Best movies like The Monkey King
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Sun Wukong, (The Monkey King) is a monkey born from a heavenly stone who acquires supernatural powers. After rebelling against heaven and being imprisoned under a mountain for 500 years, he later accompanies the monk Xuanzang on a journey to India. Thus, according to legend, Buddhism is brought to ancient China. This much beloved story, is as much a part of Asian culture as The Iliad and The Odyssey or The Wizard of Oz are to the West. This first installment in a trilogy of live action 3-D movies is actually a prequel to The Journey To The West, the much told story of the Monkey King's adventures on the road to India.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: exciting, stylized, semi serious, manga, epic, awful
Best tv shows and movies like The Monkey King (2014):
Similar in 80%
A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990)
Plot Summary:
Several years after his beloved Nieh has gone, Ning is innocently put into jail. Luckily, he meets a scholar, Elder Chu Kot, in the prison who finally helps him escape. Ning then meets a young witty monk Autumn. They become friends and live in an abandoned villa together. The villa is horrific, yet they choose to stay for a while. Later that night, some ghosts suddenly appear and attack; two parties fight heavily. But after clarifications, Ning and Autumn find that "the ghosts" are humans in disguise, who intend to save their leader from imprisonment but not hurting innocence. Among them, Ning finds someone who looks identical to Nieh, and considers she is the reincarnated Nieh. A real giant zombie has seen all these in behind and is ready to ambush.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: exciting, atmospheric, stylized, inspirational, serious, scary, tense, parody, thought provoking, breathtaking
Similar in 84%
Iceman (2014)
Plot Summary:
In the Ming Dynasty, there lives four orphans, Ying, Sao, Yuanlong and Niehu. Raised in Taoyuan Village, the four are as closed as brothers. Their exceptional martial arts skills allows them to reach the highest rank within the imperial guards. After the four successfully killed the Japanese troop leader, the Emperor orders Ying to escort the Golden Wheel of Time from Sindu (now India) back to the capital, which is said to have the power of time travel and foresee into the future. Now in 2013, Squire Tang, funded by a mysterious financer, digs up three ancient icemen from the outskirt of China; they are Ying, Sao and Niehu. As he is transferring the icemen to Hong Kong for further studies, the vehicle involves in a traffic accident which, unexpectedly, defrosts Ying.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Comedy, History, Sci-Fi
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: exciting, suspenseful, semi serious
Similar in 89%
The Bride with White Hair (1993)
Plot Summary:
The sensitive swordsman Cho Yi-Hang is tired of his life. He is the unwilling successor to the Wu-Tang clan throne and the unsure commander of the clan's forces in a war against foreign tribes and an evil cult. One day, he meets the beautiful Lien, a killer for the evil cult who is equally unsatisfied with her situation, but their love angers both the Wu-Tang clan and the evil cult.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Fantasy, Romance, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, suspenseful, surreal, scary, exciting, serious, stylized, epic, splatter
Similar in 82%
The Great Sage Sun Wukong (2019)
Plot Summary:
Because of the drought around the world, Mountain Huaguo with a water source is harassed by powerful monsters around. To investigate the cause of the drought and also obtain a suitable weapon to fight the powerful monsters, Sun Wukong and his good friend Chikaoma Monkey participate in the Treasure Competition in the East Sea, but they get involved in an intrigue. With the Little Dragon Princess' help, Sun Wukong defeats the evil dragon Aoluan that wants to destroy the human world, gets the Ruyijingu Cudgel, and saves the human world.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 75
Genere: Action, Fantasy
Country: China
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: captivating, entertaining
Similar in 76%
The Restless (2006)
Plot Summary:
After his beloved fiancée is killed by demons, Yi Gwak (Woo-sung Jung) joins the royal demon-hunting squad and distinguishes himself as a great hero. And though Yi eventually falls in battle, his adventures are just beginning. His spirit is whisked away to Joong-cheon, a place between heaven and earth where souls await reincarnation -- and where the final, epic clash between the forces of good and evil will be played out.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: South Korea
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, stylized, epic, bleak, serious
Similar in 82%
The Monkey King: The Legend Begins (2022)
Plot Summary:
The Monkey King: The Legend Begins is the re-imagined version by Hollywood of the film The Monkey King: Havoc in Heavens Palace, the origin and birthplace of The Monkey King Story.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 248
Genere: Adventure, Fantasy
Country: China, USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, captivating, entertaining, disturbing
Similar in 90%
The Monkey King 3 (2018)
Plot Summary:
The third installment of the blockbuster fantasy series sees the return of the Monkey King (Aaron Kwok) in his most action-packed adventure yet! While continuing their epic journey to the West, the Monkey King and his companions are taken captive by the Queen of an all-female land, who believes them to be part of an ancient prophecy heralding the fall of her kingdom. With a lot of sorcery and a little bit of charm, the travelers devise a plan to escape. But when their trickery angers the mighty River God, they realize they might just bring about the foretold destruction - unless they can find a way to quell her wrath.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, suspense, exciting, surprise ending, humorous
Similar in 89%
The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011)
Plot Summary:
The Sorcerer and the White Snake is an ancient Chinese fable about a woman demon who falls in love with a mortal is brought to life through the latest advances in CGI and action techniques.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Action, Fantasy, Romance
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: serious, stylized, exciting, romantic, epic, psychotronic
Similar in 78%
The Wrath of Vajra (2013)
Plot Summary:
In the 1930s , a Japanese cult called The Temple of Hades was ordered to cooperate with the Japanese military to destroy China. They buy so many young children from poor family , who will be trained as a lethal killing machine and serve the Empire of Japan. One of them is Vajra , who was forced by his captors to fight for the food , and accidentally causing the death of his brother. Several years later , Vajra grown up and become one of the biggest killer in the Hades sect. Vajra escapes to China and joins Shaolin , where he receives spiritual enlightenment and determined to support China against Japan.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Fantasy
Country: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: exciting, stylized, serious, suspenseful, scenic
Similar in 87%
Swordsman II (1992)
Plot Summary:
Jet Li plays Ling, a student from the Blue Mountain school of martial arts, who, along with fellow students and Kiddo, find themselves embroiled in a country-wide political/clan war with the Highlander clan in the forefront of the battle.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Fantasy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: surreal, cult classic, exciting, serious, captivating, suspenseful, stylized, cult film
Similar in 83%
The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom (2014)
Plot Summary:
In the twilight of the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial court is plagued by corruption as tyrants rule over the land. With the Manchurians preying on a weakened empire, war is imminent. To save the victims from their suffering, sorceress Jade Raksha fights the soldiers that oppress people for their own gain. As payback, local government officials decide to pin the murder of Governor Zhuo Zhonglian on Jade, turning her and the members of her cult into wanted fugitives for a crime they didn't commit.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Fantasy
Country: China
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, serious, stylized, tense, disturbing, touching, surprise ending
Similar in 76%
Zhongkui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal (2015)
Plot Summary:
The story of Chinese legendary anti-hero Zhong Kui, a young man endowed with mysterious powers who is forced into a battle among the realms of Heaven, Earth and Hell in the course of his attempt to save his countrymen and the woman he loves.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Fantasy, Romance
Country: China, Hong Kong, USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, stylized, tense, entertaining, romantic, scenic, touching, epic, serious
Similar in 88%
The Storm Warriors (2009)
Plot Summary:
Wind and Cloud find themselves up against a ruthless Japanese warlord intent on invading China.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, stylized, visually stunning, action adventure, epic
Similar in 77%
Burning Paradise (1994)
Plot Summary:
An exotic, legendary battle between the forces of good and evil comes to life as the celebrated disciples of the Shaolin Temple -- monks who practice a lethal and spiritual form of martial arts -- fight the evil followers of China's Manchu rulers.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 885
Genere: Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, epic, serious, stylized
Similar in 82%
A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991)
Plot Summary:
Having slept for a century, the monstrous Tree Devil is now awaken and starts finding lost souls again. One stormy night, a wise High Priest and his student Fong pass by the Orchid Temple and realize that it is haunted. Fong encounters two evil spirits, the seductive Lotus and her hated sister Butterfly in the temple. Although Fong knows his master wants to capture them, he finds himself being attracted by them so he sets them free. The monks stay at the temple has to be prolonged since Fong carelessly loses the valuable Gold Buddha. Later on, they come to a corrupt local town, while the High Priest meets Yin by chance and a series of misunderstandings evolve. Meanwhile, Fong encounters Lotus again and finds himself falling in love with her.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, atmospheric, stylized, semi serious, cult film
Similar in 86%
Red Reaper (2013)
Plot Summary:
For a thousand years, the Reapers guarded mankind from the demons that wait in the dark. Now, at the beginning of a new age, the Reapers are betrayed and slaughtered. Only one Reaper remains - Red, and she's out to exact revenge.
IMDB Rating: 2.2
IMDB Votes: 642
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Canada, USA, Germany
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, suspenseful, captivating, slasher, dark fantasy
Similar in 82%
Tai Chi Hero (2012)
Plot Summary:
Chinese steampunk martial arts blockbuster about the early years of Tai chi master Yang Luchan, the man who founded in the 19th century what has now become the most popular Tai Chi style in the world. The second instalment of the "Tai Chi" trilogy continues the journey of Yang Luchan, a gifted child with a fleshy growth on his forehead who helped save a village from a frightening army of steampunk soldiers bearing strange machines with the knowledge of Tai Chi that they entrusted him with.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: China
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: exciting, stylized, serious, tense, offbeat
Similar in 80%
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011)
Plot Summary:
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate picks up three years after the infamous Dragon Inn was burnt down in the desert when its innkeeper Jade vanished. A new gang of marauders had taken over - innkeepers by day and treasure hunters by night. The inn is the rumoured location of a lost city buried under the desert, and its hidden treasure would only be revealed by a gigantic storm every 60 years. The gang used the inn as a front to locate the lost treasure.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Action, Adventure
Country: China
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: exciting, stylized, captivating, tense, suspense, epic, serious, fast
Similar in 76%
A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1995)
Plot Summary:
This sequel to "Pandora's Box" continues director Jeffrey Lau's adaptation of the Buddhism saga "Journey to the West". Stranded five centuries in the past, Joker Monkey King must battle a variety of monsters, seductive women and super-powered villains to save the dying Pak Jing-Jing.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: dorama, exciting, offbeat, epic, serious, stylized, semi serious, spoof, parody, campy
Similar in 78%
Woochi: The Demon Slayer (2009)
Plot Summary:
Spanning four centuries in Korea, this epic action-adventure concerns a powerful pipe and a trio of wizards who will do anything to protect it.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, History
Country: South Korea
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: epic, exciting, humorous, stylized, semi serious, offbeat
Similar in 76%
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013)
Plot Summary:
In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Xuan Zang risks his all to conquer a water demon, a pig demon and the demon of all demons, Sun Wukong.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: humorous, stylized, talky, exciting, semi serious, dorama, mysterious, action adventure, crying, fairy tale
Similar in 80%
The Lost Bladesman (2011)
Plot Summary:
During the warring period of the three kingdoms, ancient China is in turmoil. To unify the country, general Cao Cao (Jiang Wen), the real power behind the Emperor, enlists the aid of the greatest warrior in the land, Guan Yu (Donnie Yen). However, Guan Yu is a loyal friend of Cao Cao's enemy Liu Bei (Alex Fong) so to persuade the peerless warrior to fight, Cao Cao takes his beloved Qi Lan (Sun Li) hostage. After leading Cao Cao's forces to victory Guan Yu sets out with Qi Lan to rejoin Liu Bei. But now Cao Cao has deemed him too great a threat to live, and on the journey he must face all the forces at the Emperor's command sent to destroy him.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, History
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: exciting, emotional, stylized, action packed, serious, realistic, epic
Similar in 80%
Ne Zha (2019)
Plot Summary:
The Primus extracts a Mixed Yuan Bead into a Spirit Seed and a Demon Pill. The Spirit Seed can be reincarnated as a human to help King Zhou establish a new dynasty, whereas the Demon Pill will create a devil threatening humanity. Ne Zha is the one who is destined to be the hero, but instead he becomes a devil incarnate, because the Spirit Seed and a Demon Pill are switched.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Thriller
Country: China
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, anime, tense, light, 3d animation
Similar in 78%
Seven Swords (2005)
Plot Summary:
Seven warriors come together to protect a village from a diabolical General.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Australia, Netherlands
Duration: 153 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, heroic, scenic, cult classic, surprise ending, epic
Similar in 83%
The Monkey King 2 (2016)
Plot Summary:
Taking place 500 years after the Havoc in Heaven, the Tang Priest is appointed by Buddha to go to the West to fetch the sacred scriptures, only to accidentally free the Monkey King. With Lady White (Gong Li) aiming to break up the team assembled to defeat her, the Monkey King must fight in order to save his world!.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, captivating, suspense, entertaining, stylized, awful
Similar in 77%
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016)
Plot Summary:
A story of lost love, young love, a legendary sword and one last opportunity at redemption.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: China, USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: stylized, light, exciting, atmospheric, serious, captivating, emotional, cult classic, saga, scenic
Similar in 87%
Forbidden Warrior (2005)
Plot Summary:
The Gaia Za is a sacred tome that holds many ancient and powerful spells to be unlocked by a so-called Chosen One expected to be born to one of two leading families: the Khans or the Marajis. Unwilling to leave the clan's fate to the gods, Che Khan decides to take matters into his own hands by plotting the murder of a new Maraji baby, who may be the child in question. In doing so, he sets off a furious clash.
IMDB Rating: 3.5
IMDB Votes: 663
Genere: Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, tense, suspense, serious
Similar in 81%
Kamui (2009)
Plot Summary:
KAMUI is a Ninja on the run from the world of Ninja bound by rules in search of true freedom. However, he is burdened with the fate, where it is not allowed to take the secret of their powers outside of the tribe -- if you are born as Ninja, you must die as Ninja. This brings him to constantly fight for his life against other Ninjas who trie to kill him and hide the secrets within. He does not trust, and he does not love. Showing weakness leads to immediate death. An incident brings him to an old fisherman's village, where he finally starts to feel trust and affection towards other people. However, his pursuers where just minutes away from setting up a huge trap on Kamui.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, epic, stylized, anime, serious, realistic, fast, action adventure
Similar in 78%
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
Plot Summary:
An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself travelling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 109000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: USA, China, Hong Kong
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: exciting, intense, semi serious, epic, action adventure, stylized, feel good, heroic, dark comedy, fantasy adventure
Similar in 88%
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005)
Plot Summary:
Due to a curse from his former master Profion, Damodar survived his death by Ridley Freeborn as an undead entity in pursuit of an evil artifact for some hundred years, so that he might be capable of unleashing unstoppable destruction on Izmir and the descendants of those who caused his demise.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: Germany, UK, USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, stylized, captivating, mystical, anime, mythical, fantasy adventure, cult classic, psychotronic