Journey to the West: Sun Wukong Fights the White Bone Demon
Directed by Zheng Baorui and starring Aaron Kwok and Gong Li, this is the second installment of the Journey to the West trilogy.
The Monkey King 2 is a 3D fantasy action blockbuster directed by Zombieshuan (Zheng Baorui). Released in mainland China during the 2016 Lunar New Year period, it is the second installment of the "Journey to the West" trilogy. The film has a runtime of approximately 119 minutes. Aaron Kwok, who played the Bull Demon King in the first film, takes on the lead role of Sun Wukong. Feng Shaofeng stars as Tang Sanzang, Xiao Shenyang as Bajie, Luo Zhongqian as Sha Wujing, and Gong Li appears as the antagonist, Lady White Bone. The plot is adapted from the classic episode "Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon" in the twenty-seventh chapter of Journey to the West. It tells the story of Sun Wukong, having been released from the Five-Elements Mountain, escorting Tang Sanzang westward. Along the way, they encounter the White Bone Demon, who disguises herself as a village girl, an old woman, and an old man. Obsessions and misunderstandings create a rift between the master and disciple; though Wukong exposes the demon's magic three times, he is repeatedly banished by his master. The conflict finally reaches a climax and is resolved through Tang Sanzang's self-sacrifice. Jointly produced by Filmko and Stellar Movies, among others, the film earned over 194 million USD at the global box office and is widely regarded as a significant improvement over the first film in terms of both visuals and screenplay.