Released on April 1, the project Thất Thánh Phúc Ma (considered a new version of Journey to the West) has achieved significant box office success, grossing over 140 million CNY in just three days. The film features Nguyên Bưu and Clara Lee in leading roles, and according to Maoyan, it is expected to reach nearly 1 billion CNY in total revenue.
According to QQ, Thất Thánh Phúc Ma was produced starting in 2020, with an initial investment budget of up to 200 million CNY (approximately 700 million VND). With the aforementioned “modest” revenue, the film team likely did not earn any profit when considering the “sharing” fees with the cinema, especially since the box office earnings are nearly on par with the production costs.
Some scenes from the movie
On Douban, audiences collectively rated the film with one star, deeming it a “terrible imitation” of the classic Journey to the West. In fact, the plot of Thất Thánh Phúc Ma unfolds after Tang Seng successfully reaches the holy city. At that moment, Buddha requests Sun Wukong to find a beloved name that is destroying the heavenly palace. Feeling disturbed by the task, Sun Wukong gathers six other companions to form the Thất Thánh team.
As the Thất Thánh team quickly becomes famous, Sun Wukong is imprisoned along with the six companions to continue the mission. During this time, a beloved name, which is often referred to as “the quirky one,” is tasked with the gathering of six companions to help solve the problem of Sun Wukong and eliminate the beloved name.
The appearance of Sun Wukong in a strong portrayal
Netizens find the film’s content rather dull, even boring, and lacking any connection to Journey to the West. Moreover, the film’s character design is also criticized for making Sun Wukong look unattractive and unappealing.
Additionally, the performances of Nguyên Bưu and Clara Lee in the film received mixed reviews. Nguyên Bưu was promoted as the main male lead but only appeared in a few scenes, playing the role of Ngọc Hoàng.
Nguyên Bưu is the main male lead but has very few appearances, only showing in a few scenes.
Clara Lee continues to portray the “blooming flower” role
Meanwhile, Clara Lee plays the female lead but mainly showcases her “real skin.” However, her role’s dramatic combat scenes seem overly exaggerated and unconvincing. This continues to be a recurring theme in her many years of acting in “blooming flower” roles within the trash film genre in the Chinese market.
