Film

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

Name: Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy
Released: 2013
Cast: Shu Qi, Wen Zhang, Huang Bo, Show Lo, Chrissie Chau Sau-Na

Stephen Chow's wildly inventive reimagining of *Journey to the West* swaps philosophy for slapstick and restraint for gorgeous chaos. Cartoonish CGI demons, impossible fight choreography, and tonal whiplash collide into something that feels like no other action-comedy. Dazzling for fans of kinetic absurdism; exhausting for those who prefer coherence.

TMDb rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like your myths reshaped into a loud, goofy romp, where a sly running gag or an absurd fight can win you over faster than any sincere moment.

Skip it if you tire of broad slapstick, since the jokes land loudly and often, and the film rarely pauses to let the quieter moments breathe.

What it asks of you: Expect a brisk 110 minutes of constant motion, with tonal shifts from gags to battles arriving quickly and little room to settle between them.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Kung Fu Hustle2004

The same director's masterpiece of escalating mayhem, where a hapless hero stumbles into increasingly elaborate fights across a magical tenement. Every frame bursts with invention and the comedy lands harder because the character work is genuine.

But It's a different film entirely—tighter, funnier, with better emotional stakes. If you're watching this one, you might wonder why you're not watching that instead.

The Forbidden Kingdom2008

An American tourist dropped into classical kung fu tropes meets Jackie Chan and Jet Li in a film that commits fully to its wuxia absurdity. Like *Conquering the Demons*, it's a live-action cartoon that takes its ridiculousness seriously.

But The fish-out-of-water premise tries harder to explain itself than *Conquering the Demons* does. Some find that grounding tedious rather than helpful.

Big Trouble in Little China1986

John Carpenter's supernatural action-comedy treats impossible magic and creature design with the same visual weight as gunfire. Another film about a hapless hero stumbling through a world of demons and martial arts, shot with real style.

But It's from 1986 and looks it—lower budget effects work, and the pacing is deliberate in ways modern action favours differently. The tone is arch in a way that can feel dated.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Monkey King: Hero Is Back2015

Both are contemporary retellings of the Monkey King legend that explode the philosophical text into visual comedy and kinetic action, treating ancient material as permission to go beautifully, unapologetically over the top.

A full-CGI Chinese film about Sun Wukong's origin, matching *Conquering the Demons*' visual extravagance and tonal whiplash but in pure animation. More visually coherent than live-action, the same comic-book aesthetic, the same willingness to be sincere about cosmic stakes one moment and goofy the next.

But It's animated in a style that some Western audiences find harder to engage with. The story is more traditionally redemptive arc than Chow's cynicism, which means less edge.

Mr. Nice Guy1997

Jackie Chan's underrated action-comedy about a TV chef caught up in crime and demon-adjacent chaos. The fights are inventive and used for jokes as often as stakes, and Chan's willingness to be foolish keeps it light.

But The plot barely coheres and the dubbed dialogue in many versions is genuinely bad. It asks for your goodwill and doesn't always return the favour.

Police Story 3: Super Cop1992

Another Jackie Chan entry where gag-logic governs action sequences as much as physics. A cop undercover in crime, elaborate set pieces that prioritize surprise over realism, and physical comedy that doubles as genuine danger.

But The early '90s action grammar feels sluggish if you're used to modern cutting and pacing. Michelle Yeoh is present but underused compared to what the film could have done.

Shaolin Soccer2001

Stephen Chow's other masterpiece, where monks play football with supernatural kung fu and CGI budgets that show. The tone ricochets between earnest and cartoonish in exactly the way *Conquering the Demons* does.

But The CGI, even for 2001, has aged visibly. More importantly, the sentiment can feel cloying if you're not ready for a film that genuinely wants to move you between punchlines.

Raya and the Last Dragon2021

A Western animated film structured around demon-hunting and Asian-inspired worldbuilding, with the same commitment to visual invention and action sequences serving story. Proof the sensibility works across animation and live-action.

But It's a Disney product with all the safety that implies. The emotional beats are well-earned but telegraphed, and the pacing is methodical rather than chaotic.

Fantasy Mission Force1983

An early Jackie Chan film about a motley crew fighting supernatural enemies during WWII. Utterly nonsensical, gloriously cheap-looking, and genuinely funny in its inability to take itself seriously for two consecutive minutes.

But It's rough—technically incompetent in ways that are almost endearing. The charm is entirely dependent on embracing its failure to be professional.

The Out-Laws2023

Both films trust their audience to laugh and care simultaneously, using heightened action to express character and emotion rather than simply as a set piece. Both prefer tonal contradiction to tone.

A Japanese action-comedy about a career criminal caught between yakuza and police, with the same commitment to absurd fight choreography and tonal shifts that *Conquering the Demons* uses. Shockingly inventive for a small film, funny in the way action comedy should be.

But It's slower and quieter than you'd expect given the premise. The stakes feel real in ways that undercut some of the comedy, and not everyone finds that blend rewarding.

Kubo and the Two Strings2016

Both films reject the Western action template of grey cynicism, instead using bright colour, stylization, and the freedom of genre fantasy to express genuine emotional stakes. Both are about enlightenment and legacy through action rather than dialogue.

A stop-motion fantasy about a young hero, magical creatures, and combat with demons, shot with the meticulous visual style and colour design Chow aspires to. It proves that Western filmmaking can match the invention and emotional sincerity *Conquering the Demons* reaches for.

But It's a children's film and moves at children's pace. The combat, though beautiful, is far less kinetic. If you need the chaos and speed, this will feel stately.