The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven (1961)

How sad is this?

Great Film overall

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Here is another Chinese animated film I loved after watching it online - Uproar in Heaven. Made in 1965 and based on the classic mythological novel Journey to the West, the film covers the mischievous Monkey King's early misadventures from the novel, like rebelling against the Jade Emperor of Heaven. Journey to the West is another classic story that intrigues me, and also got me into literature from other countries. I remember seeing an animated English dubbed TV series of Journey to the West that was made in 1999. In 2002, the series' episodes were edited and made into a OAV (Original Animated Video) movie, called "The Legends of the Monkey King." So after watching Uproar in Heaven, I'd concluded that I love it better then any film adaptation of Journey to the West.Overall I really love this film and I love the character designs in the film especially for the monkeys, they'll so cute!

A goofy and great animated film about an anarchic Monkey King -- Sun Wukong -- who spends his days playfully directing millions of monkey children in martial arts training and bouncing around the beautiful waterfall forest they inhabit. After twice being deceptively lured into heaven by the Jade Emperor, so that he may be controlled and watched over, the Monkey King begins dismantling the Confucian hierarchies around (and above) him. Using spontaneous, creative, and subversive magic the Monkey King consistently undermines the Jade Emperor and his many minions and henchmen.It's full of colorfully wild sequences replete with animal transformations, hilarious caricatures of military/political leaders, and jubilant, drunken rambunctiousness. The version I saw -- with English storytelling-narration leaving the Chinese dialog in its original Mandarin -- goes on forever. And the Chinese-opera styled music is a bit overwhelming at times. But the offbeat comic timing, ponderous caesuras, wavy movements, and truncated ending all make it a bizarrely entertaining experience.Based on the early sections of the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West", most commentators see the Monkey King in the film as representative of Mao wreaking havoc in China. Yet, with Mao's Cultural Revolution effectively eliminating the creative film industry the very next year, one may alternatively equate Mao with the oppressive Jade Emperor and his advisors desperately trying to destroy the liberated spirit of the Monkey King. Those of us born in the year of Monkey might be able to relate on a more universal level.

The very best one, in which a monkey is kicking everybody's butt in a crazy kung fu style. It is not serious, it is not thought-provoking. But it is mindless and funny throughout. Remember watching this for the first time on Soviet TV back in 1980s. This entertainment was, is, and will be strictly for the boys. Cannot imagine any girl or woman who will enjoy it. And cannot name any other animation film that sets itself onto the topic of martial arts so tight.Some mighty monkey king is jumping, spinning, and laughing, while training hordes of his little "citizens" - monkey babies. They all live in a wonderful land of flowers, rainbows, and waterfalls. Then our hero suddenly decides to get a weapon that can match his perfection in combat. So, the journey begins. What follows is a wild succession of kung fu extravaganza, wine consuming, dreamy happenings, blurred visions, etc. It is simply outright funny that no creature (either from the deep waters or from the heavenly castles) can make Monkey King any harm, though they try so hard... A reasonable person can get sick and tired of watching one fight after another in this cartoon. Not my case. Even a black-and-white version of this animated epic was extremely entertaining to me and inspired me to draw this character on paper just for fun.By the way, most likely, you will not dig out any moral lessons from this cartoon. So, it's pure style and beauty with loads of kung fu. It is Mozart of animation dedicated to kung fu.Animated bliss for those who enjoy crazy cinema with deep national roots. It is crazy to give it a 10 out of 10 but it is my mark for this one. Thank you for attention.

Having gone into watching this without any expectations I must say that I was pleasingly surprised with how the movie captured me and pulled me in to the story. Yes it is an animated movie but it gives a chance to get a glimpse into the otherwise non revealed chinese mythology and legends.Very good for young and old alike.