Watching the Great Sage twice reminded me of the last domestic animated cartoon "Lotus Lantern" that brought me a touch. I remember watching "The Lotus Lantern" in elementary school. I bought a golden cardboard box with a poster embedded in the middle of the VCD (probably pirated? Shame). It was also about 80 minutes, and there was no Internet at that time. I don't have a mobile phone, so I swiped back and forth many times because I have nothing to do. When I was young, I didn’t care whether the cartoons were domestic or foreign. At that time, I wanted to cry when I heard the episodes of Coco Li and Zhang Xinzhe. When I grew up, I gradually forgot about it, but when I saw the tears of the great sage falling on the cloth monkey, I was born again. At the same time, this kind of similarities and the same purpose, miraculously awakened the memory of watching "The Lotus Lantern", and at the same time I also remembered the 86 version of the "Journey to the West" TV series I had watched many times. I don't know how to describe this feeling, but It really couldn't be better.
Speaking of the movie itself, Tang Seng (Xiao Jiangliu) is set up as a fanboy this time, a fanboy who adores his idols infinitely. But he had never seen this idol before, and it only existed in the operas passed down by word of mouth and his own overly glorified imagination. By chance, he triggered the trap of mystery and freed the idol from freezing. However, the depressed and restless monkey in front of him was far from the legendary great sage. But Xiao Jiangliu is a pure and kind child, so he has no doubts that the Great Sage is subject to the seal, chooses to trust him unconditionally, even helps him, and wants to recite sutras and chanting Buddha for his mana. This is the innocence of children, the elixir to soften Wukong's rock-like heart, and the pure charm of the character Tang Seng alone. This kind of emotional bond seems to have made a convincing foreshadowing for Wukong to follow Tang Seng to the death, because to be honest, when I was a child watching the 86 version of "Journey to the West", I really didn't like to nag my mother-in-law and it seemed Tang Monk is always not decisive enough, but even so, Sun Wukong never really abandoned his protection. The prequel-like setting of "The Return of the Great Sage" can be regarded as filling the gap in my childhood lack of understanding, so it was easy to accept.
As for the role of the Great Sage, the part I really understand is almost all from the 86 version of the TV series (Chou Xingchi and various other movie versions have not seen much). When I was a child, Liu Xiaoling came to the kindergarten where I was studying. As a flower of the motherland, I also shook hands with "the great sage himself" and got a signed book, so I probably got a little more close to monkeys. In my incomplete memory, it is really simple and rude to trace the reason why I like monkeys. I just think it is reliable. It is the kind of charming trait that usually likes to play tricks, run trains, and gag uninterrupted, but it will definitely be reliable at critical moments. . The monkey is a general who can make you rest assured and rely on it - even if Bajie and Sha Seng occasionally drop the line in the team, it seems that there is no great feeling, but once the monkey is gone, people inside and outside the TV will panic (I am this kind of myself anyway. Feeling) - The monkey symbolizes a sense of security, which comes from its honest and honest heart, the piety of the Tang monk and the ability of the god of war. "With the protection of the Great Sage, there is nothing to be afraid of." Xiao Jiangliu's line in the film sounded very emotional, and it was exactly the same as when I was a child watching "Journey to the West". Why is the film able to impress a large number of people, and many of them put their childhood selves into the position of Xiaojiangliu? This kind of looking up perspective, everyone who has watched "Journey to the West" as a child can feel the same.
So there's nothing more uplifting than waking up your idol, and twice. If Xiao Jiangliu liberated the Great Sage physically the first time, the second time awakened him psychologically. Sun Wukong was born from a stubborn stone, with no worries, extraordinary ability, arrogance and conceit, incompatible with the heaven and the world, as if the whole world is against him. The Tathagata sealed his mana, and the lingering loneliness that he was born with shackled his heart. The little monk's kindness and trust are the key, the human touch, and the sympathy he has never felt before. In the interview with the main creator circulating on Weibo, it was also mentioned that in the original work, Tang Seng made a tiger skin skirt for Sun Wukong, and Sun Wukong was very happy when he got it. Although he has fiery eyes, somersaulting clouds and a golden hoop, being understood and cared for is a particularly precious experience after all. Since then, this character has grown more full, because he gradually has the tenderness and compassion of people, which is the real power. Therefore, the return of the great sage is not only the return of the mana that can make a havoc in the heavenly palace to challenge the gods, it is an upgraded version of the former great sage, and he begins to understand what love and justice are. What triggered all this was a transparent little fan. In my opinion, this seemingly inverted relationship, although not novel, is also the attraction of the film. The return of the great sage fulfilled the childhood dream of the little monk (even if I personally prefer the ending of the little monk dying, it would appear more tragic), and the little monk rescued the loneliness of the great sage who had nowhere to put it. Whether it's a human being or a monster, only when you have a bond can you be stronger.
As an audience, of course I am happy to see the invincible appearance of Sun Wukong. Because of the technical limitations of TV dramas back then, the monkeys in my memory have amazing makeup effects, but they wear yellow clothes all the year round, which is far from gorgeous. But the three-minute transformation in "The Return of the Great Sage" is too poignant. In addition, the previous set of waste wood sets off the flammability of rebirth, lava armor and flame cloak, as well as wire-drawn gold hoop rods. It's so majestic that I could play for a year!
PS When I finished writing this article, I heard that the box office has exceeded 300 million. After all, I like it, so I am quite happy. The topic of dominating the screen is controversial, but the most gratifying thing about the Great Sage phenomenon is that people who work hard can be rewarded. This is the most exciting point.
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