Despite not understanding this movie due to it being in Japanese... (I assume). This movie was colourful, lively and again high in quality.

Unlike the mcu. MK3 balances humour and seriousness very well.

MK3 is what thor movies should have been like. But the mcu rather settle for puny Thor movies.

China has been making movies for ages now and they've done nothing but improve with each passing year. In addition to that there is a rich history of storytelling there that has yet to be tapped in this country, legends and fairy tales that rival those we've grown up with from the Brothers Grimm. That they translate to the screen is not surprise.

One such story is that of the Monkey King. The legend is old and different versions of the story have been made in the past. We're now presented with the third film in a series based on the tale. Go into this one knowing that because it appears to pick up where the last one left off. Does that make the film difficult to enjoy? Not at all. What's happened in the past and will happen in the future are easy to follow here.

Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang (William Feng Shaofeng) and his disciples - Wukong the Monkey King (Aaron Kwok Fu-shing),pig demon Bajie (Xiao Shenyang) and blue-skinned sand demon Wujing (Him Lo Chung-him) are traveling down a river when they run afoul of the river god who tries to sink them. Instead they survive and find themselves thrown into the mystical all female land known as Womanland.

The queen of this land (Zhao Liying) is star struck when she first sees Sanzang and he is smitten with her in return. But legend has it that men will lead to the downfall of Womanland because all men are deceptive. The royal preceptor (Gigi Leung Wing-kei) is determined to follow through with the execution of the men but they are saved by the queen.

As the queen attempts to help them escape she and Sanzang discuss what could be. Sanzang is open and honest with her letting her know that while he would love to stay he must complete his quest to collect Buddha's scriptures putting the needs of the world ahead of all else.

They head for the border of the land only to discover that they're still trapped since a magical net encompasses the border. The only thing that can break the barrier is true love. Will the queen and Sanzang discover that their love is true or will their quest end here?

The movie is a feast for the eyes with so many special effects shots combined with gorgeous locations that will have viewers wanting to visit the locales on display. While watching I kept thinking how great it would be if China opened itself to the rest of the world but that's something we'll have to wait to see happen. For now we can be glad they're allowing their films to make it our way.

The special effects here match what's coming out of Hollywood. Everything from the river gods to the galloping white elk that the queen rides looks magnificent. The make-up department also does a tremendous job especially when looking at the blue skinned Wujing. Wukong tends to look a bit overdone but I got the impression that was on purpose. Suffice to say all of the characters are well thought out here.

The only negative thing I can say about this film is that it isn't available in a dubbed version here. I say this not because adults can't enjoy the film or read but there is little chance that small children would be able to read the subtitles or if they could keep up with what's taking place on screen at the same time. And this film is a movie that young children would undoubtedly enjoy. For all others this is one worth taking the chance on and watching, a gorgeous film with an involved story and amazing special effects that make it a real treat.

No good at all. Dont waste your time. The story has nothing to do with the 2 previous movies.