accepted by his ilk fail yet again, the Monkey King realizes he needs some divine aid, in the form of a magical staff that's under the sea and guarded by the Dragon King (voice of Bowen Yang).

After stealing the staff from the Dragon King's lair, the Monkey King defeats a demon that had been causing the other monkeys some problems. When he gets a taste of the power and glory of being a hero, the Monkey King determines that he won't be truly content until he is counted among the immortal gods of heaven.

The resulting plot has the Monkey King traversing various lands and realms—from the Dragon King's undersea kingdom, to an apparent ghost town being harassed by a fire demon, to the pitiful depths of hell, to the grand palace of heaven in the clouds—while searching for assorted items that can help him accomplish his goal. The design and animation of these worlds and characters, overseen by director Anthony Stacchi, are fairly detailed, although the beauty and diversity of the story's various backdrops certainly overshadow the more generic appearance of the characters in the foreground.

They do move with a certain weight and force, which is important in this particular case. A lot of this story has the Monkey King and, occasionally, his assistant—a girl named Lin (voice of Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), who comes from a small village in the middle of a drought and has an ulterior motive for spending so much time with a monkey who treats her terribly—running and jumping and doing battle with various gods and demons. The bursts of action are a constant in this narrative—so much so that their repetition makes the whole thing feel like an endless action sequence.

There are some quiet moments, mainly between the Monkey King and Lin, as the former very gradually learns that he shouldn't treat her with such inherent disrespect and disregard. Our anti-hero is so selfish and boastful, while the story keeps propelling itself forward with little regard to the characters within it, that the character becomes more a burden on the ultimate point of his own story than anything else. It's obvious the filmmakers, as well as Yang, recognize these traits as flaws (The whole of the third act essentially turns the Monkey King into a villain, even as he's battling a greater threat), but it's difficult to care about the character's adventures when we're just waiting for the moment that the story will address those shortcomings.

The Monkey King is far too eager to keep itself busy with some wondrous sights, plenty of action, and lots of strained humor. Its message and a more considered depiction of its main character feel like an afterthought—one that a sequel, perhaps, could be more bothered to explore.

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