Here’s an informative review of The Monkey King 3 (2018), the third installment in the Chinese fantasy action series directed by Cheang Pou-soi and starring Aaron Kwok as Sun Wukong. The Monkey King 3 departs notably from its predecessors. While the first two films focused on Sun Wukong’s rebellion against Heaven and early stages of the Journey to the West, this entry adapts a lesser-known episode: the Kingdom of Women . In the classic novel, this is a poignant, comedic, and slightly tragic detour where Tang Sanzang (the monk) is tempted by romantic love for the first time.
: ★★★☆☆ (3/5) "A beautifully flawed detour that sacrifices spectacle for sincerity—and almost pulls it off." The Monkey King 3
The film shifts tone from grand celestial battles to a more introspective, relationship-driven conflict, though it still packs in plenty of fantasy action. Tang Sanzang (Feng Shaofeng), Sun Wukong (Aaron Kwok), Pigsy (Him Law), and Sandy (Lin Peng) accidentally enter the all-female Kingdom of Women. There, men are either killed or kept as curiosities. The Queen (Zhao Liying) falls in love with Sanzang at first sight, offering him the throne and her hand in marriage—his greatest spiritual test yet. Here’s an informative review of The Monkey King
