| Combine Jeff Lau's always energetic direction, Stephen Chow's trademark comedy and you've got perhaps their finest collaboration in this hilarious adaptation of the Journey To The West novel (also interpreted back in the 60s at Shaw Brothers in movies such as The Monkey Goes West). Chow's is on top form while the production boasts impressive sets, make up-design and, as with other Chow films, features affecting sentimentality amongst all the craziness. One potential danger was that Western viewers would be lost in the plot revolving around the Monkey King but the filmmakers (and the subtitles) do a good job of conveying the different, often bizarre, events in the plot. Ching Siu-Tung's fine choreography involves a small dose of martial arts but mostly outrageous fantasy elements, the spider set piece being the best of the bunch in combining his, Chow's and Lau's talents. A Jeff Lau helmed sequel followed the same year. Also starring Ng Man Tat, Karen Mok, Yammie Tam, Law Kar-Ying and Jeff Lau himself. |
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