Film Name: 金箍棒传奇2：沙僧的逆袭 / The Grow 2
In a sense, this film’s interpretation of the Journey to the West text is not mere dramatization but a valid reading. The opening depiction of the Eastern Jade Emperor and the Western Buddha standing on equal footing sets the overarching political backdrop of the novel. The assessment that Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing are undercover agents sent by the Jade Emperor and Sakyamuni Buddha respectively to infiltrate the pilgrimage party is not entirely baseless. Zhu Bajie is clearly the one constantly clamoring to split the group, harboring ulterior motives to break up the journey. Sha Wujing, on the other hand, is essentially a bystander—merely going through the motions to reap the rewards promised by Sakyamuni Buddha, which is the most cost-effective approach for him.
If The Monkey King showcased the brilliance of the original Journey to the West text—such as reflecting the bureaucratic intrigues of Heaven through Sun Wukong’s character—then The Grow offers a fresh reinterpretation of the classic under a plausible hypothetical framework. It particularly provides a novel analysis of the psychological traits of characters often overlooked in traditional readings. In fact, as early as A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella, we glimpsed the inevitable psychological traits of characters embarking on this decades-long odyssey through the portrayal of a long-winded Tang Sanzang and Stephen Chow’s Monkey King.
This psychological exploration has previously appeared in bestsellers discussing Tang Sanzang’s team management skills, the philosophy of team building, and more. It has also been applied in lectures across marketing, success studies, psychology, management, and operations research. This psychological depth is prominently showcased in The Grow 2, adding fresh intrigue to a text we thought we knew well.
The film’s brilliance lies not in the grandeur of its final monster-slaying battle or the ingenuity of sealing the Four Divine Beasts, but precisely in questions like: Is Tang Sanzang inherently a bit of a jerk (he succinctly summarizes demons’ attitudes toward him: “either eat him or marry him”)? whether Sun Wukong, despite his immense power, ever feels weary or helpless, whether Zhu Bajie truly feels a sense of responsibility toward this team, and how Sha Wujing, seemingly coarse yet meticulous, observes and records the mundane details of everyone’s lives. We are accustomed to seeing the Journey to the West team working together to defeat monsters, yet we forget that this is actually a team composed of five individuals with vastly different temperaments and dispositions. The stories unfolding within the team are far more compelling than those outside it.
Sandy is the focal character of this drama, shrouded in mystery and keeping a diary. It is precisely this diary, chronicling the group’s daily life, that ultimately allows each pilgrim to feel the bonds of friendship, enabling them to obtain the “true scriptures” beyond the Buddhist texts. And it is precisely this diary, representing the extraordinary observational skills of its keeper, that ensures Sha Wujing’s victory in the chaotic guessing game, achieved through his meticulous scrutiny of his opponents.
It’s truly delightful to witness such grounded psychological exploration, especially when it reveals the unknown and new possibilities within the familiar—an experience akin to discovering an oasis in the desert. For our education often confines our thinking within rigid frameworks and patterns, rendering our minds as barren as a lifeless desert. What’s especially delightful is that these explorations in The Grow 2 aren’t mere parody but build upon plausible foundations. Thus, whether it’s the PM2.5 reference or the bullet-hell-style visuals, none feel like forced comedy for comedy’s sake. Instead, they serve as excellent accompaniments to the film’s psychological depth.
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