Movie review
July 30, 2023 · 92 min · PG · Kids · Fantasy · Animation · Comedy · Adventure · Family
Set in ancient China, the film follows Monkey, a monkey born from a rock with great powers and a huge need to prove himself. He wants immortality and the title of king, so he steals a magic staff from the Dragon King and fights demons, gods, and other threats. Lin, a poor village girl, joins him because her home needs rain and because she hopes to do something important with her life. The bright, fast comedy turns Monkey's pride into the main danger and ends with him learning that power cannot replace kindness.
Lin is a brave and clever young girl who challenges the male hero and helps guide his change. She tricks Monkey, helps defeat the Dragon King, speaks for Buddha, and becomes the person who gives him another chance. The largely Asian-American voice cast matches the Chinese myth and setting, while publicity also presents that casting as a point of Asian representation. The main message stays focused on pride, friendship, compassion, humility, and the danger of wanting power.
Community feedback
Was our 27% Woke rating accurate?
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Monkey King.
Woke representation / casting
The film uses a largely Asian-American voice cast for characters from a Chinese myth, which fits the story world. Festival and news coverage singled out that cast as an Asian-American representation point. The movie does not build a mixed identity lineup or use casting to discuss modern race politics. The score stays low because the casting is mainly culturally matched.
12%
Woke political dialogue
Not present. The characters do not use modern political or activist language. The dialogue centers on immortality, power, ego, friendship, and compassion.
0%
Identity-driven story themes
The film makes Lin a brave, clever young village girl who challenges Monkey’s pride and helps guide his moral change. Lin has a personal goal to save her drought-hit village, and she later speaks for Buddha when Monkey becomes power-drunk. This gives the story a clear female-empowerment and small-person-against-power message. The idea is tied to the main friendship, but it stays inside a mythic lesson about compassion.
28%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Not present. The film does not attack Western institutions, Christianity, family life, or modern gender roles. Its conflicts with gods and rulers belong to the Chinese fantasy world.
0%
Woke character or canon changes
The film adds Lin, a young girl who is not part of the first chapters of Journey to the West used here. The director said the new human partner helped Western viewers enter the myth and praised Lin as unusual for female characters. The change gives the story its main friendship and rescue plot, but the film does not use it to push modern identity politics.
20%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Not present. No reviewed news or audience coverage reported anti-woke claims, DEI complaints, boycotts, or review-bombing. The supplied X pass also found no anti-woke reaction.
0%
Creator track record context
Peilin Chou has a cached woke score of 68/100 and a record of supporting diverse stories and Asian representation. Rita Hsiao has a cached score of 15/100 and some mentoring work for young women. Most other key creators have cached scores of 0 to 5, so the main creator signal comes from one producer and matches the film’s Asian representation focus.
30%
Production
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