Der König der Affen

Saw it twice as a kid and I remember it still. This movie is a wonderful animation from China about the Monkey king and his adventures.

The movie consists of several earthly and heavenly adventures as the monkey king tries to (save the world?) or just get along in life (It has been over 20 years...)

It just became available for purchasing in Sweden and I am gonna get it...

9/10 as I remember it, it may even get 10/10 as a children's movie, but also risk being downgraded (as I said, 20 years) to about 8, but not lower, never...

I saw it two times as a 7 year old boy, and still remember it. Great animation, creative combat, and a story you can get without understanding a single word.

A goofy and great animated film about an anarchic Monkey King -- Sun Wukong -- who spends his days playfully directing millions of monkey children in martial arts training and bouncing around the beautiful waterfall forest they inhabit. After twice being deceptively lured into heaven by the Jade Emperor, so that he may be controlled and watched over, the Monkey King begins dismantling the Confucian hierarchies around (and above) him. Using spontaneous, creative, and subversive magic the Monkey King consistently undermines the Jade Emperor and his many minions and henchmen.

It's full of colorfully wild sequences replete with animal transformations, hilarious caricatures of military/political leaders, and jubilant, drunken rambunctiousness. The version I saw -- with English storytelling-narration leaving the Chinese dialog in its original Mandarin -- goes on forever. And the Chinese-opera styled music is a bit overwhelming at times. But the offbeat comic timing, ponderous caesuras, wavy movements, and truncated ending all make it a bizarrely entertaining experience.

Based on the early sections of the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West", most commentators see the Monkey King in the film as representative of Mao wreaking havoc in China. Yet, with Mao's Cultural Revolution effectively eliminating the creative film industry the very next year, one may alternatively equate Mao with the oppressive Jade Emperor and his advisors desperately trying to destroy the liberated spirit of the Monkey King. Those of us born in the year of Monkey might be able to relate on a more universal level.

The 40th Anniversay Edition box contains 2 DVDs, one with the film (parts I and II) and the other with some interesting special features, such as a much earlier black & white film made on another episode of the adventures of the Monkey King (the "Flaming Mountain" episode). The "Flaming Mountain" is really funny because it is halfway between Disney's (Micky Mouse) animation and the "true" Chinese animation achieved in Uproar in Heaven-- a really strange mix! The sound and image on the DVD is very well-remastered despite many minor specks and scratches, but part II of the main film was badly preserved with nasty marks and jumpy cuts. I really liked the commemorative documentary which has interviews of a few original animators and voice actors when they were still alive-- the Jade/Heavenly Emperor is actually modelled after the chubby face of its voice actor! Unfortunately, ONLY Chinese (traditional & simplified) subtitles are provided.

P.S. A REALLY well-remastered DVD is the 25th Anniversary DVD of "Nezha Nao Hai" (Nezha Conquers the Dragon King) which comes with (Chinese &) English subtitles! It totally wipes the floor with Disney's Mulan (just my personal fanatical opinion) in terms of Chinese fantasy art and, of course, kung-fu animation.

I had enjoyed watching Havoc in Heaven, another Chinese animated film that I found online. Released in 1961 and inspired by the timeless mythological novel Journey to the West, this film delves into the early escapades of the mischievous Monkey King as he rebels against the Jade Emperor of Heaven, as depicted in the novel.

Journey to the West is another classic story that intrigues me and also got me into literature from other countries. I vividly remember watching an animated English-dubbed TV series based on Journey to the West, which producers made in 1999. The series left a lasting impression on me, and in 2002, its episodes became an OAV (original animated video) movie titled "The Legends of the Monkey King." This adaptation further fueled my fascination with the story and its characters. So after watching Havoc in Heaven, I've concluded that I love it better than any film adaptation of Journey to the West.

Overall, I really love this film, and I love the character designs in the film, especially for the monkeys. They're so cute!