Red Boy
A 1975 fantasy opera film directed by Chang Cheh for Shaw Brothers, depicting the Red Boy episode of Journey to the West.
The Fantastic Magic Baby is a 1975 color fantasy film directed by Chang Cheh for Shaw Brothers, adapted from the "Red Boy" episode of Journey to the West. The film stars Ding Huachong as the Holy Infant King Red Boy and Liu Zhongqin as Sun Wukong, with supporting performances by Kuo Chui, David Chiang, and Cai Hong. The plot follows Tang Sanzang and his disciples on their westward journey through the Flaming Mountain region, where they encounter Red Boy, the son of the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan. Using his True Samadhi Fire and Ruyi Fire-Tipped Spear, Red Boy repeatedly repels Wukong. Ultimately, Guanyin uses the Purple-Gold Red Gourd and a golden headband to bring him into the fold, transforming him into the Sudhana Child. The film deliberately eschews real locations, setting the entire story against colorful studio backdrops. With its stylized sets, operatic movements, and martial arts blended with song and dance sequences, it is regarded as an experimental tribute by Chang Cheh to traditional opera and supernatural cinema, as well as an important addition to Shaw Brothers' "Journey to the West" series.