Journey to the West
Magnet Releasing | Release Date: March 7, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Portland OregonianMarc MohanMar 6, 2014
Chow's specialty is over-the-top slapstick action in the Hong Kong style, and the new film doesn't disappoint on either count. Read full review
80
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriMar 10, 2014
Chow is at his best when juggling disparate elements – tragedy, slapstick, romance, melancholy, fantasy. Everything is big with him; he seems incapable of underplaying anything. The crazier his movies, the better. And Journey to the West might be the craziest thing he’s done yet. You may wonder, afterwards, if you dreamt it all. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenMar 6, 2014
The spectacular combination of slapstick, love story and superhero antics doesn't entirely avoid awkwardness, but mostly it defies gravity, like many of the stunts. Read full review
75
New York PostLou LumenickMar 6, 2014
A huge hit in China — where it was released in 3-D IMAX — the handsomely filmed Journey To the West deserves better than the token 2-D theatrical release it’s getting in the United States to support its simultaneous arrival on video-on-demand. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyMar 5, 2014
Showcases Chow at his weirdest and most entertaining. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaFeb 28, 2014
Stephen Chow's distinctive vision is evident in the seemingly boundless imagination of his scenarios, and in the film's sincere spiritual concerns and generosity toward misfits and outsiders. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterElizabeth KerrMar 6, 2014
Journey to the West may not rank among Chow’s classics, but it’s a crowd-pleaser that also serves as a reminder of what the director can accomplish when he’s on his game. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldMar 6, 2014
Mr. Chow has perhaps achieved more sustained and elaborate adventures, but he hits a sweet spot of comedy that never grows too self-aware or forgets the value of a good, clean demon whomping. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireMar 7, 2014
By turns daffy and dazzling, awkward and artful, Journey to the West takes an ancient tale and gives it contemporary flair. Read full review
60
VarietyRichard KuipersMar 6, 2014
[A] mostly entertaining action-fantasy-comedy. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanMar 6, 2014
Chow’s movies are always as sweet as they are silly, a combination he once again balances — alongside cool effects — with typically deft irreverence. Read full review
60
The DissolveMike D'AngeloMar 4, 2014
Chow’s go-for-broke sensibility has been sorely missed, and a tale of demons is the ideal context for the gravity-defying, logic-impaired stunts he favors. Read full review
50
Village VoiceNick SchagerMar 4, 2014
The camera swoops and whooshes about but never generates any compelling energy — Chow's film proves endlessly manic but devoid of much mirth. Read full review
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