#Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back

[frozenladybug]

It's employment assessment week a.k.a 4 men try their best to please their boss // illegally bound style : )

[jttw-monkeybusiness]

The upgrade did hit like a train wreck, huh? Had to do this meme when I saw it.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017) 西游伏妖篇

Director: Tsui Hark Screenwriter: Stephen Chow / Li Sizhen / Tsu Hark Starring: Wu Yifan / Lin Gengxin / Yao Chen / Lin Yun / Bao Beier / Battle / Yang Yiwei / Dapeng / Wang Likun / Wang Duo / Zhang Mei'e Genre: Comedy / Action / Fantasy / Costume Country/Region of Production: Mainland China / Hong Kong, China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2017-01-28 (Mainland China) Duration: 108 minutes Also known as: Journey to the West: Demon Chapter 2 / Journey to the West: Demon Chapter / 伏妖篇 / 西游降魔篇2 / 西游·降魔篇2 / 西游·降魔2 IMDb: tt5273624 Type: Reimanging

Summary:

The monk Tang Sanzang finds himself as a giant in a city in India. His master congratulates him on reaching India and retrieving the Sutras, and gives him a halo as a reward. The halo, however, malfunctions and Tang awakes from his dream to find himself in an alley in a village of circus performers with his three disciples: Sun Wukong; Zhu Bajie; and Sha Wujing. Tang encourages Sun Wukong to perform for the villagers, but the disciple refuses. Angered by this stubbornness, Tang provokes Sun Wukong by calling him a "bad monkey", which causes Sun Wukong to smash the village and damage the villagers' homes in his temper. The terrified villagers present the group with money and food for their travels, but Sun Wukong continues wreaking havoc, sending Zhu Bajie and Tang flying through the air. That night, Tang whips Sun Wukong for his disobedience.

The next morning, Tang goes to find water for their breakfast congee and comes across a house. Its host, a beautiful woman in a splendid outfit, welcomes them all in for breakfast with her companions. Sun Wukong, however, sees through their disguises as spider demons; he purposely provokes them until she and the others show their true form. During the subsequent battle, the demons come together to form one huge spider. After being poisoned by the spider, Sha Wujing falls ill and slowly bloats into a fish-like creature. Sun Wukong defeats the spider and Tang attempts to exorcise her, but Sun Wukong smashes in the demon's head with one blow. Once more, Tang is annoyed at Sun Wukong's disobedience and whips him again that evening. Later that night, the enraged Sun Wukong discusses with the other disciples his plans to kill Tang, but the others fear Tang's mighty Buddha Palm powers. Tang overhears this conversation and prays to Buddha to help him and also confesses that he actually does not know, or have, Buddha Palm powers. Zhu Bajie overhears this admission and tells Sun Wukong, who challenges Tang to a fight. Just as Sun Wukong is about to strike, a blinding ray of light shines from the heavens and he retreats.

The next day, the group pass into the capital city of the Biqiu Kingdom and a minister comes out to greet them and bring them to see the king: an immature and childlike man who likes to play games. The king orders Tang to perform for him but the monk does not have anything to showcase. Sun Wukong therefore pastes an "obedience sticker" on Tang allowing Tang to copy his actions and perform stunts for the king. Sun Wukong, however, goes too far and makes Tang slap the king continuously, who throws them all out. Tang orders Sun Wukong to return and apologize, but it is revealed that Sun Wukong purposely provoked the king to make him reveal his form as the demon Red Boy. They fight and Sun Wukong defeats Red Boy, also freeing the true king of Biqiu from his cage under the throne. As a reward for helping him, the king presents them with a beautiful girl, Felicity, to accompany them on their travels. As Felicity dances for them, Tang is reminded of his deceased lover, Duan.

The group set off and on the way, Sun Wukong realizes that Felicity is actually a demon. In the meantime, Felicity takes out the nose plugs on Sha Wujing, allowing him to sneeze out the poison and turn him back into his human form. Tang, however, does not believe him, so they set off to visit Felicity's home village. Sun Wukong becomes enraged with Tang's lack of trust in him and that night he destroys the whole village, killing everyone. Tang stops him from killing Felicity, further angering Sun Wukong, who attacks Tang, but Felicity finally confesses that she is actually the demon White Bone Spirit and that the whole village was an illusion conjured by her. Sun Wukong flares up and turns into a giant Monkey King demon and swallows Tang. At that moment, the minister and Red Boy arrive and see Sun Wukong has fallen for their trick.

They had deliberately sent Felicity with the group to cause strife between Tang and Sun Wukong, so Sun Wukong would kill his master. Sun Wukong spits Tang out, however, as they had known this all the while; they only played along so that the minister would reveal her true form. They battle and the minister creates an illusion of Buddhas surrounding Sun Wukong, using them to fight him. The real Buddha, however, uses his giant palm to destroy the false Buddhas and reveals the minister's real identity as the Immortal Golden Vulture.

After the battle, Tang heads back to find a dying Felicity. He has no choice but to free her soul as there is too much demon in her. Before she dies, Felicity asks Tang if he loves her. Tang replies that he has only one person in his heart. The animosity between Tang and Sun Wukong has finally dissolved; together with Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie, they continue their journey to the West through a desert.

In a post-credits scene, breaking of the fourth wall is invoked with the appearance of a modern movie theater, where theater employees tell both the viewer and the in-story audience that it’s time to leave and there is no post-credits scene

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West:_The_Demons_Strike_Back

Link: https://ww5.0123movie.net/movie/journey-to-the-west-the-demons-strike-back-19438.html?play=1

[alcorian-cycle]

the thing about journey to the west: the demons strike back is that if you dont go in prepared for the tang seng striptease segment, it will absolutely knock you upside the head

[digitalagepulao]

Spring starts from fragrant peach and plum blossom

my entry for the JTTW discord Wukongverse event! featuring my fav Wukongs in media so far: 1996 Xiyouji, Nezha Reborn, Hero is Back, Demons Strike Back, and of course my own boy!

nothing gives me fuzzy happy feelings like a group of friends watching the evening roll in, talking about everything and nothing at all over some food and maybe drinks. reminds me of childhood family gatherings and lazy afternoons at the college's designated bar. i wanted to capture that somehow with the old Suns enjoying some homely hotpot.

as a treat to the community, have a [link] for the fullsized file as well as a 1920x1080 :DD

[margueritedaisies]

Demons Strikes Back art in the year of our lord 2024

Tried redrawing screencaps from Go (2001) into the pilgrims. Designs based on that 17jttw modern AU. Probably has a lot of mistakes because I was too excited to finish these

[tp2-byes]

Yesterday I watched the movie again

[monkeykingdomblog2]

Demon strike back Wukong (I barely see any of him) biting readers neck?

Sorry if it's hard to tell that it's him! I just thought this angle would be really hot!

[sneakydraws]

hey you guys know that new animated monkey king movie on netflix? i wonder who the executive producer is

[frozenladybug]

A scene I sketched out during a 3 hour bus ride- this scenario was actually conceptualised way back when illegally bound was created!

The sappiness is off the charts!!! Wukong shows love in his own way…

[p3ach-bun]

Spicynoodles- is anyone surprised? Threw a wukong in there to make up for it lmao

[jttwconfessions]

I'm not over Wukong's glow up between Conquering the Demons and The Demons Strike Back. They went from a hideous little goblin to a human disguised monkey monster who sparks someone's sexual awakening.

[antidotefortheawkward-art]

Thinking about that Zhihu AU where Tang Seng's disciples were Erlang Shen, Sun Wukong, and Bull Demon King instead.....

[ID: 1. An illustration of Erlang Shen, Sun Wukong, and Bull Demon King from the waist-up. Erlang Shen is wearing a weimao and a purple yuanlingpao archer-style with the left lapel flipped out. His two inner robe layers are checkered blue and purple-ish off-white. He has a snow leopard pelt at his waist. Sun Wukong is in his typical pilgrimage outfit, chewing on a piece of willow with his arms crossed. Bull Demon King has his arm around SWK's shoulder, leaning against him. He has a leopard pelt across his chest and a dark red scarf around his shoulders, with a red banbi and off-white inner robe. His other hand is on his mixed-iron rod, which is placed on his shoulder. 2. A translated screenshot from the aforementioned Zhihu thread. It reads "西天路走的太顺利畅，我反而无聊 This path to the Western Heaven is too smooth. I'm actually bored." End ID]

[quitealotofsodapop]

((Wukongverse))

Pigsy: -points- he's monkey king! (Hero is back) he's monkey king! (Monkey King reborn) he's monkey king! (New gods) he's monkey king! (Netflix) he's monkey king! (Lego) I'm monkey king! Are there any other monkey kings I should know about!?

Monkey king(chow movies): -growls- you're scaring Shihou -holds said babu-

Pigsy: -shrinks back- sorry...

LMKWukong: -mumbles to New Gods- I can never read that guy...

((Demons strike back is scary and angry))

I have looked up Demons Strike Back and good gravy Wukong in that is terrifying.

I can imagine all the monkeys being confused by LMK Pigsy cus... a version of Zhu Bajie who's hardworking? A great cook? A father figure? Not a coward?!

LMK!Pigsy: "Who wants noodles?" Meihouwang!Shihou: "I do I do!!" Reborn!SWK: "No child don't! If I know Zhu Bajie, he's put bugs in it." HeroIsBack!SWK: "That just sounds like more protein to me. My pig can barely boil water." LMK!Pigsy: "For the last time... I'M NOT ZHU BAJIE!!" Tang, showing Liuer and Lin his kid-friendly copy of JttW: "Just roll with it piggy. A surprising amount of Tang's I've met are girls."

Meanwhile, LMK Sandy just shows up being his regular sweet self and all the monkeys just nod in agreement.

[digitalagepulao]

they are everything to me <3

source: Journey to the West: Demons Strike Back (2017)

bonus:

[margueritedaisies]

How Zhuhou met in a nutshell

Gao Cuilan design based on Dicky Cheung's version