Netflix’s The Monkey King: An Animated Coming-of-Age Film

Netflix’s The Monkey King is an animated coming-of-age film that struggles to find its footing. While it has some engaging moments and colorful animation, its lackluster action and unlikable protagonist result in a mostly forgettable experience.

The Premise

Inspired by the Chinese novel Journey to the West, The Monkey King follows the exploits of Sun Wukong (Jimmy O. Yang), a young primate. Unlike other versions of this character, Sun Wukong is portrayed as a painfully naïve and irresponsible individual, lacking the cleverness and mischievousness usually associated with him.

Annoying and Entitled

Unfortunately, this version of Sun Wukong comes off as annoying and entitled. He lacks redeeming qualities that would make his behavior easier to tolerate, and much of the film focuses on his self-centered actions. Even attempts at humor fall flat, leaving viewers with little charm to counterbalance his insufferable nature.

Supporting Characters

Jolie Hoang-Rappaport delivers a better performance as Lin, Wukong’s young assistant, providing a voice of reason. Bowen Yang’s portrayal of The Dragon King, while not particularly memorable, adds some humor to an otherwise lukewarm antagonist. The rest of the cast, while talented, fails to stand out.

Pacing and Visuals

The Monkey King suffers from breakneck pacing and uneven visual treatment. The story zooms past most of Sun Wukong’s feats, leaving little room for reflection. The animation, although decent in terms of character design, lacks distinguishing details in the world-building, resulting in generic and forgettable environments.

Lackluster Action

The film’s action scenes are lackluster, with most battles ending quickly and choreographed bouts failing to showcase the characters’ abilities. Even the involvement of the gods does little to reinforce their power, leaving their presence unremarkable.