A Chinese Odyssey
A two-part Chinese film series based on Journey to the West.
A Chinese Odyssey is a two-part Hong Kong film series directed by Jeffrey Lau, serving as a spin-off from the 16th-century novel *Journey to the West*. It follows Sun Wukong as he becomes distracted while escorting Tang Sanzang on their mission to obtain Buddhist scriptures. The original films, released back-to-back in 1995, are *A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box* and *A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella*. A third installment, *A Chinese Odyssey Part Three*, featuring a mostly new cast and less acclaim, came out on September 14, 2016.
The two-part series was the debut project of the Choi Sing Film Company, co-founded by star Stephen Chow. Upon its 1995 release, it received a lukewarm response from both critics and audiences. However, by the 2000s, it had gained a cult following among young people in mainland China and helped cement Chow’s status as a cultural icon.
- director
- Jeffrey Lau
- original_release_year
- 1995
- number_of_films_in_original_series
- 2
- based_on
- 16th-century novel Journey to the West
- production_company
- Choi Sing Film Company
- lead_actor
- Stephen Chow
Lore & Background
The two-part A Chinese Odyssey, the first project produced by the Choi Sing Film Company co-founded by Stephen Chow, met with a lukewarm critical and commercial reception upon its premiere in 1995. By the 2000s, however, it had developed a cult following among young people in mainland China and helped establish Chow as a cultural icon.
Part One follows Joker, the reincarnated Monkey, who has no memory of his past life. He becomes involved with demonesses Spider Woman and Bai Jingjing, and discovers Pandora's Box, a device that can open a time portal. After Bai Jingjing commits suicide, Joker uses the box to travel back in time, eventually ending up 500 years earlier where he meets the fairy Zixia.
Part Two continues Joker's story as he learns about his past life and reunites with Longevity Monk, Pigsy, and Sandy. Zixia falls in love with Joker after he unsheathes her sword. Joker is killed by Spider Woman, but as a ghost he accepts his destiny, transforms into Monkey, and defeats Bull King. Zixia sacrifices herself, and Monkey uses the Pandora's Box to escape with his companions.
Reader's Guide
A Chinese Odyssey holds significance as a cult classic that gained popularity in mainland China during the 2000s, despite its initial lukewarm reception in 1995. The series helped establish Stephen Chow as a cultural icon and was the first project produced by the Choi Sing Film Company, co-founded by Chow. The line '10,000 years' from the film became one of the most popular buzzwords for Chinese-language films, with a Google search count of 21.9 million. The Austin Chronicle gave Part Two a positive review, noting that viewers who enjoyed the first part would have a great time with the follow-up. The series has spawned additional films directed by Jeffrey Lau based on Journey to the West, including A Chinese Tall Story, Just Another Pandora's Box, and A Chinese Odyssey Part Three. The two original films grossed HK$25,093,380 and HK$20,872,117 respectively in Hong Kong, with the second part grossing CN¥189.202 million on its 2017 release in mainland China.
Did You Know?
- The series is a spin-off of the 16th-century novel Journey to the West.
- The original two films were released back-to-back in 1995.
- The line '10,000 years' from the film had a Google search count of 21.9 million.
- A third film, A Chinese Odyssey Part Three, was released on 14 September 2016 with a largely different cast.
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