Sabrina Fancy reviews the new Netflix series The New Legends of Monkey and finds it family friendly, highly entertaining and a pleasure to watch.
I am always on the hunt for a new binge-worthy series to watch on Netflix, so when I was invited with my kids to preview the first 4 episodes of The New Legends of Monkey I was delighted.
Based on the television series from the 80’s, lovingly known as Monkey Magic here in the UK, Netflix has rebooted this fantasy series.
Inspired by the 16th Century Chinese fable Journey to the West, the series follows the journey of a young female girl, Tripitaka, and three fallen gods to find some long-lost scrolls of wisdom in order to end the demonic rule of chaos, to restore peace to the world.
Having watched four episodes with my kids, there are only good things I can say about this series. For starters, my kids were totally engrossed with the bonus of being is very family friendly while entertaining for adults as well. The light comedic tone, bumbling villains and the martial arts scenes are captivating, yet never too frightening or violent.
The slapstick humour with the sharp weapons and costumes coupled with the soundtrack adds to the fantasy dimension atmosphere, where one feels transported!
I was particularly impressed by the diverse cast and mix of different actors along with the different accents, adding to the fantasy element. The show also broke away from traditional gender roles by casting attractive females to play male roles.
The New Legends of Monkey also had some important lessons about the importance of loyalty and friendship, where marginalized characters find each other, forming their own family in a world where it is difficult to find belonging.
The exciting story, fight scenes humour and cast are what made The New Legend of Monkey so entertaining. Anyone looking for some ‘monkey magic’ or for those who want an entertaining, co-viewing experience with their children – look no further!
This weekend, I will be binge watching the rest of the season with my kids and can only hope that a second season will be commissioned soon!
The New Legends of Monkey is currently streaming on Netflix. Find out more: netflix.com/gb/title/80184682.
