Movie review - Monkey King Reborn

Monkey King Reborn ** (out of 5) (NR) The Monkey King is apparently a figure from ancient Chinese mythology who has been represented in many forms long before a slew of live-action and animated films and TV series. One of those live ones starred A-lister Donnie Yen. This animated feature serves up an epic-scale series of confrontations between the King and the biggest, baddest demon of them all. If you’re seeking the sort of light production in which the titular being is the puckish sort, look elsewhere. There’s a bit of humor from the sidekicks, but the King is actually more of a jerk, and the story is all drama.

The Monkey King accidentally unleashes a long dormant entity by doing as he pleased and ignoring the warnings from those who were in charge of containment. That leads to multiple battles against the one with the power to end life on Earth as we know it, and hordes of lesser minions. Although there’s not much to like about the King, the animation is stunning.

Much attention is paid to the surroundings. Leaves and flowers in the background are drawn in meticulous detail. The evil creatures are a highly diverse set of foes, with distinctive looks and skill sets challenging the King and his two overmatched companions. The action sequences are big, loud and colorful. Even if the outcome is inevitable, the journey should please fans of serious grown-up animation, so long as they know they’re not in for a kid-friendly experience. This ain’t Disney, so watch it without the little ones, or those who are easily upset by violence.

(Available on Digital and Blu-ray 12/10/21)