介绍:
One can't possibly watch "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" without comparing it to the 1995 movie "A Chinese Odyssey." Both are based on the classic Ming Dynasty novel "Journey to the West." "Conquering the Demons" is a much more vivid rendition of the story, but less attractive.
Although actor-turned-director Stephen Chow made his name playing so-called losers in comedy films, he is now assisted by perhaps the best computer-generate imagery technology available to Chinese directors. With the most horrifying computer-generated demons, he has created a fantasy film that is the most faithful to the original novel and certainly the most profitable of any "Journey to the West" movie so far.
Ming Dynasty novelist and poet Wu Cheng'en wrote a fictional story about a hellish world where people live in ignorance of Buddhist teachings, and cannibalistic demons lurk in every mountain and river. So during his quest for Buddhist scriptures, Xuanzang encounters many demons that test his faith. He manages to conquer three of them and turns them into helpful escorts. Stephen Chow reproduces Xuanzang's triumph over the three demons, but adds a romantic dimension to the monk's spiritual awakening.
So it was with "A Chinese Odyssey," only the lead character was one of the conquered three demons – the monkey king. The only difference was when the romance ended in tragedy, the monkey king learned about destiny and responsibility, while Xuanzang learned about the power of faith and universal love.
"Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" is the first Stephen Chow movie without Chow in the cast. But this is not the reason for its difference in style. Actors Wen Zhang and Huang Bo are no less geniuses than Chow in inducing laughter, and their efforts make the film as hilarious as any other Chow comedy. However, the director must have put away some of his sarcastic ammo, because there is a noticeable absence of the irony that was so commonplace in his previous works. This change has caused discontent among some of Chow's fans who pose as intelligent viewers.
Meanwhile, Chow's new production has also stirred the nerves of some sensitive viewers who claim the movie is too horrible to be a comedy. Since the film premiered on the first day of China's Spring Festival, many moviegoers took their children to see it, hoping to share some hearty laughter with their families. But when the movie showed a child being devoured by a fish demon, they soon realized that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have brought the kids. As a result, complaints were made both on Chow's indiscretion and the lack of a film-rating system.
Stephen Chow movies used to please simple-minded, compassionate and thoughtful viewers alike. But now, with the paw of irony well hidden and the weight of scare in full swing, the new film might generate as much in complaints as in box office earnings. On a scale from one to 10, I give it a 6.5.
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