Review: ‘CJ7’

Stephen Chow is one of the coolest film-makers out there right now. Ever since I saw Shaolin Soccer (2001), a good but not great movie, I found myself intrigued. It wasn’t until I saw Kung Fu Hustle (2004) that I really began to appreciate his work. Stephen Chow is one of those rare film-makers who direct and star in most of their films … this does, however, seem to be more common among Asian cinema. Stephen Chow’s newest film [at least, to hit US screens] is CJ7, whereas Chow plays Ti, a poor working man. He works himself very hard, struggling to pay for his son’s tuition at a private school. Dicky, his son, in turn struggles to understand why he can’t have the things his wealthy class-mates have. Then, Ti finds an odd ball-like object while rummaging through the dump to get Dicky a new pair of sneakers for gym class. As it turns out, this “ball” is actually a small pet-like alien robot-creature … its kind of unclear, but it is like sticking a teddy bear’s head on a blob of Nickelodeon slime-colored substance with physical properties similar to Stretch Armstrong.

Cj7 is clearly intended to be a family friendly movie, but its also far more entertaining than the average American family film, that often insults even the child’s intelligence. This movie is fun for all ages and has a great story for kids as well. Underneath the surface of whimsical antics, there lies a story of a boy learning some important facts of life and how to appreciate what one has before its gone. For us elders, the movie pleases our senses and emotions, offering plenty of laughs and … I’m not ashamed to admit it, a near tear-jerking scene of pivotal importance to the story’s message. Chow has an uncanny sense of comedy, combining slapstick and situational comedy with CGI effects and martial arts, although the Kung Fu is limited in this movie. Chow has a distinctly playful visual style, often utilizing sight gags to kick off a series of comical mishaps. Overall, Chow manages to succeed in creating another visually interesting comedy with a very well-told story, that often faintly echo those of Aesop’s fables.
[rating:4/5]