BiFan 2025 Review: SUN WUKONG, Dynamic Early Korean Animated Take on the Monkey King
Sun Wukong (aka 'The Monkey King'), the mischievous protagonist of the celebrated 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, has been a familiar figure in Far East media for decades. While most of the cinematic adaptations of his exploits have come from China or Hong Kong, several notable Korean versions were also produced, including 1968's Sun Wukong, an early animated Korean film from director Park Hyeong-il.
A new 4K restoration of the film, produced by the Korean Film Archive, premiered at the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival this year.
Currently clocking in at only 51 minutes (two of the film's nine reels are believed to be lost), the film depicts two of the tales from Journey to the West: 'The Yellow Wind Demon' and 'The King of Spiritual Touch'.
The film begins with a prologue explaining the origins of the Monkey King, a character who may not be familiar to all Korean viewers. Prolific Korean filmmaker Kim Soo-yong did a similar thing with his take on the character, Son O Gong (1962), a color Cinemascope Hong Kong-Korea co-production shot in Hong Kong. Kim re-wrote the script during production, insisting to producers that an explanatory prologue was necessary. Sadly, this version is considered lost, and all that remains is a black-and-white print of the Hong Kong version known as Flaming Mountain, which is dubbed in Chinese.
Following the prologue, Park's film introduces us to the central quartet of the 'Journey to the West' -- the monk Tang Sanzang and his three protectors, led by Sun Wukong, who must help him reach Heaven's Center. Journeying through rain and snow and across vast vistas, the film shows off its beautiful animation before launching into a massive battle scene, during which the Monkey King fells hundreds of attackers, to the dismay of the monk, who punishes him by tightening his signature golden crown.
Along the journey, Sanzang is kidnapped by the Yellow Wind Demon, and his disciples set out to save him. Next, the troupe set out to cross the Heaven-reaching River but in order to do so they must help a family overcome the child-eating ghost known as the King of Spiritual Touch.
Sun Wukong was the fourth feature Korean animation ever produced and is the second film made by The Century Co., Ltd., who also made Korea's first ever animated film, A Story of Hong Gil-dong (1967), also recently remastered by the Korean Film Archive.
While it suffers from some awkward narrative transitions, not all of which can be blamed on the missing reels, and many instances of shots being repeated, belying the production's limitations, Sun Wukong has several things going for it. These include its gorgeous visuals, which pop in color Cinemascope (this was the first Korean animation to employ the technique), energetic pacing, and dynamic set pieces.
Though rough and now sadly incomplete, the film showcases the possibilities of a Korean feature animation industry that has to this day struggled to fully come into existence.
