One of the biggest problems with having your name attached to huge blockbusters is that there's always expectations to meet. I was very excited to see Journey to the West when it was available for streaming. What I got was a mixed bag.
The story follows a young Buddhist monk by the name of Tang Sanzang, as he journeys to vanquish demons plaguing China using humanist action. The only problem is, it's pretty ineffective compared to Duan, an Action Girl demon hunter who always ends up fixing his mistakes.
So, what exactly do I like about the film? Well, as always, some of the fight scenes can be pretty spectacular, and the comedy has Stephen Chow's signature which is always a plus.
However, the biggest problem is that it's Stephen Chow, the same guy who directed movies like Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer, and CJ 7. The first two films are comedic gold and CJ 7 was an emotional rollercoaster. While there were a few scenes that got a chuckle out of me, those moments weren't as frequent as they were in the other films. I just don't think Chow brought his A-game to the project.
Still, I can't say that I didn't like it. I did. I just don't think it's on par with some of Chow's other projects. I might even consider watching it again sometime in the future.
Film Good On Its Own, But Not Groundbreaking
One of the biggest problems with having your name attached to huge blockbusters is that there's always expectations to meet. I was very excited to see Journey to the West when it was available for streaming. What I got was a mixed bag.
The story follows a young Buddhist monk by the name of Tang Sanzang, as he journeys to vanquish demons plaguing China using humanist action. The only problem is, it's pretty ineffective compared to Duan, an Action Girl demon hunter who always ends up fixing his mistakes.
So, what exactly do I like about the film? Well, as always, some of the fight scenes can be pretty spectacular, and the comedy has Stephen Chow's signature which is always a plus.
However, the biggest problem is that it's Stephen Chow, the same guy who directed movies like Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer, and CJ 7. The first two films are comedic gold and CJ 7 was an emotional rollercoaster. While there were a few scenes that got a chuckle out of me, those moments weren't as frequent as they were in the other films. I just don't think Chow brought his A-game to the project.
Still, I can't say that I didn't like it. I did. I just don't think it's on par with some of Chow's other projects. I might even consider watching it again sometime in the future.