Imagine a universe where everyone has a designated place, resides in a self-sufficient zone and all denizens adhere to rules. As tranquil as it sounds, it also makes for a world with no avenues to explore or share resources. One such setting forms the backdrop of Netflix’s latest animation film, The Monkey King, where all hell breaks loose after an ‘unruly’ monkey crawls out from under a rock.
The film, based on the 16th-century Chinese novel, Journey to the West, is the story of a monkey (Jimmy O Yang), who didn’t ascribe to the rules of this world, and is hence, treated as an outcast. Bereft of a hug, a smile or any expression of warmth from his cohabitants, he finds himself relegated to the periphery. His moment under the sun arrives when he saves a villager from the wrath of the ‘demon of havoc’.
After slaying one demon, his quest for being appreciated grows larger, and with the support of a magic stick-of-sorts, he slays 99 more, travels between hell and heaven, and finally, takes on the mighty Buddha himself. If people won’t accept him, let the gods do. The perennial outcasting means that he turns into an immortality-seeking, crazy simian, who just wants to belong. And get a hug, if possible.
While the premise is simple and effective, the execution appears to cater more to the attention-deficit sections of the audience, with flashy colours and lights often taking centre stage. The high-paced writing doesn’t let moments linger or emotions simmer. The lack of breathing space between scenes suffocates the narrative. There is an assistant Lin (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), who acts as the moral compass of the film, but the scenes with her and the Monkey don’t always work despite brimming with potential. Once again, the hurried-up storytelling doesn’t bode well for the fun-filled film.
The Monkey is first introduced as ‘trouble’. Chaos tails him. The makers, however, don’t show enough ingenuity in this character, which seems to have something fundamentally missing. Despite the spurts of manic energy, the scenes often fall strangely flat. The one character that makes a significant impact is the primary antagonist, the Dragon King (Bowen Yang), who is a hoot and a half. In fact, it is his portions that are zany and funny, and he swims away with the best lines and songs. He carries the entire last act like a boss.
The Monkey King is a strong origin story that dishes out some ideas worth pondering over, but perhaps it needed to evoke more wonder; the premise and its protagonist are fascinating enough to have deserved better.
The Monkey King Director: Anthony Stacchi Genre: Animation Platform: Netflix Language: English Rating: 2.5/5 stars
