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It’s been a while, but I talked about several Chinese movies any film lover should see. Someone who had the honor of holding two films on that list was director and actor Stephen Chow. Gifted in slapstick, over the top, silly dialogue and action, Chow has cemented himself as a current leader in both quality comedy and a Chinese celebrity. His most recent movie, released in 2013 in China, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is the highest grossest Chinese language movie ever. So I got my hands on the movie and had to see it myself, not really sure how I would feel about it after loving Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer so much. Here’s a quick summary of the premise.
Xuan Zang (Zhang Wen) is an unorthodox demon hunter. Instead of pummeling them into submission, he uses a pacifist approach through nursery rhymes to appeal to their inner good. But when he gets in over his head, the aggressive demon hunter Miss Duan (Qi Shu) is forced to save his life over and over again. Together they foil each other out as they journey to the west, conquering demons (get it?). Along the way, slapstick, seduction, and heartbreak occur on the road as they learn more about each other then either of them really wanted.
Banana Scoop 