If you’re watching A Chinese Odyssey 2: Cinderella for heart-wrenching romance, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. (To say the least)
A Chinese Odyssey Part 2: Cinderella (西遊記大結局之仙履奇緣) Synopsis
After the events of Part 1, Joker returns to the past and encounters Zixia, the human form of Buddha’s oil lamp wick. The latter had illegally left heaven to seek out her true love in the mortal world. So as to retrieve the all-important Pandora’s Box, Joker then forces himself to humour Zixia, in the process discovering the bittersweet turmoil of mortal romance.
Snappy Review
This is going to be a short one, because:
- While it has always been presented as a separate movie, A Chinese Odyssey 2: Cinderella is a direct continuation of the first movie. In fact, given their lengths, both could be watched back-to-back as one 3-hour saga. (Don’t do that, trust me)
- The goofiness from Part One is scaled down, although there’s still too much toilet humour. Suffusing the whole movie is also an incoherence that truly does justice to the Hong Kong term mou lei tou (literally translated as no head/clue).
Yeah, the story truly makes little sense from start-to-end, much of this no-thanks to the poorly executed time-traveling spin. The spin created so many absurd loose ends, the script opted to just abandon everything mid-movie with one timeline wipe.
There’s also the maudlin, unconvincing romance, or romances, or … whatever. Now, the English title has always been Cinderella. However, the original Cantonese name actually translates to something to the likes of, the “magical romance of the heavenly couple.” So as to befit this title, the script forces in some semblance of a heart-wrenching romance between Joker and Zixia in the second half.
But here’s the thing. The two are barely seen romancing each other. Whatever is shown hardly delivers any sensation of poignant, star-struck love too.
It’s all so messy! With disappointingly few magical fights too, for a part two. To think I waited 25 years before watching this, in the belief that I might find it more bearable. Argg!
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