Saiyûki

This excellent Japanese animated fantasy is an adaptation of the old Chinese Legend of the Monkey King. Having seen the original Japanese version of this film, I don't have any problems with what American International did with this film, they have removed most of the religious references, but the story is still more or less intact, and AIP hired good talent for the voices.

The American score is by film music great Les Baxter, and this is probably the most symphonic score written for an animated film at the time of its U.S. release as Alakazam The Great. Gorgeous stuff, and the movie is lots of fun for both children and adults, who will enjoy a lot of humor added to keep parents awake.

I saw Alakazam first when I was quite young. I thought it was a good cartoon then and like it more now. It has a good moral to it and it's not made to sell toys like most cartoons are made to do now. Comparing it to todays cartoons is a bit silly since it was made over 40 years ago, the themes and characters are much different then the standard anime fluff we see now. I can't see anyone going wrong renting it and watching it with their family.

Like others on this site, I have warm memories of this film, having watched it since I was a child. American International did a fine job, in my opinion, of dubbing the picture. What makes their version of "Alakazam The Great" for me though, is the truly beautiful score by Les Baxter (an AIP regular) which perfectly complimented the visuals. A soundtrack album was released back in '61, which I found 35 years ago--at a thrift shop in excellent condition. HBO video released a widescreen videotape of the film about 10 years ago. They did a great job--wonderful picture and sound. Alas, it went out of print when the AIP package changed hands. MGM (now Sony) holds the rights. Hopefully, one day, they will release a DVD.

Over the years, I have seen many reviews that have mercilessly slagged ALAKAZAM THE GREAT as a bad movie, and it even made it into the highly questionable book THE 50 WORST FILMS OF ALL TIME. The question I have is: did all of you who hate this movie see the same film that I did when I was a youngster? I have shown many children this film over the years and not one of them failed to enjoy it.

ALAKAZAM THE GREAT is loosely based on the Wu Cheng-En classic JOURNEY TO THE WEST, a landmark of Chinese epic literature, and tells the story of an arrogant monkey king who learns the secrets of magic and becomes a cosmic pain in the ass. After a brief rampage through the heavens, he is imprisoned by the gods and eventually sent on a pilgrimage to atone for his sins and learn humility. The monkey must escort a young prince (who is the son of the gods) through a series of insanely lethal adventures in a land teeming with demons and monsters of every description, picking up a couple of unusual traveling companions along the way (an anthropomorphic pig-man and a burrowing cannibal). Much magic and cartoon ass-whuppin' ensues, and despite the (mercifully brief) musical numbers, this film has raw imagination to spare. Fast-paced and fun, this is not the dud that some would lead you to believe. Give it a chance!

I really did not want to vote on the movie, since I have not seen it since I was a kid. But, this movie was such a great movie to me as a kid, that almost 40 years later, I am trying to find it. If this was such a bad movie (according to the critic), there needs to be more of them made. The movie had classic good versus evil situations, was able to teach morals in a very entertaining manner, and was light and dark all at the same time. I can go so far as to say that it was the loyalty, friendship, and mercy exhibited by the lead character and his friends that indelibly burned this cartoon in my psyche all of these years. I too find that I had no idea that all of these famous stars were in the movie, but now that I know, when I finally get the movie again, I will have another reason to love it.