Those of us of a certain age will remember enjoying the cheesy, campy, classic TV show from our childhoods. This is not a re-tread of that. Neither is it a faithful adaptation of the original source material.
What it is, is a fun adventure with some decent action and a similar tongue-in-cheek humour to 'Xena' and 'Hercules', so can we get Bruce Campbell in the next season please? Clearly, the plan is to make more, as the gang retrieve the remaining scrolls and face new foes, with the occasional recurring character too.
In the older TV series, Tripitaka was a man, albeit played by a woman. This series seems to have picked that ball up and run with it, making the new Tripitaka a woman, playing a woman masquerading as a man. Another affectionate nod is the brief appearance of the old show's theme tune.
As for the main protagonists, Tripitaka's is a strong performance, Pigsy is very likeable, Sandy is an endearing space-cadet, but the Monkey King himself lacks that impulsive wildness that I'd expect of the character. I don't dislike him, but he doesn't have the anarchic quality I'd like.
I have recently revisited a few episodes of the old show, and it really does show its age, especially when it comes to pacing and fight sequences. I still love it, but am also happy to see a modern take on the legend.
The way the main villain of this series was dealt with was a little too simple. I'd have preferred something a bit more inventive, without using the McGuffin from earlier on.
I hope this gets the green light for more seasons.
What it is, is a fun adventure with some decent action and a similar tongue-in-cheek humour to 'Xena' and 'Hercules', so can we get Bruce Campbell in the next season please? Clearly, the plan is to make more, as the gang retrieve the remaining scrolls and face new foes, with the occasional recurring character too.
In the older TV series, Tripitaka was a man, albeit played by a woman. This series seems to have picked that ball up and run with it, making the new Tripitaka a woman, playing a woman masquerading as a man. Another affectionate nod is the brief appearance of the old show's theme tune.
As for the main protagonists, Tripitaka's is a strong performance, Pigsy is very likeable, Sandy is an endearing space-cadet, but the Monkey King himself lacks that impulsive wildness that I'd expect of the character. I don't dislike him, but he doesn't have the anarchic quality I'd like.
I have recently revisited a few episodes of the old show, and it really does show its age, especially when it comes to pacing and fight sequences. I still love it, but am also happy to see a modern take on the legend.
The way the main villain of this series was dealt with was a little too simple. I'd have preferred something a bit more inventive, without using the McGuffin from earlier on.
I hope this gets the green light for more seasons.