Journey To The West 2: The Demon Strikes Back Review

Journey to the West 2: The Demon Strikes Back also know as Journey to the West 2: Demon Chapter is a movie which is a sequel to 2013's Journey to the West produced by the legendary Stephen Chow.

As I have not watched the original, I cannot compare the sequel to it but this movie is directed by Tsui Hark, who directed 'Once Upon A Time In China' , which is actually something to look forward to.

Plot Synopsis: Tang Monk brings 3 disciples along with him on a journey to the West. On the outside, everything seems harmonious but tension is present beneath the surface; and their hearts and minds are not in agreement. After a series of demon-capturing events, the monk and his disciples gain mutual understanding of each other’s hardships and unease, and finally resolve their inner conflict, to work together to become an all-conquering demon exorcising team.

Story:(2.9/5)

As the story of this movie is a continuation of the previous movie, you need to get used to the storytelling and style to enjoy this movie. This is due to some differences in the personalities of our favourite characters form the Journey to the West classic. 

Tang Sanzang acting like a brat at times might not mix well with some viewers and the the story takes a while for us to feel immersed in it. After the halfway point, the story gets better and touch upon what happened in the first movie. The ending is satisfying as we get a good vs evil face off with nice visual effects going on.

The slapstick humor that we often see in Stephen Chow movies is there but felt a bit too serious at times and reduced some of the comedic effect.

Also, I don't recommend kids watching this movie as there are some adult humor, some vulgar language and also some fanservice which may not mix well with parents.

Visuals: (3.8/5)

This movie is visually stunning during the fight scenes as expected from Tsui Hark and doesn't feel too plastic at times. You can see that they really put in the effort to get the shadow and colour details right to add to the realism.

Acting:(3.3/5)

The acting in this movie felt a bit forced at certain scenes in the beginning but managed to cover for it until the end. The characters were believable and played their part accordingly and still enjoyable to watch.

Overall:(3.3/5)

An enjoyable movie to watch for it's visual effects and humor but not so recommended if you bring kids to the show.