Monster Hunt
DVD
Review
by Kam Williams
Highest-Grossing
Chinese Film of All Time Arrives on DVD
Directed by
Raman Hui (Shrek the Third), Monster Hunt was released across Asia
last summer where it became the highest-grossing Chinese film of all
time. The version I watched was dubbed into English, which served to
turn the martial arts/comedy mash-up into a decidedly campy affair.
The
experience reminded me of the Japanese horror flicks from the Fifties
where the corny dialogue invariably failed to fit the movement of the
actors' mouths. This one even has its characters often speaking in
inappropriately-modern idioms such as "You are such a loser!"
Purists might be happy to know that the movie is also being made
available with subtitles, though I suspect it's far funnier
lip-synched.
Set during
an ancient dynasty, the picture features an unapologetically
exuberant mix of sentiment and slaps/tick that endeavors to tug at
your heartstrings while simultaneously tickling your funny bone. The
CGI-driven, costume fantasy unfolds in a mythical kingdom inhabited
by both humans and monsters.
The plot
thickens when the hamlet's male mayor, Tianyin (Jing Boran), is
miraculously impregnated by a malevolent Monster Queen. Next thing
you know, just about everybody around, human and monster alike, wants
half-breed baby Wooba dead, much to the chagrin of the glowing,
expecting daddy.
Lucky for
Tianyin, he forges a fast friendship with Hua Xiaolan (Bai Baihe), a
female warrior blessed with a winning combination of maternal
instincts and mad karate skills. She's determined to save the
radish-shaped bundle of joy, so what ensues is an overstimulating
kitchen sink adventure throwing everything up on the screen from
cartoon physics fight scenes to Bollywood-style song-and-dance
numbers.
Kid-friendly
fare amusing enough to entertain adults, too, provided their brains
are on pause!
Very Good
(2.5 stars)
Unrated
Dubbed from Mandarin
Running time: 104 minutes
Distributor: FilmRise
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