CINDERELLA is the second part of Stephen Chow's CHINESE ODYSSEY double-bill, based on the classic JOURNEY TO THE WEST novel. This time around Chow's Monkey King is trapped in human form and once more involved with beautiful women. Here, he's up against a race of sinister monsters, generally played by overactors wearing rubber masks, and he ends up having to fight for survival. The first thing that becomes apparent about this film is that it's better than the first one; it's not trapped on a single set, and there's a bigger and more varied cast. More action helps, too. However, it's also wildly overcomplicated, and they forgot to put any humour in here. The end result is a film that quickly becomes wearisome and outstays its welcome long before the closing credits.
