The Monkey King is an animated film produced by the Chinese animation company Pearl Studio and the American streaming service Netflix. It is directed by Anthony Stacchi and based on the classic novel Journey To The West attributed to Chinese author Wu Cheng’en.

The Monkey King (Jimmy O. Yang) has been rejected by his fellow primates for being born from a rock and firing beams from his eyes. After defeating a demon to save a baby monkey, Monkey King manages to swipe a magic staff and vows to slay one hundred demons so he can ascend as a deity. Unbeknown to him, the staff belonged to the Dragon King (Bowen Yang) and he wants it back. After meeting a young girl Lin (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), Monkey King decides to become immortal, but the Jade Emperor (Hoon Lee), underworld King Yama (Andrew Kishino), and Wangmu (Jodi Long) will not let that happen.

The animation is pretty cool. It is not “blow me away” amazing, but I found the character designs to be sleek and very unique. A lot of the characters within Chinese folklore resemble real people, but this film made them look more mystical which worked perfectly for this flick. I especially liked the motion of the staff. That was pretty sleek and it worked very well.

I also enjoyed the voice cast. Everyone was perfectly chosen for the role. Yang did a superb job as the Monkey King, capturing the character perfectly. The rest of the cast also did excellent in their respective roles and I cannot applaud them enough.

It is an adventure. Being based on a folkloric novel, the story is incredibly long, so they condensed it a bit. This made it feel incredibly fast-paced, so you will need to pay attention. The Buddhist themes may turn a few people away, especially their concept of the underworld, but that is a minor detail. I cannot really complain about anything else.

It is an exciting exploration of Chinese folklore that I think older kids and their parents can enjoy. Aside from the violence, the movie is clean and you do not have to worry about what will happen if mom and dad get up to grab a drink. Yes, it does have magic, but all in the context of a fantasy tale. That is something that is unique these days, sadly.

Bottom line, The Monkey King is a fun adventure that takes us to swamps, mountains, and the sea. It is a good time with a great cast and some amazing animation.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Action violence, Some frightening images

FAVORITE QUOTE: He speaks in riddles.

Check out the trailer below:

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