Sun Wukong 2017: A Review of the Chinese Fantasy-Action-Adventure Film
If you are a fan of Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, you might be interested in watching Wu Kong, a 2017 Chinese fantasy-action-adventure film directed by Derek Kwok and starring Eddie Peng in the title role. The film is based on a popular internet novel titled Wukong Biography written by Jin Hezai, which tells a prequel story of Sun Wukong before he joins the Journey to the West. The film features stunning visual effects, thrilling action scenes, and a captivating plot that explores Sun Wukong's rebellion against the gods, his friendship with Erlang Shen, his love for Zi Xia, and his ultimate betrayal by Hua Ji. In this article, we will review the film in detail, covering its plot summary, analysis, conclusion, and FAQs.
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Introduction
Sun Wukong is one of the most famous and beloved characters in Chinese culture and literature. He is a legendary figure who was born from a stone, acquired supernatural powers, challenged the authority of heaven, accompanied a monk on a quest to obtain Buddhist scriptures, and became a Buddha himself. He is known for his courage, intelligence, loyalty, mischief, humor, and charisma. He has inspired countless adaptations in various media forms, such as novels, comics, animations, films, games, and more.
One of the latest adaptations of Sun Wukong's story is Wu Kong, a 2017 Chinese fantasy-action-adventure film directed by Derek Kwok and produced by Huang Jianxin. The film stars Eddie Peng as Sun Wukong, Shawn Yue as Erlang Shen (a god with a third eye who can transform into various animals), Ni Ni as Zi Xia (a fairy who falls in love with Sun Wukong), Oho Ou as Tian Peng (a pig demon who becomes Sun Wukong's friend), and Zheng Shuang as Ah Yue (a human girl who helps Sun Wukong). The film is based on a popular internet novel titled Wukong Biography written by Jin Hezai, which tells a prequel story of Sun Wukong before he joins the Journey to the West.
The film differs from the original novel in several aspects, such as adding new characters, changing some events, and modifying some details. However, it still retains the essence of Sun Wukong's character and his world. The film explores some of the main themes and messages of Sun Wukong's story, such as destiny, freedom, friendship, love, betrayal, revenge, redemption, and enlightenment. The film also showcases some impressive visual effects, cinematography, music, and action sequences that create an immersive and thrilling experience for the viewers.
<h Plot Summary
The film begins with a narration by Erlang Shen, who explains that the world is divided into three realms: heaven, earth, and hell. He also introduces the concept of the Heavenly Destiny, which is a system that assigns a fate to every living being. Those who have a high destiny can become gods, while those who have a low destiny can only be mortals or demons. He then reveals that he was once friends with Sun Wukong, but they became enemies because of a woman named Zi Xia.
The film then flashes back to 500 years ago, when Sun Wukong was born from a stone on Mount Huaguo. He was adopted by a group of monkeys and grew up to be their king. He also learned martial arts from a Taoist master named Subhuti, who gave him the name Sun Wukong and taught him the secrets of the Heavenly Destiny. Sun Wukong discovered that he had a very low destiny, which meant that he could never become a god. He also learned that the gods were planning to destroy Mount Huaguo and all the demons on earth, because they feared that they would threaten their power and order.
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Sun Wukong decided to rebel against the gods and seek revenge for his people. He forged a powerful weapon called the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which could change its size and shape according to his will. He also recruited other demons to join his cause, such as Tian Peng, a pig demon who was his loyal friend, and Hua Ji, a snake demon who was his lover. He led them to attack the heavenly palace and fought against many gods and soldiers. He also met Erlang Shen, who was sent by the Jade Emperor to stop him. Erlang Shen admired Sun Wukong's courage and skill, and they became friends after a fierce battle.
Sun Wukong also met Zi Xia, who was a fairy and the daughter of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Zi Xia was curious about Sun Wukong and wanted to help him escape from the heavenly prison. She gave him a bracelet that could hide his destiny from the gods. She also told him that she had a high destiny, which meant that she could become a goddess. Sun Wukong fell in love with Zi Xia and wanted to be with her. However, he soon realized that their destinies were incompatible and that they could never be together.
Sun Wukong continued his rebellion and faced many challenges and dangers along his journey. He encountered various enemies, such as the Bull Demon King, who wanted to take his weapon; the Heavenly King Li Jing, who wanted to capture him; and the Four Heavenly Kings, who wanted to kill him. He also encountered various allies, such as Ah Yue, a human girl who helped him escape from hell; Niu Mo Wang, a cow demon who helped him fight against Li Jing; and Ne Zha, a child god who helped him fight against the Four Heavenly Kings.
Sun Wukong eventually reached the highest level of heaven, where he confronted the Jade Emperor and demanded to be recognized as a god. The Jade Emperor refused and revealed that he was the one who created the Heavenly Destiny system. He also revealed that he had manipulated Sun Wukong's destiny all along, making him suffer and struggle for nothing. He then ordered Erlang Shen to kill Sun Wukong, but Erlang Shen hesitated because of their friendship. Sun Wukong then realized that Zi Xia had betrayed him and given him a fake bracelet that exposed his destiny to the gods. He felt angry and hurt by her betrayal and fought against Erlang Shen with all his might.
The film then returns to the present day, where Erlang Shen finishes his narration. He says that he regrets fighting against Sun Wukong and wishes that they could be friends again. He also says that he still loves Zi Xia, even though she chose Sun Wukong over him. He then reveals that Sun Wukong is still alive and trapped in a stone pillar under the Five Elements Mountain. He says that he hopes that one day, someone will free Sun Wukong from his prison and give him another chance to fulfill his destiny. to defy his destiny and achieve his freedom, but also how he faces the consequences and limitations of his actions. It shows how the Heavenly Destiny system is unfair and oppressive, but also how it is part of a larger cosmic order and balance. It shows how Sun Wukong's destiny is influenced by his choices, his relationships, and his environment. It also shows how Sun Wukong's destiny is connected to the destiny of others, such as Erlang Shen, Zi Xia, and Hua Ji. The film also explores the theme of friendship and how it affects Sun Wukong's life and destiny. It shows how Sun Wukong values his friendship with Tian Peng, Erlang Shen, Ah Yue, Niu Mo Wang, and Ne Zha. It shows how they support him, challenge him, teach him, and inspire him. It also shows how they betray him, hurt him, fight him, and leave him. It shows how Sun Wukong's friendship with Erlang Shen is the most important and complex one in his life. It shows how they share a bond of respect, admiration, trust, and loyalty. It also shows how they have a conflict of interest, duty, love, and destiny. It shows how they try to reconcile their friendship with their differences, but also how they ultimately fail to do so. The film also explores the theme of love and how it affects Sun Wukong's life and destiny. It shows how Sun Wukong falls in love with Zi Xia and how she changes his perspective and attitude. It shows how she gives him hope, happiness, compassion, and courage. It also shows how she deceives him, breaks his heart, endangers his life, and ruins his plan. It shows how Sun Wukong's love for Zi Xia is the most powerful and tragic one in his life. It shows how they share a connection of attraction, affection, understanding, and sacrifice. It also shows how they have a barrier of destiny, identity, duty, and betrayal. It shows how they try to overcome their love with their obstacles, but also how they ultimately fail to do so. The film also explores the theme of betrayal and revenge and how they affect Sun Wukong's life and destiny. It shows how Sun Wukong is betrayed by Hua Ji and Zi Xia and how he seeks revenge against them. It shows how he feels angry, hurt, betrayed, and vengeful. It also shows how he feels guilty, regretful, sad, and lonely. It shows how Sun Wukong's betrayal by Hua Ji and Zi Xia is the most painful and shocking one in his life. It shows how they betray him for different reasons: Hua Ji for power, Zi Xia for duty. It also shows how they betray him in different ways: Hua Ji by poisoning him, Zi Xia by giving him a fake bracelet. It shows how he tries to get revenge on them by killing them, but also how he fails to do so because of their destiny, their love, and their sacrifice. It shows how his revenge consumes him and destroys him, but also how it leads him to his redemption and enlightenment. The film also explores the theme of redemption and enlightenment and how they affect Sun Wukong's life and destiny. It shows how Sun Wukong is redeemed by the Buddha and how he achieves enlightenment. It shows how he feels remorseful, repentant, grateful, and enlightened. It also shows how he feels hopeful, peaceful, free, and happy. It shows how Sun Wukong's redemption by the Buddha is the most unexpected and miraculous one in his life. It shows how he is redeemed by his own actions, his own suffering, his own sacrifice, and his own merit. It also shows how he is redeemed by the Buddha's compassion, wisdom, power, and grace. It shows how he achieves enlightenment by realizing the truth of his nature, his destiny, his world, and his self. It also shows how he achieves enlightenment by transcending his attachments, his emotions, his desires, and his ego. The film also compares and contrasts with other adaptations of Sun Wukong's story, such as the classic novel Journey to the West written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century, the 1986 TV series Journey to the West directed by Yang Jie and starring Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong, the 2014 film The Monkey King directed by Soi Cheang and starring Donnie Yen as Sun Wukong, and the 2016 film The Monkey King 2 directed by Soi Cheang and starring Aaron Kwok as Sun Wukong. The film Wu Kong differs from these adaptations in several aspects, such as focusing on a prequel story rather than the main story, using a darker and more realistic tone rather than a lighter and more fantastical tone, emphasizing Sun Wukong's rebellion rather than his loyalty, highlighting Sun Wukong's love rather than his friendship, and exploring Sun Wukong's tragedy rather than his comedy. However, the film Wu Kong also shares some similarities with these adaptations in some aspects, such as following the original source material of Journey to the West in some details, using some of the same characters and settings as in other adaptations, incorporating some of the same elements and motifs as in other adaptations, and conveying some of the same themes and messages as in other adaptations. Conclusion
The film Wu Kong is a remarkable and enjoyable adaptation of Sun Wukong's story that deserves to be watched by fans of Sun Wukong and Chinese fantasy-action-adventure films. The film has many strengths, such as its captivating plot, its realistic and relatable portrayal of Sun Wukong, its stunning visual effects, its thrilling action scenes, and its exploration of various themes and messages. The film also has some weaknesses, such as its deviation from the original novel, its lack of humor and comedy, its excessive violence and gore, and its confusing and rushed ending. However, these weaknesses do not overshadow the overall quality and impact of the film.
The film Wu Kong is a film that offers a new and different perspective and interpretation of Sun Wukong's character and his world. It shows how Sun Wukong is not only a legendary hero, but also a complex and conflicted human being. It shows how Sun Wukong's life and destiny are shaped by his choices, his relationships, and his environment. It shows how Sun Wukong's story is not only a fantasy-action-adventure story, but also a tragedy-romance-enlightenment story. It shows how Sun Wukong's story is not only a story of the past, but also a story of the present and the future.
The film Wu Kong is a film that appeals to a wide range of audiences, such as fans of Sun Wukong, fans of Chinese fantasy-action-adventure films, fans of Eddie Peng and other actors, fans of Derek Kwok and other filmmakers, fans of Jin Hezai and other writers, and fans of Journey to the West and other adaptations. The film is suitable for audiences who are looking for an immersive and thrilling experience, who are interested in Sun Wukong's character and his world, who are open to different perspectives and interpretations, who are willing to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the fantasy elements, who are prepared to face the dark and tragic aspects of the story, and who are ready to learn from the lessons and takeaways of the story.
The film Wu Kong is a film that deserves to be watched by anyone who loves Sun Wukong and Chinese fantasy-action-adventure films. It is a film that will make you feel excited, curious, amazed, surprised, moved, sad, angry, happy, and enlightened. It is a film that will make you think about your own destiny, freedom, friendship, love, betrayal, revenge, redemption, and enlightenment. It is a film that will make you appreciate Sun Wukong's character and his world more than ever. It is a film that you will not regret watching and that you will remember for a long time.
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the film Wu Kong and Sun Wukong's story:
Question
Answer
What is Sun Wukong's origin and significance in Chinese culture and literature?
Sun Wukong is a legendary figure who originated from ancient Chinese folklore and mythology. He is based on the historical figure of Sun Wu, a general and strategist who lived in the 6th century BC and wrote the famous military treatise The Art of War. He is also influenced by the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, who appears in the epic Ramayana. He is one of the most famous and beloved characters in Chinese culture and literature, especially after his appearance in the classic novel Journey to the West written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century. He represents the ideals of courage, intelligence, loyalty, mischief, humor, and charisma. He also symbolizes the spirit of rebellion, freedom, adventure, and enlightenment.
What are some of the differences between the novel Wukong Biography and the film Wu Kong?
The novel Wukong Biography written by Jin Hezai is a popular internet novel that was published online in 2000. It tells a prequel story of Sun Wukong before he joins the Journey to the West. It has 100 chapters and over 1 million words. The film Wu Kong directed by Derek Kwok is a 2017 Chinese fantasy-action-adventure film that is based on the novel Wukong Biography. It has a runtime of 130 minutes and a budget of 300 million yuan. The film differs from the novel in several aspects, such as adding new characters (such as Ah Yue and Niu Mo Wang), changing some events (such as Sun Wukong's escape from hell and his fight with Li Jing), and modifying some details (such as Sun Wukong's weapon and Zi Xia's destiny). However, it still retains the essence of Sun Wukong's character and his world.
What are some of the references and easter eggs in the film that fans of Sun Wukong might recognize?
The film Wu Kong contains many references and easter eggs that fans of Sun Wukong might recognize and appreciate. Some of them are:
The name Wu Kong is a reference to Sun Wukong's original name before he was given the name Sun Wukong by his master Subhuti.
The name Zi Xia is a reference to Zi Xia Immortal, who was one of Sun Wukong's teachers in heaven.
The name Hua Ji is a reference to Hua Ji Pill, which was a poison that Sun Wukong swallowed to prove his innocence in heaven.
The name Tian Peng is a reference to Tian Peng Yuan Shuai, who was one of Sun Wukong's allies in heaven.
The name Ne Zha is a reference to Ne Zha San Tai Zi, who was one of Sun Wukong's enemies in heaven.
The name Ah Yue is a reference to Ah Yue Wang, who was one of Sun Wukong's friends on earth.
The name Niu Mo Wang is a reference to Niu Mo Wang Da Sheng, who was one of Sun Wukong's friends on earth.
The name Bull Demon King is a reference to Bull Demon King Da Sheng, who was one of Sun Wukong's enemies on earth.
The name Li Jing is a reference to Li Jing Tian Wang, who was one of Sun Wukong's enemies in heaven.
The name Jade Emperor is a reference to Jade Emperor Da Di, who was the supreme ruler of heaven.
The name Buddha is a reference to Buddha Shakyamuni, who was the founder of Buddhism.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang is Sun Wukong's signature weapon, which he obtained from the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.
The golden hoop is a device that was placed on Sun Wukong's head by Buddha to control him.
The somersault cloud is Sun Wukong's signature skill, which allows him to travel 108,000 li (54,000 km) in one leap.
The 72 transformations are Sun Wukong's signature skill, which allows him to change his shape and size at will.
The fire eyes are Sun Wukong's signature skill, which allow him to see through illusions and invisibility.
The nine-tailed fox is a mythical creature that is associated with Zi Xia and her mother.
The five elements mountain is a mountain that was placed on top of Sun Wukong by Buddha to imprison him.
The lotus flower is a symbol of Buddhism and enlightenment that appears in the film's logo and ending.
What are some of the awards and nominations that the film received?
The film Wu Kong received several awards and nominations from various film festivals and organizations. Some of them are:
The film won the Best Visual Effects award at the 54th Golden Horse Awards in 2017.
The film won the Best Action Choreography award at the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2018.
The film won the Best Action Film award at the 16th Huading Awards in 2018.
The film was nominated for the Best Film award at the 12th Asian Film Awards in 2018.
The film was nominated for the Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hair Styling, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Sound Effects, and Best Film Editing awards at the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2018.
Where can I watch the film online?
The film Wu Kong is available to watch online on various streaming platforms and websites. Some of them are:
Netflix: You can watch the film on Netflix with a subscription. The film is available in Mandarin with English subtitles.
YouTube: You can watch the film on YouTube with a rental or purchase. The film is available in Mandarin with English subtitles.
Amazon Prime Video: You can watch the film on Amazon Prime Video with a rental or purchase. The film is available in Mandarin with English subtitles.
iQiyi: You can watch the film on iQiyi with a subscription or a pay-per-view. The film is available in Mandarin with Chinese subtitles.
Youku: You can watch the film on Youku with a subscription or a pay-per-view. The film is available in Mandarin with Chinese subtitles.
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