I got to watch this film as a preview in NYC. As a big fan of Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer I was really looking forward to this film. I came away a bit disappointed. I tried to be open-minded since the film was rated PG and was obviously set up to sell cute stuffed imitations of the title character to children, but a major scene in the film involving the father's relationship with his son really bothered me. It serves only to take the film down a notch. It would have been better if this scene was done differently, and also if the film had ended at a different point than it did. Perhaps it's just a difference in cultures though, and the scene in question is archetypal of Chinese films, but as an American, I find it unappealing.
The son's acting could have been better, or perhaps some CGI could have been used to make his negative emotions appear more realistic for a child.
Stephen Chow did deliver with numerous sight gags and physical humor, including references to the other two films I mentioned.
While his comedy was on target, the dramatic aspects did not work as well. While I don't regret getting to see the film, I don't think I would've spent money on it. Hopefully Mr. Chow will stick to comedies.
The son's acting could have been better, or perhaps some CGI could have been used to make his negative emotions appear more realistic for a child.
Stephen Chow did deliver with numerous sight gags and physical humor, including references to the other two films I mentioned.
While his comedy was on target, the dramatic aspects did not work as well. While I don't regret getting to see the film, I don't think I would've spent money on it. Hopefully Mr. Chow will stick to comedies.