Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. There seem to be an awful lot of films dedicated to different parts of his myth. I am pretty sure this won't be the only movie about him I will end up reviewing for Subtitle Sity. Films about him tell parts of his journey through heaven, hell, and the world in between. With his trusty cloud and staff, he fights demons and immortals alike. He causes havoc among his enemies and loves the taste of the mystical peaches of the gods. Warrior, trickster, legend. No wonder they want to showcase this immortal. Immortal Demon Slayer, or Wu Kong, tells part of the story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, a mythical figure in Chinese folklore. He is captured by the immortals of heaven after causing a ruckus in their home. Thrown in prison for showing disdain for them by refusing to believe that fate and destiny are controlled by these same immortals and promising that his power can overcome that. After a botched escape attempt, Wu Kong, his handler, and a few warriors of the immortal land end up crashing, powerless to the mortal plane. Here they learn how to work together, and even manage a few victories, showing them a glimmer of hope against fate itself. But the Immortal queen of fate has lessons for them to learn, and punishment to dole out. Can Wu Kong beat his own fate and rise above the Immortals? There is more to this story than what I wrote, but Immortal Demon Slayer is way too packed with lore, flashbacks, characters, side plots, and teachings to really cover it all in a small paragraph. Sadly, the amount of story being told also made it quite hard to enjoy long stretches of the film, as it never seemed to want to slow down and let us take in what was happening. Now, this may be a more "lost in translation" issue, but other than the time the characters spend in the mortal realm, the movie's pace is so hectic you never really get to understand the characters and their motivations. During this time on Earth, you get a glimpse of their past, feelings, thoughts, and personalities, but it's only in passing and leaves you interested in more. Also, without taking the time to shore up the plot, it was very easy to get lost in this story. The movie is filled with fast-paced fights, quick dialogue, and a plethora of bright CGI colors, which made it hard to understand and sometimes follow the action. While by the end, the movie does come together and most of the plot beings to make sense, I still found a lot of parts hard to follow. As distracting as they were, the fantasy action scenes were still a highlight. It's with these fast-paced super-powered martial arts battles that Immortal Demon Slayer's quick pace really shines. Add to that some slick CGI for magical weapons, demons, and battle effects and you've got some damn entertaining scenes. They can get a bit bloated with computer graphics, but I was never bothered too much by them overall. By the end, that pace became a double-edged sword, as I wanted the fun and quick action, but felt like the story needed to slow down to help me get more invested. I do think with a runtime above the two-hour mark, the filmmakers could have taken a few breaths and focused on both story and action. Which would have made for a more coherent viewing experience. If you're looking for a frantic fast-paced action fable, and have the time to kill, Immortal Demon Slayer may just do it for you.
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