This Monkey King Rules!
Written: Feb 13 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great love story, lots of humor and action
Cons: Quick read, but that's the way with novelizations.
The Bottom Line: Entertaining and a great introduction to the Chinese folktale. It captures all that I expect from a story set in this world with its humor, characters and action.
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| SamuraiX47's Full Review: Monkey King Books |
Let's begin with who the Monkey King is. As one song goes "he was born from a rock on a mountain top". In China many years ago the Monkey King was a thorn in the gods collective sides. He was very selfish, unruly, and rambunctious and caused much distress. The Buddha punished Monkey by assigning him to escort the Tang Monk, Xuan Zang, who was on a pilgrimage from China to see the great Buddha in India and bring back his writings, Sutras, to China. Along the way they picked up some companions, a human-like Pig, and a Water Monster (water spirit). Thus their quest began as told in the book "Journey to the West" written by Cheng-En Wu about 500 years ago. Along the way Monkey learned many things including discipline and humility. To control him Xuan Zang would recite a short mantra that would squeeze the metal headband that Monkey wore. At the end of the journey Monkey was freed of the headband and became a loyal follower of Xuan.
This is one of China's greatest folktales. Xuan Zang was a real person about 1500 years ago, but Cheng-en Wu created a great story inspired by many fables,folktales and legends of China.
Hallmark Entertainment has produced a miniseries for NBC Television to be broadcast during a future sweeps month by taking the Monkey King legend and adding a modern element to it turning it into a great story worthy of Cheng-en Wu. The Monkey King tells of a "Scholar from Above", Nick Orton, played by Thomas Gibson of "Dharma and Greg", who is recruited by the Goddess of Mercy, Kwan Ying, played by Bai Ling, to help save the original manuscript of the "Journey to the West" from destruction and thereby saving his own world of today. Nick joins with the Monkey King (Russell Wong), Pigsy, and Friar Sand to save the book. They must face countless demons, dragons, and even Confucious in the Court of the Jade Emperor to save the book.
There are plenty of martial arts fighting in the story as well. Monkey uses a staff with gold-encased ends which he twirls around from hand to hand and knocks down everyone who challenges him. Pigsy uses a wooden rake. Nick, the Scholar from Above, learns to use a staff with a brush shaped tip at one end. The novelization describes it as best it can, but there is nothing like watching the real thing, which is what we'll get in the miniseries.
This novelization captures the characters and the humor of the original story very well. Their is also the growing love story between Nick and Kwan Ying. Even though this book from Hallmark is a quick read, as are most novelizations, it is still full of fun and excitement. I really look forward to seeing the miniseries. Kathryn Wesley (Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith) have really done a great job with this story. They've also done other adaptions for Hallmark, like "The 10th Kingdom".
Now as an aside, when I was in Japan for a summer in 1979 I watched a japanese-produced television series of this Chinese folktale. "Saiyuki" aka "Western Travels" had a woman playing the part of Monk Xuan Zang, I guess the softness of a woman fit more with the monk character than any male actor. Monkey, Pigsy, and Kappa (water spirit) were played by well-known Japanese comedic actors which lended to the fun interplay between characters. The show was so popular and successful that they went for several seasons, even having the horse the Monk rode on transforming into another character. The special effects were full of miniature models of landscapes and Monkey flying on his little puff of cloud over them. Also the martial arts fighting Monkey did with his staff was great to watch. I know this series made it to other countries as well, so hopefully there is an english version that could be brought to the US in video format.
I loved this show so I can't help comparing this book to what I expect to see. So far I like what I've read in this novelization and hopefully the miniseries will really pull it off in characters, martial arts, and humor.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
SamuraiX47
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Member: James Hinsey
Location: Portsmouth, RI
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 3 members
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