Stephan Chow's Journey to the West: Conquering Demons

[GeneChing]

In HD w/subs
周星馳《西遊．降魔篇》台灣版完整正式預告片(1080P HD)

[GeneChing]

I always used to look forward to Jackie's new flick on Chinese New Year. Good to see Chow step up and put something out for the holiday again.

Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons
4 February, 2013 | By Edmund Lee
Dirs: Stephen Chow, Derek Kwok. China. 2013. 110mins


A glorious return to form after the slightly underwhelming CJ7 (2008) and his first ever directorial effort in which he doesn’t also play the lead role, Stephen Chow’s Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons is a thoroughly entertaining action comedy that suggests, a la Woody Allen, a promising new life behind the screen for the actor-director, who found an eager international audience with 2001’s Shaolin Soccer and 2004’s Kung Fu Hustle after having established himself as Hong Kong’s most iconic comedian since the early 1990s.

As is frequently the case for the recent Stephen Chow movies, violence and gore are used occasionally to comical effects.

Those who’re worrying that Chow is on an irreversible retreat into self-congratulatory mode could be in for a surprise: as someone whose image is synonymous with his oeuvre, the actor isn’t even making a notable cameo appearance in his latest film. Serving up a delirious blend of monster movie, romantic comedy and martial arts fantasy, this inventive new take on the classical novel Journey To The West also marks a long-awaited return to the material by Chow, who previously starred as the Monkey King in director Jeff Lau’s now-classic two-part adaptation A Chinese Odyssey (1995).

Clearly structured – and titled – as the first film of a potential movie series, Conquering The Demons opens in mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore on February 7, as well as Taiwan on the following day, to coincide with the Chinese New Year holidays. While international sales should be less affected by the actor’s conspicuous onscreen absence, it remains to be seen if Chinese viewers will respond with the same enthusiasm they showed the Chow-starring comedies of the past.

Although the film is billed as “a Stephen Chow film” that is “produced, directed and written by” him, it is noteworthy that Chow, as a producer, only took up his directorial duties – and the head billing – midway through the production. Conquering The Demons is in fact co-directed by Derek Kwok (Gallants), who was initially the sole director – even if his name doesn’t currently appear in the opening credits.

While the film is still peppered with small and unpretentiously bizarre touches of humour that are unquestionably Chow’s own, the introduction of a new creative voice may have contributed to the refreshing dramatic focus here. Unlike seemingly every other movie in Chow’s acting career, which almost always features a bratty anti-hero battling against his underdog status, the protagonist of Conquering The Demons is surprisingly not the spotlight-hogging Monkey King – whose ironically unimpressive image is unveiled at the movie’s final showdown as an awkwardly hilarious sight gag – but a younger Xuan Zang before he makes the titular pilgrimage.

Played by Chinese actor Wen Zhang (Love Is Not Blind, The Sorcerer And The White Snake) with an endearing balance of determination and humility, the lead role of Xuan Zang barely possesses the bigger-than-life personality that typically defines Chow’s leading roles. As a demon-hunter with minimal martial arts skills, the character is guided only by an unwavering belief in the inherent goodness of every evil being: he strives to awaken the demons’ sense of innocence by singing from his treasured book of 300 Nursery Rhymes.

Aided by the original character Miss Duan (Shu Qi), a beautiful yet totally fierce fellow demon-hunter who’s fallen hopelessly in love with him, Xuan Zang spends the duration of the film consecutively conquering the three demons that will eventually become his famed disciples: a fish demon (which inspires a few Piranha-like sequences), a pig demon (whose exceedingly ugly look leads to a couple of very gross kisses) and a monkey demon aka the Monkey King. With an expected reference to A Chinese Odyssey’s most famous lines, Xuan Zang becomes a Buddhist monk and finally learns of the significance of ‘greater love’ through his love interest.

As is frequently the case for the recent Stephen Chow movies, violence and gore are used occasionally to comical effects; a malfunctioning blood-splashing device used by a character provides some of the movie’s funniest gags. And though the computer-generated demons, often in the guises of giant animals, are not at their most realistic, they do feel very much at home in a fantasy movie as wacky as Conquering the Demons.

Production companies: Bingo Movie Development Ltd, Village Roadshow Pictures Asia Ltd, Chinavision Media Group Ltd, Edko Films Ltd, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, China Film Co Ltd

Co-producer: Wang Zhonglei

Executive producers: Stephen Chow, Ellen Eliasoph, Dong Ping, Bill Kong, Wang Zhongjun, Han Sanping

Screenplay: Derek Kwok, Huo Xin, Wang Yun, Fung Chih-chiang, Lu Zheng-yu, Lee Sheung-ching, Ivy Kong

Cinematography: Choi Sung-fai

Editor: Chan Chi-wai

Production designer: Bruce Yu

Action choreographer: Ku Huen-chiu

Music: Raymond Wong

Main cast: Shu Qi, Wen Zhang, Huang Bo, Show Lo, Lee Sheung-ching, Chiu Chi-ling, Chrissie Chau

[GeneChing]

Nevertheless, I'd love to see this in 3D of course. That made all the difference with FS@DG.

February 06, 2013 08:00 ET
LA-Based Venture 3D Uses Signiant Media Shuttle™ for Accelerated Delivery of Massive 3D Movie Files

Ease and Flexibility of Cloud-Based Solution Facilitates Production of Upcoming Feature Film

BURLINGTON, MA--(Marketwire - Feb 6, 2013) - Signiant, the market leader in intelligent file movement software for media and entertainment, today announced that Venture 3D, a stereoscopic 3D conversion production company based in Los Angeles, is using its Media Shuttle™ hybrid SaaS file transfer solution to facilitate collaboration with partners in Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul and Korea on an upcoming feature film. Built for workflows that demand fast, reliable delivery of massive files, and IT management features typically associated with more expensive solutions, Media Shuttle is allowing Venture 3D to dramatically broaden its business base in the Asia-Pacific region.

Known for its conversion work on "Titanic 3D" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," Venture 3D is using Media Shuttle to deliver the film "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons," directed by Stephen Chow of "Shaolin Soccer" and "Kung Fu Hustle" fame. Venture 3D's business success on the project requires the ability to move massive files -- sometimes 200-300 GB in a single transfer -- to multiple entities across Asia. As such the company required a solution that would give their global partners access to large files without the administrative constraints of FTP. In addition Venture 3D needed ultimate control over who is accessing clients' high-value-assets, for how long, and to set limits on their permission to files.

"What we needed was a tall order -- the ability to transfer large files quickly, access them anywhere, control and track file access and not be limited by the size of the file or the number of people that could access those files," said Todd Cogan, SVP, Operations, Venture 3D. "Using Media Shuttle we are able to go outside of our circle of local partners to expand our business in Asia, while making the workflow process extremely easy for our clients. Solutions we have used in the past made content delivery laborious and cost intensive but with Media Shuttle we are able to move content efficiently and affordably."

Exchanging digital assets of this size and frequency can be complex and Venture 3D needed its delivery solution to be both reliable and effortless for its production partners. Media Shuttle's onboard checkpoint restart feature automatically retries or resumes transfers if they are interrupted for any reason, and email notifications alert users when content is delivered. The system's graphical dashboard gives Venture 3D complete visibility into all file transfer activity, including average transfer rate, file size and speed.

"The notification feature was a great selling point for us as it takes the onus off the client and makes Venture 3D a desirable collaboration partner," Cogan continued. "Media Shuttle gives us the freedom to work with partners of our choosing and allows us to work globally regardless of location and file size. Additionally, we can now work with the multiple offices of our partners in the region -- essentially anyone who needs to partner with us -- easily without delays or limitations."

The newest addition to Signiant's portfolio of accelerated file transfer solutions, Media Shuttle provides an effective alternative to FTP and public file sharing solutions -- without associated file size constraints or security risks. Media Shuttle's hybrid SaaS architecture lets users access fast file transfer capabilities through a simple interface in the cloud while maintaining the file cache within the secure control of their own network. Unlike other solutions, Media Shuttle gives IT the power to determine where content is stored -- on private networks or in the cloud -- and how network resources should be allocated for maximum enterprise efficiency. A flexible subscription-based pricing model makes Media Shuttle the ideal solution for project-based initiatives or enterprises looking to scale for demand.

"Venture 3D is leading the fast-growing market of 3D conversion and with Media Shuttle we are able to stay on the cutting-edge by having the most sophisticated solutions available to ourselves and our partners," said Cogan. "Being able to defy the constraints of file size and distance and instead focus on creative collaboration we are able to perfect our specialty and in turn, advance the industry."

About Signiant
Used by the world's top content creators and distributors, Signiant is the market leader in intelligent file movement software for the media and entertainment industry. The company's powerful software suite optimizes existing enterprise network infrastructure and media technologies to ensure secure digital media exchanges, workflow efficiency and superior user experiences. Headquartered in Burlington, MA, with offices around the world, today Signiant connects tens of thousands of media professionals in more than 50 countries. For more information, visit www.signiant.com.

[GeneChing]

I doubt this will get any US 3D distribution. But we can hope...

Journey to the West conquers China
By Stephen Cremin
Mon, 11 February 2013, 17:15 PM (HKT)

According to its Mainland distributor, Stephen CHOW 周星馳's 3-D Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons 除魔傳奇 has broken the opening day box office record for a local film in China, taking RMB76.5 million (US$12.3 million) yesterday on 1.86 million admissions.

The preliminary number was reported by distributor Huayi Brothers Media Corporation 華誼兄弟傳媒股份有限公司 on its Weibo account, which also announced that cinema admissions for all films reached 2.60 million yesterday. Reliable numbers are still one week away, after the Chinese New Year holidays.

The previous Chinese-language record holder was Huayi's own Painted Skin: The Resurrection 畫皮Ⅱ, taking an estimated RMB70.0 million (US$11.2 million) last summer. The overall record holder remains Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) with approximately RMB100 million on opening day.

Journey opened day-and-date with the star-packed Better and Better 越來越好之村晚 — codirected by ZHANG Yibai 張一白 and XIE Dongshen 謝東燊 — andZHU Shimao 朱時茂's romance Love Retake 愛情不ＮＧ. The two films made an estimated RMB7.2 million (US$1.15 million) and RMB1.3 million (US$208,000) respectively.

According to Huayi, third-ranked yesterday was Cloud Atlas, securing RMB6.8 million (US$1.09 million). Fourth- and fifth-ranked were Skyfall and Hotel Deluxe 百星酒店 with RMB4.3 million (US$738,000) and RMB4.3 million (US$689,000) respectively.

Journey had a relatively disappointing opening day in Hong Kong and Taiwan on Thurday, 7 Feb. In Hong Kong, it took HK$990,000 (US$128,000) on 78 screens. In Taipei, it was third-placed, taking NT$1.36 million (US$45,700) in 21 cinemas. Over the weekend, it is believed to have fallen to fifth place in Taipei.

Today, Journey, which stars WEN Zhang 文章, SHU Qi 舒淇 and HUANG Bo 黃渤, has a 41.6% share of all screenings in China, as its competitors are pushed aside. Leste CHEN 陳正道's romantic comedy Say Yes! １０１次求婚, also starring Huang, opens in Mainland cinemas tomorrow.

[GeneChing]

We shouldn't forget what Chow did to Cecilia Cheung in SS (the cornrowed mustached player - wtf?) Mok already has unflattering teeth. I've always thought Chow had some issues with women...

I'm prepared to be ugly, says Shu Qi
By Boon Chan
The Straits Times
Tuesday, Feb 12, 2013

For an actress, getting the lead role in a Stephen Chow Sing Chi movie is a big deal. It means joining a select club that includes Karen Mok, Vicki Zhao and Athena Chu, a group nicknamed the Sing girls.

Their roles in the Hong Kong funnyman and film-maker's comedies were a springboard to greater fame and popularity - but often at a price. They were often made to look outrageously hideous. In The God Of Cookery (1996), Mok sported awful teeth and an unflattering mop. In Shaolin Football (2001), Zhao's pretty face was buried underneath a score of synthetic scars.

So when Taiwan's Shu Qi, 36, signed on for the fantasy adventure Journey To The West, a prequel to the well-known classic tale of the same name, she was prepared for a negative makeover.

"Once you accept his movie, you have to be prepared to be made ugly and I was actually looking forward to it," she says in Mandarin to the media at Hong Kong's Festival Walk mall on Wednesday night before the film's gala premiere there.

Dressed in a Felipe Oliveira Baptista outfit, a one-piece which playfully mixes solid blue and zebra print, Shu is every inch the elegant sophisticate. It is a far cry from her role in the movie, which is currently showing in Singapore: a rough-around-the-edges demon hunter Miss Duan whose face is smudged with dirt and whose hair is wildly messy.

It was a look she found to be fashionable, given that unkempt is in, she says in jest.

"It saved a lot of make-up and hair time. The stylist just took dust and mud and mucked about with it."

Certainly, Shu seems to have got off very lightly compared to previous Sing girls Mok and Zhao.

Is it favouritism or is Chow getting soft with age?

Neither, says Chow, 50, in protest: "Look at Miss Shu. How could you possibly make her ugly? I've already tried my best. I bet with you that you cannot do it."

But did he not manage to transform Mok and Zhao, neither of them laggards in the beauty department, into spectacularly ugly specimens?

He shoots back with a laugh: "Oh, them I could."

On a more serious note, he adds that Zhao, for example, was not truly ugly, either. He says: "Even though I made her look like that, her innate spirit was still beautiful."

Such talk of inner beauty seems at odds with the man best known as a pioneer of Hong Kong's "mo lei tau", or nonsensical, comedy, which is akin to the absurdist humour of Britain's Monty Python.

In conversation, however, his humour is more restrained and deadpan.

And on a film set, according to his cast, he is meticulous and methodical.

Even though Chow does not act in it, there are traces of him everywhere, from China actor Wen Zhang's expressive turn as the good-hearted demon hunter Xuanzang to sexy starlet Chrissie Chau's sinuous dance. She plays a demon hunter who is Shu's lone female follower.

Chau, 27, recalls that Chow would "personally demonstrate everything, including the dance" and adds that he did it better.

So it is no empty boast when Chow claims: "I was very focused on my role as director so, in a way, every role is me. I put my soul into every character, so you can see my style in each of them."

He adds: "I think every actor is a shadow of me - plus his own special characteristics."

Journey To The West is a departure for Chow as he is not acting in a film he wrote, produced and directed.

But he does not think this significant. For him, it all starts with the script rather than "what role I want for myself". Only when he is satisfied with the screenplay does he start thinking about casting, and then he would simply approach whoever he thought was "most suitable".

"I'm very good, I'm not selfish. If I were a little more selfish, I would go 'Hey, I'll take on this as well', can make more money this way you know," says a deadpan Chow, who is togged out in an ensemble of black peaked cap, black zip-up hoodie, black jeans and grey New Balance sneakers.

He started out in television shows in the 1980s and later shot to stardom with the gambling comedy All For The Winner (1990). He began directing in 1994 with the action comedy From Beijing With Love and would often wear several hats, including producer and screenwriter, in his later projects.

Some of his biggest hits and best-known works include the Fight Back To School series (1991-1993), The God Of Cookery, King Of Comedy (1999), Shaolin Football (2001) and Kung Fu Hustle (2004). His last film was the sci-fi comedy CJ7 (2008), in which he acted, directed and wrote.

The two-part A Chinese Odyssey (1994), his loose adaptation of the Journey To The West classic folk tale, is a cult favourite in China, despite it being a box-office flop. Many mainland Chinese movie fans watched it on bootlegged copies and can even quote lines from the movie.

A pivotal scene in it had Chow saying that he would love someone for 10,000 years. The classic line of dialogue gets a twist in the new movie, Journey To The West, as Shu says it is better to love now than to wait 10,000 years.

Chow says that he has watched the current film "several thousand times" and he would still get moved and cry every single time.

He muses: "Time is now more precious than ever so, say, I want to invite Miss Shu to a meal, I should do it now rather than wait till next week or next month. Now is important because you don't know what's going to happen to the world tomorrow."

Still, one does not buy a ticket to a Stephen Chow movie for only the tears to flow - laughs are expected, even demanded. Naturally, the film-maker delivers.

In one flirtatious exchange with China actor Huang Bo, who plays the crafty Monkey King Sun Wukong, Shu had her comic capacity tested to its limit. On film, it looks like an NG scene - a no-good or ruined outtake - that Chow used anyway because of its sheer energy.

Shu reveals: "There was no NG but the scene was too long. It was so funny that Chow just didn't yell 'cut'. But I was laughing so hard that my stomach was hurting, and I couldn't continue acting."

Shu is often cast as the emotionally fragile urbanite in dramas such as A Beautiful Life (2011) and If You Are The One 2 (2010). Asked about the difficulty of making this film and her response is immediate: "Rhythm."

She says: "For art films, you get to go along with your emotions. But in Chow's comedies, he has his unique rhythm. You need to 'shoufang' (rein in and let go) suddenly and that was a pretty big challenge."

Waiting around on set for filming to start was no laughing matter either.

Chow was constantly rewriting the dialogue even while shooting and, once, she had to wait 10 hours to do a scene. She recalls: "I slept and woke, woke and slept in the dressing room. Waiting is the tiring part."

She "could not bear to punish him" though, as he is "even more tired than me".

Still, Shu had high praise for her director for opening her eyes to comedy. She says: "I discovered that comedy is another world. And it would have been very difficult for me without Chow's direction. Hand the same script to any other director and he might not have the same ideas and that's where Chow is special."

[GeneChing]

Check out our latest web pub: Visiting the Home of the Monkey King by Gregory Brundage

10 February 2013| last updated at 08:56PM
Cinema: Humour saves the Journey
By LOONG WAI TING | loongwaiting@nstp.com.my

HELMED by directors Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer) and Derek Kok (Gallants and Frozen), Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons sees Chow’s return to the big screen after his slightly disappointing movie, CJ7, in 2008.

Chow, who found international fame after his successful 2001’s Shaolin Soccer and then 2004’s Kung Fu Hustle, continues to impress in his latest effects-driven movie about the legendary pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk Xuan Zang and his three disciples — Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.

But the movie is not without its flaws. While trying hard to keep to the original storyline of Xuan Zang and his disciples’ journey to India to obtain sacred Buddhist texts, Chow seems to have something else on his mind. In his version, the world is plagued by demons who cause terrible suffering to mankind. Guided by his belief of sacrificing himself for a greater cause, young demon catcher Xuan Zang (Wen) risks his life to catch the water demon, pig demon and Monkey King (Huang Bo).

He makes them his disciples and reforms them. The monk then discovers the true meaning of Greater Love when he meets another demon slayer, Miss Duan (Shu Qi).

In this blend of delirious comedy, romance and martial arts, Chow never once makes an appearance (not even a cameo) in this movie as he did in Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer and CJ7. He last played Monkey King, Sun Wukong in Jeffrey Lau’s two-part adaptation movie A Chinese Odyssey (1994).

But his absence in the movie should not stop his fans from catching the movie, a Chinese New Year attraction. However, whether they will like this as much as his previous comedies remains to be seen.

The movie is peppered almost shamelessly with flawed computer-generated images. The transition from scene-to-scene isn’t as smooth as one would have hoped. Attentive audiences will have no problem in spotting the many mistakes and unrealistic computer-generated demons.

The overall acting is enjoyable. Shu Qi’s Miss Duan is a joy to watch. Her witty performance is natural, despite some flaws in her Cantonese pronunciation. All the other actors seem to be having great fun bringing their characters to life.
Conquering The Demons is enjoyable because of the humour the actors pull off with deadpan expressions.

NOW SHOWING

JOURNEY TO THE WEST: CONQUERING THE DEMONS (Cantonese)
Directed by Stephen Chow and Derek Kok
Starring Shu Qi, Show Luo, Wen Zhang, Huang Bo, Chrissie Chau
Duration 110 minutes
Rating PG13


Before becoming a monk, Xuan Zang (Wen Zhang) was a demon catcher.

[GeneChing]

John McClane beats out Sun Wukong in HK...

Hollywood maintains grip on HK CNY
By Stephen Cremin
Thu, 14 February 2013, 15:55 PM (HKT)


For the second year in a row, a Hollywood film has taken the most money over the Chinese New Year holidays in Hong Kong.

This year's box office winner was A Good Day to Die Hard, taking HK$12.0 million (US$1.55 million) over the four-day holiday period. One year ago, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2011) took HK$14.2 million (US$1.83 million).

According to Hong Kong's Motion Picture Industry Association Ltd (MPIA) 香港電影協會, the holiday box office was 6.34% down on 2012 figures, from HK$47.1 million (US$6.07 million) to HK$44.1 million (US$5.68 million).

Second-placed this year was Stephen CHOW 周星馳's Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons 除魔傳奇 with HK$10.5 million (US$1.35 million). It has now taken HK$15.8 million (US$2.04 million) after seven days on release.

Runner ups included I Love Hong Kong 2013 ２０１３我愛ＨＫ恭囍發財 and Hotel Deluxe 百星酒店 on HK$8.11 (US$1.05 million) and HK$6.36 (US$820,000) respectively over the four day holiday period.

In fifth and sixth place were Hotel Transylvania and animation The Mythical Ark: Adventures in Love & Happiness 喜羊羊與灰太狼之喜氣羊羊過蛇年 with HK$3.02 million (US$389,000) and HK$483,000 (US$62,300) respectively.


Although figures are not yet available for Taiwan, early estimates suggest that the latest episode in the Die Hard franchise was also the number one film at the Taipei box office. However, local comedy David Loman 大尾鱸鰻 may have won nationwide.

In China, Journey to the West is the undisputed box office leader, and has likely crossed RMB300 million (US$48.1 million) after four-and-a-half days in cinemas. It's main competition on Valentine's Day today is romantic comedy Say Yes! １０１次求婚 which opened strongly on RMB13.6 million (US$2.18 million) on Tuesday.

[GeneChing]

Journey breaks China single-day BO record
By Stephen Cremin
Fri, 15 February 2013, 17:55 PM (HKT)


Stephen CHOW 周星馳's Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons 除魔傳奇 broke single-day box office records in China yesterday, taking between RMB116 million (US$18.6 million) and RMB122 million (US$19.6 million) on Valentine's Day.

The previous record holder was Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) with RMB112 million (US$18.0 million) on a single day on release in July 2011. Michael Bay's film ended its run with RMB1.11 billion (US$178 million) in China.

After five days in cinemas, it is already the tenth highest grossing Chinese-language film of all time in China. It will likely overtake If You are the One II 非誠勿擾Ⅱ (2010) and The Founding of a Republic 建國大業 (2009) today to be eighth-placed.

The three-highest grossing Chinese-language films at the Mainland box office were all released in the past twelve months. Chow's film has no major competition until the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey next Friday.

Also performing strongly is Leste CHEN 陳正道's romantic comedy Say Yes! １０１次求婚, taking approximately RMB44 million (US$7.1 million) yesterday. In three days, it has grossed approximately RMB73 million (US$11.7 million).

Say Yes!, a feature film adaptation of Fuji Television Network Inc フジテレビジョン's television drama 101st Marriage Proposal １０１回目のプロポーズ (1991), stars LIN Chi-ling 林志玲 opposite HUANG Bo 黃渤. Huang also co-stars in Journey to the West and Lost in Thailand 人再囧途之泰囧, China's biggest domestic hit.



ALL-TIME CHINA BOX OFFICE (CHINESE-LANGUAGE FILMS ONLY)

1.Lost in Thailand (人再囧途之泰囧) — RMB1.25b (US$200m)
2. CZ12 (十二生肖) — RMB869m (US$139m)
3. Painted Skin: The Resurrection (畫皮Ⅱ) — RMB727m (US$116m)
4. Let the Bullets Fly (讓子彈飛) — RMB674m (US$108m)
5. Aftershock (唐山大地震) — RMB665m (US$107m)
6. The Flowers of War (金陵十三釵) — RMB597m (US$95.6m)
7. Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (龍門飛甲) — RMB543m (US$86.9m)
8. If You are the One II (非誠勿擾Ⅱ) — RMB483m (US$77.3m)
9. The Founding of a Republic (建國大業) — RMB420m (US$67.3m)
10. Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (除魔傳奇) — RMB417m (US$66.8m)

I've seen 6 out of the top 10. Soon to be 7 when I manage to get a gander at this flick.

[JamesC]

Just realized Kwok was co-director. Awesome. Gallants is an all-time favorite.

[GeneChing]

Who will post that first forum member review?

February 20, 2013, 7:21 PM
‘Journey to the West’ Conquers Chinese Box Office


MediAdvertising (HK) Ltd
Stephen Chow’s ‘Journey to the West’ is breaking Chinese box-office records.


MediAdvertising (HK) Ltd.
A scene from the movie

Just weeks after “Lost in Thailand” broke box-office records to become China’s highest-grossing movie ever, a new blockbuster is giving the low-budget comedy hit a run for its money.

As of Tuesday, “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” pulled in 762.3 million yuan ($122.1 million) since opening on Feb. 10, according to media-research firm EntGroup Inc. It still has a long way to go before reaching the 1.26 billion yuan earned by “Lost in Thailand,” but the Hollywood Reporter predicted this week that “Journey to the West” would soon march past “Lost in Thailand” to become China’s highest-earning domestically produced movie.

“Journey to the West” is the creation of director-writer Stephen Chow, best known for “Shaolin Soccer,” “Kung Fu Hustle” and dozens of other hits. (Mr. Chow, a popular comedic actor, doesn’t appear in “Journey to the West.”) The 3-D movie, based on the classic Ming Dynasty novel “Journey to the West,” follows the adventures of a young demon-catcher. Audiences have responded enthusiastically to Mr. Chow’s potent mix of action, comedy, terror, romance, and a trio of popular stars: Shu Qi, Wen Zhang and Huang Bo.

The movie has already set some records. Its opening-day take was 81.7 million yuan, breaking the 70-million-yuan record of “Painted Skin: The Resurrection” for a domestic movie. The Hollywood blockbuster “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” remains the opening-day champ with 102 million yuan. But last week “Journey to the West” claimed the title of largest single-day gross (on Feb. 14) of 123 million yuan for all films — domestic and foreign — surpassing the previous one-day record of 114 million yuan set in 2011 for the third installment of the “Transformers” franchise.

[ShaolinDan]

Ok. I got this one.

You've got to take my review with a grain of salt though because I have a serious hang-up about works of literature being butchered in order to make blockbuster movies--I know it's necessary, but it still bothers me.

Anyway, it's not a bad movie, but it's not a great movie either. Probably much more enjoyable to watch in 3D, but really I didn't find anything memorable or special about the movie.

It made me laugh a few times, and there were a few surprises in it, and even one or two somewhat profound moments, but not nearly enough for a movie over two hours long.

The action is all fantasy wuxia style which is appropriate to the subject, though I found it totally over the top even for 'Journey to the West.' Still probably was fun to watch in 3D.

The changes for the sake of the movies box office success are what really bothered me--Xuan Zhang is not supposed to be brave and handsome...Could complain more, but anyway that's what happens in movies.

IMO it's a kind of fun movie, but offers absolutely nothing special. Sorry.

[ghostexorcist]

I found a place to watch it online. I'll let you know what I thought about it when I get a chance. I'm studying for midterms right now.

[ghostexorcist]

I found a place to watch it online. I'll let you know what I thought about it when I get a chance. I'm studying for midterms right now.

I just finished watching it. Shaolindan hit the nail on the head; this movie lacks something that Stephen Chow's previous movies had. It's too serious to be a comedy and too funny to be a drama. It is extremely slow and, as Dan mentioned, it butchers the hell out of the original story. Don't get me wrong, I thought some of the changes they made were a fresh take on an old subject. For instance, they initially portray Sun Wukong as a balding middle-aged man dressed in tattered clothes. When he first appears, he gives off a very eerie "I've been down in this hole for so long that I've lost my mind" sort of vibe. One of the few funny scenes involved Wukong flirting with a female character and giving her dance lessons. There is just something hilarious about one of the most powerful beings in the universe trying to get into a girl's pants. There were a few characters that the kung fu crowd will like, such as the guy (Xing Yu) who channels animal spirits while fighting with demons. When he fights using tiger style, for example, a giant tiger appears behind him. The ending is, I feel, the best part of the movie. I won't give anything away, but just know Sun Wukong reminds us of why he is such a bad ass, and the Buddha reminds us that an enlightened mind wins over brute strength.

I give it a 2 out of 5. This could have been much better than it was.

[GeneChing]

The changes for the sake of the movies box office success are what really bothered me--Xuan Zhang is not supposed to be brave and handsome...

Did you see Chinese Odyssey? Xuan Zhang was a droning bore in that one - played so for comic relief.

this movie lacks something that Stephen Chow's previous movies had.

Indeed. Might that have been Stephen Chow?

Haven't seen this yet myself. It's in the queue tho. Thanks guys!

Meanwhile...

Special Effects Team To Blame For Asura’s Wrath Plagiarism, Say People Blamed for Plagiarism
Eric Jou

Stephen Chow's latest box office offering, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, is slated by the Chinese press to rake in billions of yuan by the time its run is over. However one thing is still causing problems for Chow: the allegations that his movie stole assets from a video game.

Chow, the director, who has acted in gems like Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, is seen like something of a comedy god in China. He's been given the honorific of "ye 爷," which is often given to elders or people of high esteem such as nobles. Last week we reported that various Chinese press spotted scenes in Chow's Journey which had ripped off Capcom's Asura's Wrath.

A Mr. Wei speaking on behalf of Chow's camp came out and said, "The plagiarizing has nothing to do with Chow and our people, the special effects and everything regarding the graphics were done by the effects company, please direct your questions towards them."

Wei's comments seem to skirt the issue of whether Chow was involved at all, but Tencent was quick on the uptake. They report that in a previous interview with the co-director of the movie, Derek Kwok, Kwok said that the duo has seen Asura's Wrath and that they're "fans of animation, so long as the animation is good, we are fine."

Kwok's comments seem to contradict what's coming from of Chow's people. In that same interview, Kwok also made a point about how Chow couldn't have been implicated in any wrongdoing, going so far as saying "Chow is a busy person."

Kotaku has reached out to both Capcom and Chow. Capcom has declined to comment and Chow's camp has not returned a comment at all.

[ghostexorcist]

Did you see Chinese Odyssey? Xuan Zhang was a droning bore in that one - played so for comic relief.

They didn't really butcher the novel; they just inserted a storyline into the main storyline. A good example is the Supplement of the Journey to the West (1641). This brief novel describes a story that is inserted in between chapters 61 and 62 of the original. It has time travel just like A Chinese Odyssey.

Indeed. Might that have been Stephen Chow?

Haven't seen this yet myself. It's in the queue tho. Thanks guys!

I knew from your posts that he wouldn't be in it. That was certainly disappointing. I think you will see what I mean, though, when you watch it. Even if he had been a character, I don't think it would have seemed like one of his projects. Normally, his movies are funnier and faster paced. However, I will say Chrissie Chau, who plays one of Shu Qi's underlings, is smoking hot! An example: