An absurd fantasy blockbuster starts a divine rebellion on Netflix

via New Classics Media

The Legend of the Monkey King is one of China’s most well-known myths, and there has been no shortage of adaptations that have brought the tale to the big screen. In fact, since the beginning of the 21st century alone, there have been no fewer than 17 live-action and animated films in which Sun Wukong was involved in one way or another Wu Kong the latest to make its presence felt in streaming.

Per FlixPatrol, 2017’s fantasy blockbuster – confusingly also known as Immortal Demon Slayer, Immortal Demon Slayer: The Legend of Wu Kong, Wu Kong: Immortal Demon Slayer, The Legend of Wu Kongor Tales of Wu Kong depending on where you live in the world right now – has become one of the streaming service’s top 10 most popular hits in half a dozen countries around the world and is poised to break into the top 20 overall.

Absurd but entertaining, it’s hard to put a stamp of originality on a story that’s been told so many times in so many different media, but director Derek Kwok and star Eddie Peng still make a decent fist of it. Disguised as a human to gain access to the kingdom of heaven, the titular hero refuses to be intimidated by fate as he sets out to start a rebellion against the gods.

A decent hit that grossed over $100 million at the box office, Wu Kong may not be viewed as the best version of the iconic fable ever, but it clearly has enough in the tank to appeal to subscribers of the world’s leading streaming service.