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Netflix’s The Monkey King Brings a Fable to Life

by Kevyn Gohu
August 10, 2023

Netflix brings to life an ancient Chinese legend and fable of The Monkey King as a lesson for kids about being overconfident.

Hubris, overconfidence, ego, and the many other synonyms for arrogance have always been a hero’s downfall in every fairytale and myth we’ve read to our kids. And unlike most myths, however, The Monkey King is a legend that doesn’t have an immediate happy ending. In Netflix’s The Monkey King, the tale of the powerful yet overconfident Sun Wukong (otherwise known as the titular character) embarks on a journey that eventually reveals the kind of chaos his ego has brought.

Netflix's The Monkey King Brings a Fable to Life

A Kid’s Movie Carrying A Deeper Philosophy

Most mythologies reflect a core value from the philosophy they were derived from. As a Chinese story, The Monkey King reflects Buddhist philosophies. It includes one’s desire to break out of the cycle of life and death by obtaining enlightenment. In the Netflix movie, the Monkey King does so by doing things that are symbolic of real-life circumstances. Some include his slaying of 100 demons, which supposedly leads to his enlightenment. Then, his venturing to Hell to change his fate, and eventually, the pursuit of the Elixir of Life.

As we grow with our kids, we too, have to face the many “demons” that haunt our past and threaten our present. We scour through books to change our fate as parents. Because we want to try our best to not repeat the mistakes we feel our parents made with us. We also try to be healthy so we can spend more time with our kids. But it’s when we become too absorbed in our pursuits that we sometimes forget what’s most important, which is what Netflix’s The Monkey King hopes to teach our kids.

Learn from history to create a better future!

We can find lessons anywhere and everywhere, even in old tales like The Monkey King. Through Netflix’s reinterpretation, our kids won’t bore themselves over the novel. It might even encourage them to look at more fables and stories. Sun Wukong had many adventures. Each of them taught a valuable lesson to slowly build into the state of enlightenment and wisdom that many seek. Who knows? Maybe this might be the eye-opener kids need to watch to learn how to be more considerate of others when they see the consequences of the Monkey King’s actions on screen.

Watch The Monkey King on Netflix this coming August 18! And if you want to see the trailer, click here!