Monster Hunt tops China box office – will it be a hit here too?

Fantasy comedy Monster Hunt has become the most successful Chinese-made film of all time, raking in millions in little over a week since opening. Will its blend of live-action, animation and a radish-like baby monster make it a hit in the UK too? "Critics have been sceptical of Monster Hunt’s international appeal," says The Independent, and a UK release is yet to be scheduled.

But there's no doubt about its appeal in China. According to the state news agency, Monster Hunt has earned 1.317bn yuan (£137m) since it opened on 16 July, the BBC reports. The previous record for a Chinese film was set by low-budget 2012 road trip comedy Lost in Thailand, which earned about £130m.

The most successful movie of all time in China is the Hollywood offering Fast and Furious 7, which has made £257m.

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Monster Hunt was made by Hong Kong director Raman Hui, who was educated in North America and is best known for co-directing US comedy-animation Shrek the Third. The film also features a cast of Chinese stars.

Set in a fantasy version of ancient China, it tells the story of a young man who inadvertently becomes impregnated by a female monster, and creates a "radish-like" baby monster named Huba. He ends up being pursued by both monsters and monster-hating humans keen on capturing the newborn Huba.

"Initial prospects for the movie did not look good," says Xinhuanet. Its generous £25m budget raised eyebrows, and things got worse when producers were forced to replace the original leading man, Kai Ko, after his arrest on drug charges with Jackie Chan's son in 2014.

But Monster Hunt has triumphed with a "massive haul" at the box office, says Variety. Not bad for a film that "features a set of outlandish creatures that look like the offspring of Casper the Friendly Ghost and a Chia Pet".

Director Hui is no stranger to animated entertainment, says Elizabeth Kerr in the Hollywood Reporter. He put considerable work into popular 'toons like Shrek, Antz and Madagascar and the result, in Monster Hunt, is seamless animation, high quality CGI and action choreography that "keeps the story moving at a decent clip".

Still, the film has its flaws, says Kerr. The creators have laid down some solid world-building foundations, but it becomes a confused and confusing fantasy adventure, that never quite coheres, or works according to its own internal logic. And it's best not to think too hard about "the film's notions of female reproductive biology".

The wild card is the central character, Huba, says Kerr. It's either "endearing and cute (and primed for merchandising) or simply creepy, depending on your tastes".

Ultimately, says Kerr, the inherently other-worldly aesthetic forgives many glitches, and the novel setting and sprinkling of kung fu antics might appeal to festivals and creative distributors.