The Monkey King is one of the most popular characters in Chinese fantasy. I could go on in detail about the complexity of this character but this movie is not the place. Here, all you need to know is that he can shape shift and his staff is his magic weapon. This is a fantasy that would probably only hold the attention of children. It is put on film in the style of a Peking Opera in that many of the scenes look as if you were sitting in a theater and watching a stage performance. The fights also have the same choreography.
My copy is a digital file that plays on a HDTV in 4:3 video format. There are Chinese and English hard subtitles. The source could be a laser disk. That format preserved the wide screen of the theatrical version. However, this copy seems to have also been cut for a television broadcast. This results in cropping on the right and left. The subtitles are cut off along with the picture. The subtitles are also solid white without contrast and often washed out. Plus the translation is often incomprehensible.
I am a fan of martial arts movies of the golden age from 1967 to 1984 and on a mission to watch and review every one. This movie caught my attention because of the martial arts actors. Sometimes I find a memorable scene or a good fight sequence in these movies that makes it almost worth it to watch the rest. Not this time.
Today, I cannot imagine an audience for this movie. I was surprised to find another review here. I cannot recommend it for fans of old martial arts movies. Enough said.
