Universal praise was heaped on "Monkey King: Hero is Back" as a Chinese animated feature.

The animation inspired by a classical epic was a bold creation, said Tong Gang, deputy head of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), when attending a seminar on the film.

"Monkey King: Hero is Back" is a 3D animated adaption of the classic epic "A Journey to the West." It tells of the story of the Monkey King's encounters with his future master, Monk Tang, before they embark on a pilgrimage to India, defeating monsters along the way.

Tong said the work was a real tribute to the epic.

The animation has pulled in about 800 million yuan (about 130 million U.S. dollars) since its release on July 10, the highest grossing animation in Chinese cinemas.

Critic Zhong Chengxiang said the domestic production blazed a trail for domestic animators.

The production has been criticized, with some saying its characters were not well drawn and the ending was abrupt. However, encouraged by favorable criticism and box office success, director Tian Xiaopeng said overseas promotion of the animation was under way and the producers were planning a sequel.

The majority of Chinese animation fans, if not all of them, have grown up with foreign cartoons, including Doraemon from Japan and Iron Man from America.

And before "Monkey King: Hero is Back," most Chinese animated films found it hard to reach the 100 million yuan box office benchmark.

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