Writer: Cinnamon Lion

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Watch this if you liked: "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons"

The Good, the Bad and the Journey continues:

• The big-budget sequel to Stephen Chow's blockbuster boosted the much anticipated collaboration between Chow and famed filmmaker Tsui Hark (the latter who now takes over directing duties from Chow), however the film never quite manages to deliver the signature laughs expected from a Stephen Chow film.

• One of the main flaws of the movie is casting of heartthrob Kris Wu as Xuan Zang who doesn't quite do a convincing job. Even the rest of the cast are replaced from the original actors however this is not too noticeable thanks to the heavy make-up and prosthetics.

• The film is very CGI heavy and it justifies its use for several fight scenes and especially the inventive way of how Tsui Hark depicts a creepy forest, a colourful kingdom and clashes between giant creatures among other things.

• Although the film is based on the classic Chinese novel, the filmmakers have taken a lot of liberty with the story.


Cinema Online, 01 February 2017