Jeffrey Lau directed this lavish send-up of the classic novel Journey to the West, which recounts the introduction of Buddhism into China. In part one, the Monkey King (the hilarious Stephen Chow), who was banished from heaven for trying to eat his master, the Longevity Monk, finds himself reincarnated five hundred years later as a clumsy bandit named Joker. Chow’s blend of martial arts mastery and slapstick comedy make this a bawdy, action-filled romp. Part two screens at 3 pm. One of the Hong Kong Film Archive’s 100 Must-See Hong Kong Movies.
Dir.: Jeffrey Lau, Hong Kong, 1995, 87 min., 35mm, Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles