A Chinese Tall Story
A 2005 Hong Kong fantasy romance film directed by Liu Zhenwei and starring Nicholas Tse, inspired by the legends of Journey to the West.
A Chinese Tall Story is a 2005 Hong Kong fantasy romantic adventure film directed by Law Kar-wing. With a runtime of approximately 103 minutes, it was jointly produced by Huayi Brothers, Emperor Motion Pictures, and China Film Group. Nicholas Tse plays the timid Tang Sanzang, Chen Bo-chun portrays Sun Wukong, Fan Bingbing plays the alien princess Xiao Shan, Cai Zhuoyan plays the hideous lizard demon Meiyan, and Jaycee Chan plays Sha Wujing. The story grafts the framework of Journey to the West into a sci-fi romantic context: while passing through Shache City, the four disciples and their master are captured by a demon king. Tang Sanzang happens upon Meiyan, a lizard demon abandoned by her own people, who falls deeply in love with him. Meanwhile, the alien princess Xiao Shan descends to the mortal realm to lend her aid, and after a series of comical misunderstandings, the group is eventually rescued. The film continues the style of "mo lei tau" and the intersection of comedy and tragedy established by Law Kar-wing in the A Chinese Odyssey series, weaving themes of love, destiny, and Buddha-nature into a kaleidoscope of bizarre special effects. It remains one of the most idiosyncratic Hong Kong adaptations of Journey to the West from the 2000s.