The New Legends of Monkey (Episodes 4-6)
The complete series on iView (until 27 February 2018)
Musings on Episodes 4-6:
* The first three episodes - which were aired together - make a solid and dramatic pilot. So moving from that to more episodic adventures was a bit of an adjustment. I kind of wish the episodes were longer - 23 minutes goes by quick - to allow more time to explore the world and let the characters bond with each other.
* Episode 4 - The bandits were kind of silly, but the bandit king using truth serum on Tripitaka was a good high stakes threat. I'm not sure how likely it is that she can keep her true identity hidden, when she's travelling with gods, but people having secrets always adds a nice bit of tension. And I loved that they included the original Monkey Magic theme song as one of the tunes played at the bandit feast. A great nostalgia moment.
* Episode 5 - So the demons are trying to thwart our heroes in their quest to find the seven scrolls. I like how all the demons have unique powers and amazing cheekbones. (So far, all the demons we've seen have been played by Caucasian actors, which is an interesting casting decision.) The premise of Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy being trapped in an illusion made it feel a lot like a bottle show. I liked the opportunity to see more of Monica, but I want to get back to the real her and not just an illusion. I liked Monkey's reluctant admission that he can't read or write the language of the gods. It was a good setup for the next episode, which was the flashback episode.
* Episode 6 - The Flashback Episode of Revelations! We find out the truth behind the rumours about Monkey's crimes, and what actually happened five hundred years ago. I always love getting backstory at a meaningful point in the series. I felt for his brash younger self and his failure to understand his master's lesson about patience, and his devotion to carrying out his last wishes. And then being locked away while the demons carry out their surprise attack on the gods. His return is already stirring things up, and I cannot wait to see the results.
Crossposted from Dreamwidth, where there are
comments. Comment here or there.
Musings on Episodes 4-6:
* The first three episodes - which were aired together - make a solid and dramatic pilot. So moving from that to more episodic adventures was a bit of an adjustment. I kind of wish the episodes were longer - 23 minutes goes by quick - to allow more time to explore the world and let the characters bond with each other.
* Episode 4 - The bandits were kind of silly, but the bandit king using truth serum on Tripitaka was a good high stakes threat. I'm not sure how likely it is that she can keep her true identity hidden, when she's travelling with gods, but people having secrets always adds a nice bit of tension. And I loved that they included the original Monkey Magic theme song as one of the tunes played at the bandit feast. A great nostalgia moment.
* Episode 5 - So the demons are trying to thwart our heroes in their quest to find the seven scrolls. I like how all the demons have unique powers and amazing cheekbones. (So far, all the demons we've seen have been played by Caucasian actors, which is an interesting casting decision.) The premise of Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy being trapped in an illusion made it feel a lot like a bottle show. I liked the opportunity to see more of Monica, but I want to get back to the real her and not just an illusion. I liked Monkey's reluctant admission that he can't read or write the language of the gods. It was a good setup for the next episode, which was the flashback episode.
* Episode 6 - The Flashback Episode of Revelations! We find out the truth behind the rumours about Monkey's crimes, and what actually happened five hundred years ago. I always love getting backstory at a meaningful point in the series. I felt for his brash younger self and his failure to understand his master's lesson about patience, and his devotion to carrying out his last wishes. And then being locked away while the demons carry out their surprise attack on the gods. His return is already stirring things up, and I cannot wait to see the results.
Crossposted from Dreamwidth, where there are
comments. Comment here or there.