No, this isn't another version of the Rasputin story, but instead a crazed and madcap comedy from Hong Kong. It stars popular comic actor Stephen Chow as a celestial entity who comes down to Earth to inhabit the body of a crazy monk and whose job is to change the lives of three people: a prostitute, a beggar, and a murderer. The film was directed by Johnnie To, long before he became known for his gritty gangster movies.
And what a wearying movie this is! How much you enjoy it depends on how much you like Chinese comedy. It's one of the fastest-paced and crazy Chinese comedies I've watched, with a pace that never flags and more incident than a dozen similar Hollywood productions. The early scenes set in Heaven in which all of the gods and deities (including a cameoing Anita Mui) argue and debate is truly imaginative stuff and the imagination keeps flowing once the action moves to Earth.
Chow gives an exaggerated performance as the lead and he's matched by the supporting cast. Maggie Cheung has never looked lovelier as the put-upon prostitute while Anthony Wong is clearly having a ball as the boil-covered beggar. At times THE MAD MONK is hard to watch purely because it's so noisy and incident-filled that it becomes a bit headache-inducing. A lot of the gags are low brow but there's also wit and inventiveness here. There's nothing quite like it. I particularly enjoyed the gruesome and downbeat stuff that takes place towards the end and the kaiju homage. You'll probably want to sleep for 24 hours after you finish it.
And what a wearying movie this is! How much you enjoy it depends on how much you like Chinese comedy. It's one of the fastest-paced and crazy Chinese comedies I've watched, with a pace that never flags and more incident than a dozen similar Hollywood productions. The early scenes set in Heaven in which all of the gods and deities (including a cameoing Anita Mui) argue and debate is truly imaginative stuff and the imagination keeps flowing once the action moves to Earth.
Chow gives an exaggerated performance as the lead and he's matched by the supporting cast. Maggie Cheung has never looked lovelier as the put-upon prostitute while Anthony Wong is clearly having a ball as the boil-covered beggar. At times THE MAD MONK is hard to watch purely because it's so noisy and incident-filled that it becomes a bit headache-inducing. A lot of the gags are low brow but there's also wit and inventiveness here. There's nothing quite like it. I particularly enjoyed the gruesome and downbeat stuff that takes place towards the end and the kaiju homage. You'll probably want to sleep for 24 hours after you finish it.
