In the Chinese film industry, the classic theme of Journey to the West seems to have become a gold that has been frequently crushed. Once upon a time, Happy Twist member Wang Ning starred in "Enlightenment. "Empty" to "Journey to the West: The Question" starring Hong Tianzhao, and then to Fan Shaohuang's "The Return of the Demon King of the Bull Demon King", this series of movies has achieved considerable results at the box office. However, the audience found that these works seemed to have "broken" the classic story of Journey to the West.
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It all started in February of this year, "Enlightenment. "Empty" was released, and the box office was only 173 yuan, which is incredible. Then, "Journey to the West" was launched online, and it also achieved good results. However, when the audience was looking forward to more excitement, "The Return of the Demon King of the Bull Demon King" starring Fan Shaohuang failed to meet expectations. The comment area was full of one-star negative reviews, and the audience said "I have seen it", and their dissatisfaction with the movie was overflowing.
This series of movies is adapted from Journey to the West, but it is difficult to agree with in terms of plot setting and character handling. Some directors seem to focus only on superficial visuals, ignoring the authenticity of the storyline and characters. From the Bull Demon King being demoted to the mortal world by the black and white Heavenly Venerables, to the adventure on the road to revenge, the audience seems to be aesthetically fatigued by the repeated storyline.
What's even more troubling is that these movies don't seem to respect the spirit of the original Journey to the West. In order to attract attention, the screenwriters modified the plot at will, making the main story fragmented. Even "The Return of the Demon King of the Bull Demon King" starring Fan Shaohuang also has incredible details in the plot.
In addition, the portrayal of the characters is also unacceptable. The fox demon obstructs the protagonist's team's trip, however, her appearance turns into a sudden love scene, which troubles the audience. Such a plot setting obviously does not conform to the narrative logic in Journey to the West, but makes the whole story seem nondescript.
In general, the problem with these Journey to the West movies is not only the lack of storyline, but also the disrespect for the spirit of the original book. As one of China's four famous novels, Journey to the West carries the common memory of all of China and even Asia, but it has become an IP that is squandered at will in the movie.
Although in the past, films such as "Journey to the West" have given Journey to the West a new romantic meaning, today's adaptation seems to be only left with the "magic change" trend of splashing ink at will. Domestic screenwriters seem to have forgotten that adaptation is not nonsense, and jokes are not nonsense. All kinds of "big words", "big dreams", and "great sages" about Journey to the West make people feel retched.
In the entertainment market, the classic IP of Journey to the West has become a "fanwork" in the hands of major screenwriters, which seems to be embarrassing. As Liu Xiaolingtong said: "Adaptation is not nonsense, and drama is not nonsense", these creators should perhaps reflect on it and stop spoiling this classic.
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In today's film market, the adaptation of classic literary works needs to be more cautious. It is hoped that future film creators will be able to treat the original book more responsibly, not only focusing on visual effects, but also respecting the authenticity of the storyline and characters, so as to create works with more depth and connotation. Let's look forward to more creative and thoughtful films.