Reviews

Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, 'Table for Six' and 'Chilli Laugh Story' would have gone head to head at the box office during the lucrative Chinese New Year period. That both films decided in the end to find separate release windows is a blessing in disguise, for both are worthy and deserving of audience attention. Whereas 'Chilli' saw the filmmaking debut of Coba Cheng under the tutelage of producer Sandra Ng, 'Table' marks the sophomore film by veteran screenwriter Sunny Chan under producer Bill Kong, and it is to the credit of both producers that each of these films are warm, wise and funny in their own ways.

Unfolding largely within the confines of their father's former barbeque pork kitchen which three brothers have since converted into a spacious apartment, 'Table' weaves a coming-of-age story for the siblings Steve (Dayo Wong), Bernard (Louis Cheung) and Lung (Peter Chan). The eldest Steve is a professional photographer, who has converted part of the space in the apartment into his own studio; more importantly though, he has taken it upon himself to head the household following the death of their parents. Lung has quit his day job in the hopes of making it big as a professional e-sports player, much to the chagrin of his longtime girlfriend Josephine (Ivana Wong). Among the three, Bernard seems to be the most well-adjusted, though it is also him who throws all their lives into disarray.

The first of several reunion dinners that are the equivalent of the movie's set-pieces sees Bernard bringing home his new girlfriend Monica (Stephy Tang), who was Steve's ex-girlfriend until their break-up three years ago that he still hasn't gotten over. Despite his own feelings, Steve generously welcomes Monica to join the family, inviting her to move in with them than remain in her subdivided flat he is all too familiar with. Steve further over-compensates by asking popular internet model Meow (Lin Min Chen) to move in as well, the latter an online celebrity who happens to be his biggest fan. Together with Josephine, whom Steve and Bernard had earlier invited to move in to be their resident chef, it is as crowded and as complicated as it gets.

Eschewing the 'mo lei tau' style of comedy of the typical CNY comedy, Chan adopts a dialogue-heavy, character-driven approach to his storytelling. A subsequent dinner conversation lays bare how Bernard had been interested in Monica even when she was Steve's girlfriend and had deliberately engineered their meet-cute over a project which Monica's advertising company had tendered for. A heart-to-heart talk between Steve and Meow reveals how the latter is a lot more astute and perceptive than her cutesy image suggests, and what Steve has been suppressing all these years in order not to be a cause of worry to his brothers. And just when you think the only thing that could go right would save the family from being torn apart, Lung and Josephine's relationship unravels in unexpected ways.

That none of the characters ends up being superfluous is credit to Chan's scripting, which takes time to sculpt each character's anxieties, insecurities and motivations. It is no surprise the family will come apart before coming back together again, but the process of doing so feels authentic, heartfelt and utterly relatable. It is also to Chan's credit that the film never loses its cinematic quality despite being largely a chamber piece, with Meteor Cheung's dexterous camera work ensuring that the movie feels intimate yet expansive at the same time. And then there is the ensemble cast, whose chemistry enlivens the material and makes it a lot more than the sum of its parts; in particular, (Dayo) Wong and Tang shine as ex-lovers who have to decide how to move forward not just for their sakes but also for the sake of those they care about.

We'd even go so far as to say that 'Table' is one of the best family dramas we've seen in a while, and with 'Chilli', even more reason to have faith once again in Hong Kong cinema. Kudos to Chan for not falling back on genre tropes for a Chinese New Year movie, choosing instead to pen quite possibly one of his best films to deliver an amusing, affecting and absorbing portrait of what it means to stay together as family. So even though it is now repackaged as a Mid-Autumn Festival release, 'Table' loses none of its joys or poignancy, and amidst a resurgence of Hong Kong cinema, may very well be the best of a very good lot.

You won't find a more closely guarded yet eagerly anticipated movie this year than 'Tenet', described as writer-director Christopher Nolan's most ambitious yet. Little has been revealed about its plot, except that it has to do with a secret agent - known only in the movie as The Protagonist (John David Washington) - who is recruited by a shadowy Government organisation to prevent World War III from being wrought by time inversion.

Time has always fascinated Nolan, right from his crime thriller 'Memento' from two decades ago, to his heist movie 'Inception' a decade ago, and even to his last World War II movie 'Dunkirk'. Here, Nolan goes even further than all his earlier films, suggesting that time can not only be reversed but also co-exist simultaneously between past and present, such that people can move backwards and forwards through time at the same time.

It is an audacious proposition no doubt; but as straightforward as it might sound on paper, you'll know if you've seen any one of Nolan's previous works that it is a lot more complex in practice. True enough, we must admit that we found ourselves rather perplexed by its concepts, comprising algorithms, the Manhattan project and the grandfather paradox among others. Even with a generous amount of exposition delivered by Clémence Poésy, Michael Caine and Hindi legend Dimple Kapadia, we doubt anyone would be able to keep it with its multiple narrative loops at first viewing.

That doesn't mean it isn't entertaining; indeed, even as you might end up befuddled, even frustrated, at its physics and logic, there's no denying that you'll be thoroughly hooked from the get-go by Nolan's James Bond-equivalent. Without naming his Protagonist, Nolan has fashioned a Bond-style espionage thriller, with some time-twisting science-fiction thrown in to up the stakes.

Within its two-and-a-half hour runtime, 'Tenet' brings its audience on a dizzying globe-trotting adventure - beginning in Kiev with a terrorist attack on a packed opera house; to Mumbai to meet the enigmatic wife (Kapadia) of an arms dealer; to Oslo for a jaw-dropping raid on a vault on the airside of an airport; and to the Mediterranean coast where the film's villain Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh) makes his home on board a luxurious yacht. It's as expansive as you can imagine, and that's not even counting the other stopover locations such as the cliffs of Italy's Amalfi Coast or the spare Nysted Wind Farm in Denmark.

At least Washington has for company Robert Pattinson's intelligence officer Neil, who proves an invaluable ally in each one of his daring missions; the chemistry between Washington and Pattinson is understated, but their sheer charisma breathes humanity into the otherwise coolly calculated proceedings. Ditto for Elizabeth Debicki, as Andrei's estranged wife Kat; while it would have been all-too easy to paint her as a Bond girl, Nolan's writing gives her character more depth and purpose than you would expect, especially in relation to Branagh's effectively unsubtle villain.

Yet more so than any of his other movies. 'Tenet' is propelled by its spectacular action set pieces, most of it done practically without the help of any CGI; among the most impressive include a freight plane that Neil's crew hijacks on the tarmac and crashes into one of the nearby cargo buildings, a freeway car chase with vehicles moving in both directions simultaneously, and a military-style invasion of a private underground complex with explosions happening in reverse. Like we said, even if you do not quite grasp the logic behind it, you can surely appreciate the tentpole artistry in applying 'temporal inversion' to the non-stop action.

That almost singular focus on science and kinetics comes at the expense of emotion, and if that is one glaring flaw in 'Tenet', it is that it fails to develop its characters in any meaningful way. The closest one comes to appreciating any of the ensemble is Kat's longing to be reunited with her young son Max, part of the psychological abuse which she endures being in a joyless marriage with Andrei. Yet those looking for the sort of emotional anchor as that which Leonardo DiCaprio's character had with his wife in 'Inception' will come off sorely disappointed, because it isn't clear what Washington is driven by other than to prevent Armageddon.

Certainly, those eagerly awaiting the sort of big-scale cinematic spectacle that Nolan is known for since 'The Dark Knight' trilogy will love every minute of 'Tenet'. His blockbuster has been touted as the reason to head back to the cinemas, and let's just say it fully lives up to that promise. What it demands in return is that you embrace its convoluted machinations, including time travel paradoxes, quantum physics and "temporal pincer movements" that feed into a palindromic narrative concept; even if you go 'WTF', know that it is part of the experience, an experience which Nolan warns through a character - "Don't try to understand it, feel it."

There's nothing like timing a disaster film to coincide with a similar real-life event - minus the devastating consequences of course.

Ric Roman Waugh's Greenland has been released just as the comet Neowise is coursing through our skies. The astronomical phenomena was at its brightest on 22 July, becoming as bright as the North Star and visible without visual aids, creating a stir around the world. The comet in Greenland however, had a very different idea.

Dubbed 'Clark', the cosmic entity was announced to be a spectacular and harmless viewing event. Then it became that a rogue piece had entered the atmosphere, but would mostly burn itself out and land in the ocean. Everyone was thrilled, until the piece made landfall... in Central Florida.

Greenland follows the Garrity family as they make their way to safety. Gerald Butler and Morena Baccarin are estranged couple John and Allison, who work together to bring their son Clayton (Scott Glenn) to their ordained government shelter.

Replete with catastrophic events as the urgency builds up, the film's visuals are worth looking out for, both for its terrifying scale yet surreal beauty. It is one of the highlights, even as an extinction-level fragment is making its way within 48 hours of the first impact.

Waugh's focus is on the family and their tribulations, so don't expect it to be all smooth sailing. But part of the film is also used to showcase a bitter side of humanity, as people disregard the greater good for the sake of self-preservation. Other than Neowise, the messaging also hits home with the pandemic, as the world struggles to cope with errant behaviour from the public. It's extremely disturbing in that expect.

That said, the way it is executed comes across a little trite at times. From a scene of some strangers partying (the hedonists), to a couple that hijacks a situation (the false samaritan), writer Chris Sparling's vignettes are much too cliche for the seasoned audience. Waugh also directs these scenes with little depth, often over delivering on the messaging as characters stir up their motives. Trust me, it's very clear who's good or bad in this film.

When the family gets separated, these episodes get even more pronounced. And worse still, the situations they run into veer dangerously into caricatures themselves. There's only that many stalled highways and hitchhikes you can take, and the way people drop in and out of the main thread discourages any emotional investment from the viewer.

It's not that Waugh doesn't try, but the episodes are repetitive in formula and so after a while, you just know what to expect. And for a disaster movie, that's not very exciting.

But while the side characters are bland, Greenland's biggest lack comes from its main cast - they're not very likeable at all.

Throughout the film, the family ditches friends, emotionally-blackmails officers, and at parts even endangers everyone else for the sake of saving their family. While this ode to family loyalty is admirable to a point, the situations start to make the Garrity's seem entitled. And no one really wants to root for entitled folks.

From non-stop badgering for information from officers trying to do their job, to allowing exceptional waivers for their case, they throw the greater good out into the wind without so much as a blink of an eye.

Waugh tries to negate this with some scenes of the Garrity doing good to a random stranger, but they are so random that you'll be more puzzled than convinced that these are people you should be cheering on.

So while Greenland still wins for its premise and effects (minus the incredibly flat orange color grading), the lack of endearment to the characters leaves the title without much impact.

'Innocence' begins intriguingly with a funeral in a backwater small town, whereupon the supercilious village mayor (Huh Jun-ho) and a number of the local townsfolk are poisoned after drinking rice wine laced with pesticide. The suspect is none other than the deceased's wife Hwa-ja (Bae Jong-ok), who is taken into custody and promptly charged with the heinous act.

As you would expect, the subsequent plotting will unveil just who the real culprit is, with writer-director Park Sang-hyun opting to do so through a combination of courtroom and investigative drama. Both are driven by the brilliant young lawyer Jung-in (Shin Hye-sun), who returns from Seoul to her birthplace when she hears about the case and then decides to take over from the incompetent lawyer engaged by Hwa-ja's sister.

Jung-in also happens to be Hwa-ja's daughter, so it isn't just any life that is in her hands but in fact that of her mother. There is good reason why she had not returned prior for her father's wake, and revisiting her painful past that had led to her leaving her hometown as a teenager is one of the poignant pleasures of this well-crafted mystery thriller.

Oh yes, the question of 'who did it' is probably less important than 'why it had happened in the first place', and over the riveting course of two hours, we are led on a viscerally and emotionally gripping journey of greed, guilt and reconciliation. Jung-in's relationship with her mother is one major dimension, which also concerns her autistic younger brother Jung-soo (Hong Kyung); and without spoiling anything, let's just say the secrets from her past will form a pivotal basis for the surprising yet affecting conclusion.

The other dimension concerns the mayor's shady dealings with Jung-in's father and a bunch of local village folk, all of whom used to be miners before there was nothing left to mine. As with such tales, money and power are the reasons why once-firm friends turn against one another, and even though the revelation here isn't quite so shocking, the twists and turns are still more than engaging to hold your attention.

What is perhaps more significant is how the two subplots tie in together with each other, which lends added poignancy to the fate which the young Jung-in had suffered at the hands of an uncaring and physically abusive father that ultimately led to her running away from home. It should come as no surprise that mother and daughter do eventually make up, but how Jung-in comes to terms with her professional and personal lives is something the story manages with deftness and finesse.

In what is her first leading role, actress Shin Hye-sun shines with nuance and poise. She doesn't over play her character's steeliness and knows just when to play up Jung-in's vulnerabilities especially with regard to her mother's condition. Shin holds her own against the deliciously cunning Huh, and the courtroom scenes between them as lawyer and witness crackle with tension and suspense.

That it may not boast a big-name cast means it's all too easy to lose sight of 'Innocence' amidst the flurry of Korean movies hitting our screens over the past few weeks, but you'll do well not to dismiss this well-plotted drama. It is paced with momentum, packed with good surprises, and nicely executed to deliver an emotional wallop towards the end. In fact, we would go so far as to say that it is one of the finest Korean movies we've seen this year, so don't be guilty of letting it slip you by.

If you've seen 'Operation Red Sea' and 'Operation Mekong', you'd agree that Dante Lam is one of the best, if not the best, directors in contemporary action cinema. No other Chinese filmmaker has accomplished the same gritty realism and pulse-pounding exhilaration as he had done in both of these preceding movies, and it is not surprising you'd hold the same expectation with 'The Rescue'.

In terms of action, Lam doesn't disappoint. The opening sequence alone sees an elite emergency rescue unit of the Chinese Coast Guard aim to rescue two persons trapped atop a burning offshore oil rig on the brink of collapse, and it takes bravado for a movie to open with a sequence as spectacular as this. From the point that the fearless Captain Gao Qing (Eddie Peng) unhooks himself from the cable he is dangling off the side of a helicopter to land atop the rig, to the point that the helicopter has to make some evasive mid-air manoeuvres to dodge the wildly swinging cranes as the rig crumbles, and finally to the successful airlift evacuation, you'll be transfixed by the sheer harrowingness of that introduction.

Within the next two-and-a-half hours, you'd be indulged with three more of such gripping set-pieces - including one where the unit has to save the driver of a vehicle transporter trapped within amidst a fast-moving river, and another where they are called to rescue passengers on board a flight which has crashed into the open ocean. Each is a race against time, but more importantly, Lam's absolute resolve for authenticity ensures that you'll feel the trepidation and thrill of every single moment. The finale is expectedly the most elaborate of them all, set within an LNG carrier out at sea that is on fire and at risk of exploding anytime. Like we said, Lam, who also choreographed the action, delivers the spectacle as stunningly as you can imagine.

And yet, measured against his last two films, 'The Rescue' undeniably pales in comparison. Whereas both Operations had the benefit of being singularly mission-driven, the overall narrative here is less focused and ultimately rather distracted, with Lam striving to wrap the four action high-water marks around the personal lives of the heroic men and women of the rescue unit. In actual fact, most of it is centred on Gao Qing, a single parent whose professional calling means that he is unable to be as present and attentive for his precocious young son Congcong (Zhang Jingyi) as he would like to. The newly wed Zhao Cheng (Wang Yanlin) also gets some screen time, although you'll soon realise that is more expedient than anything.

Indeed, despite some assist from veteran Hong Kong screenwriter Lawrence Cheng, Lam's scripting has obvious storytelling flaws. Not only are there a couple of throwaway scenes involving Congcong and his newfound four-eyed curly-haired friend in school, there is also an all-too indulgent subplot dedicated to the budding romance between Gao Qing and the new female pilot Fang Yulin (Xin Zhilei), whom Congcong is enamoured with and urges his father to marry. Most egregiously, there is a shamelessly manipulative (though effectively heart-tugging) turn in the last hour which sees Congcong undergo an emergency operation to remove a tumour in his brain just as his father has to answer the call of duty.

That these episodes turn out less cringey than they could very well be is thanks to Peng's unaffected charisma, bonding effortlessly with an irresistibly adorable Zhang as well as sharing some lovely chemistry with the coy Xin. This is Peng's fourth collaboration with Lam, and he anchors the film through and through, not just by how he singlehandedly performs each and every one of the film's most dangerous stunts, but also by injecting just the right extent of masculinity into the role. Likeable though Peng may be, it is equally true that the movie would have benefitted spending more time on the other characters, who end up being wallflowers even though they are part of the same team as Gao Qing.

Had Lam delegated the screenwriting and focused simply on directing, 'The Rescue' could probably have been a much tighter and more compelling motion picture. Each one of the rescue missions is a breath-taking spectacle in its own right, choreographed and executed with precision, confidence and flair to get your heart pounding. Yet the rest is underwhelming, choosing to amplify humour, romance and melodrama, instead of genuine drama from the inherent conflict between these rescuers' personal and professional responsibilities. Yes, we had indeed expected more after two highly accomplished Operations; be that as it may, let it be known too that this tale of, and tribute to, heroism is tense, affecting and riveting where you demand it to be.

Trust veteran Hong Kong director Andrew Lau to turn what has been termed a 'miracle emergency landing' in real life into a nail-biting disaster movie that pays tribute to its ordinary heroes - especially as the title mentions, the pilot who steeled his nerves and trusted his instincts to save the lives of 119 passengers and eight other crew members. That individual is Captain Liu Chuanjian, a former Air Force pilot turned Sichuan Airlines staff, whose flight from Chongqing to Lhasa on the morning on 14 May 2008 was met with a shattered windscreen about 150km from Chengdu and had to pilot the plane through the mountainous Tibetan region to reach the nearest airport.

As played by Zhang Hanyu, the onscreen Liu is a stoic, almost stern, no-nonsense figure who demands the highest standards from his fellow crew, in particular his young co-pilot Liang Peng (Oho Ou). Although Liu gives the movie its title, apart from the scenes bookending the film showing him leaving and returning to his wife and young daughter, the film is only about him insofar as it relates to the events of Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633 (3U8633) that fateful day, so don't expect this to be a character study like Clint Eastwood's 'Sully'; indeed, what it does want us to learn about Liu, and what it portrays magnificently, is his composure, adroitness and perseverance under tremendous conditions, given the sudden loss of pressure and temperature in the cockpit upon the loss of the plane's windshield.

Together with his writer Yu Yonggan (who also wrote this summer's 'The Bravest'), Lau zooms in on three key periods during the harrowing journey: when the windshield first blew out and the plane dropped 8000ft from its cruising altitude; when Liu had to fly through a thunderstorm over the Tibetan mountains in order to get to Chengdu's Shuangliu Airport; and when Liu had to land the overweight plane on the runway as well as bring it to a halt without either thrust reversers working. Even though you're fully aware that the crew will pull through, each of these periods is an edge-of-your-seat sequence in itself, with Lau skilfully toggling between the cockpit and the cabin to illustrate the reactions of the pilots versus the passengers and stewardesses.

Whereas Liu anchors the cockpit, it is inflight service manager Bi Nan (Quan Yuan) who takes the lead in the cabin - not only is she an exemplar in guiding her younger colleagues to serve with commitment and professionalism, such as in dealing with self-entitled business-class passengers, she is Liu's complement in managing the anxiety among the passengers so as to avoid pandemonium from breaking out in the cabin (therefore allowing Liu to focus on bringing the plane under control). Like Liu, the film mostly shows her in relation to the crisis, so even though there is some hint that she is going through a rough patch in her marriage, we are never really told what exactly it is, and therefore fully grasp how her perspective on that changes after the incident.

Interestingly, while convention would have dictated that the film pick a couple of passengers to show how the brush with death changes their attitude towards life and/or their loved ones, Lau decides to make his movie an engaging procedural about airport and airline operations, as well as air traffic management. With some deft editing by Azrael Chung, Lau assembles a couple of intriguing montages that show how the crew of 3U8633 get ready for takeoff, how control is handed over from the airport control tower to the air traffic control centre at various altitudes, the interfacing between civilian and military in air traffic management (ATM), and the coordination among various parts of airport operations in preparation for the flight's emergency landing. The involvement of the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) ensures the authenticity of these scenes, with the CAAC head honcho Feng Zhenglin credited as chief consultant no less, but it is to Lau's credit that the nuts and bolts of airport and ATM operations in response to the disaster is as fascinating to watch as what went on inside the plane itself.

That said, even as there is less emphasis than expected on the passengers, Lau doesn't lose the poignancy within these harrowing moments. From a husband confessing to his wife that he is going to be a chef at a work site than at a high-class hotel in Lhasa, to the wife of the plane's third pilot waiting feverishly on the ground, and to Liu's own wife trying hard not to lose her cool in front of their young daughter, Lau captures the gamut of emotions from those in the air to those on the ground as the events unfold, and wisely chooses not to dwell on them excessively in order to avoid turning his movie into melodrama.

Whether as a proactive or necessary addition to appease the infamous Chinese censors, 'The Captain' ends on a slightly awkward note as Liu and the rest of the crew of 3U8633 sing a patriotic song celebrating the motherland. That aside, this portrait of the heroic actions of one ordinary person, as well as the professionalism of those involved in one way or another, is gripping, rousing and even informative, showing a director at the very top of his game. We dare say it is one of our favourite Mainland Chinese films this year, and we dare guarantee you'll be similarly enraptured by this effortless crowdpleaser. As paradoxical as it sounds, this is one flight you won't want to miss.

Though billed as a sequel to the 2013 crime thriller 'The White Storm', there is in fact very little which this movie shares with its predecessor, besides the fact that both revolve thematically around the war on drugs which entwines the lives of a group of convicted individuals. Yet it is not difficult to guess why Universe Entertainment, which is behind both films, had wanted the association - not only was it widely praised for the excellent performances by Sean Lau, Louis Koo and Nick Cheung, that movie also boasted director Benny Chan's signature high-octane action choreography, which was recognised as among the best that Hong Kong cinema had to offer in recent years.

Except for Koo, none of the other contributors return for this standalone sequel; instead, taking over from Chan is prolific director Herman Yau, whose 'Shock Wave' catapulted him from the B-leagues into big-budget filmmaking. Yau's collaborators from that earlier movie are also on board this similarly-sized undertaking, which sees writers Erica Lee and Eric Lee retain the narrative structure of Chan's original by setting its events around three males - here played by Andy Lau, Koo and Michael Miu - whose paths will intersect with fateful consequences.

Their ill-fated connection is established right from the beginning, with an extended prologue set in 2004 that shows how the sworn brotherhood between Yu Shun Tin (Andy Lau) and Dizang (Koo) is torn asunder when the former is forced by his uncle Yu Nam (Kent Cheng) - and head of their gang Ching Hing - to punish the latter for selling drugs at the nightclub he manages. Besides cutting off three of Dizang's fingers from his right hand, Shun Tin also calls the police to raid Dizang's premises, which results in an unfortunate operation that claims the life of Narcotics Bureau chief Lam Ching-fung's (Miu) wife and colleague.

Fast forward fifteen years later, Shun Tin has transformed into a financial whiz thanks to his wife and mentor (Karena Lam), while Dizang has grown to become one of the most powerful drug barons in Hong Kong. Alas Shun Tin's past life continues to haunt him, including a drug-addicted teenage son he never knew existed until his ex-girlfriend (Chrissie Chau) appeals for his help on her deathbed to take care of, which in turn fuels his present-day determination to take drastic measures against the four big drug lords in Hong Kong - which besides Koo's Dizang, are represented in guest appearances by MC Jin, Cherrie Ying and Jun Kung.

Though Shun Tin is very aware that his actions will eventually set him up on a collision course with Dizang, it will be some time before Dizang finds out that it is his former best friend who is behind the series of guerrilla raids on his goods and factories. If you've seen the trailer, you would know that their personal vendetta will culminate in Shun Tin offering a $100 million bounty on Dizang's life. Meanwhile, even as he is frustrated by how the known drug lords continue to evade the arm of the law, Fung continues to uphold the integrity of due process, which puts him at odds with Shun Tin's unorthodox (and perhaps unlawful) methods.

Like his most recent 'Shock Wave' and 'The Leakers', Yau keeps the pace fast, even frenetic, throughout the movie. To Yau's credit, the speediness of the storytelling doesn't come at the expense of coherence, so there is perfect logic and order in the way the proceedings are organised. At the same time, it also means, for the casual viewer, that there is hardly a dull moment to be found within the duration of the film; in fact, even though there are a couple of memorable action scenes within, you'd probably feel as if the entire movie were itself a 100-minute continuous action-packed sequence that hardly pauses for you to take a breath.

But equally, it isn't long before you realise that the sheer momentum comes at the expense of meaningful character motivation and development, so much so that you never at any point fully grasp or empathise with any one of the three main characters, much less the supporting ones. How does Shun Tin feel about losing a sworn brother? Is he at all conflicted about exploiting his wealth to take the law into his own hands? How does he reconcile his past life with his present? What does Dizang feel about Shun Tin's betrayal? What drives Fung, other than to uphold the law? Does Fung sympathise with Shun Tin or deplore his methods? As inevitable as these questions are, you'll quickly find that you'll have to cast them aside if you're going to enjoy the film for what it is worth.

And yes, once you forgo any expectation of narrative or character depth, you'll probably be able to appreciate the fleeting pleasures it offers. For one, the three male leads each bring their own charisma, chemistry and gravitas to their respective roles, with Lau further honing his characteristically stoic persona, Koo chewing up the scenery as a baddie and Miu rehashing the righteous cop role from his TVB past. For another, the action is glorious old-school Hong Kong style, with shootouts, car chases and even a climactic setpiece right inside the heart of the Central MTR station. And last but not least, there is also the thrill of seeing a who's who list of Hong Kong actors in this, including Carlos Chan, Michelle Wai, Cheung Kwok-cheng, Lam Ka-tung and Sam Lee in varying blink-and-miss cameos.

Given how unrelated they are, it is almost unfair to compare 'The White Storm 2' with the earlier movie, but between them, the original is probably the better one. Yet, like we've said, this economical thriller does offer simple and straightforward gratification, especially if you're in the mood for an undemanding action thriller. But anyone expecting the likes of 'Infernal Affairs' will most certainly be disappointed, for there is little to no attempt to develop any of the weighty themes of crime and justice within in any meaningful way. If there should be another sequel, we hope it is a lot less superficial than this storm in a teacup.

Much has been said about Charlene Choi's bold performance in 'The Lady Improper', which not only sees her show more skin than you would expect from someone who used to pride herself on her squeaky-clean teenage idol image, but also has her engage in a passionate love-making scene on a kitchen table-top with her Taiwanese co-star Wu Kang-jen. Yet all that hype may end up working against Choi and the movie's favour by setting up somewhat unrealistic expectations of her performance, which while certainly audacious by the actress's own tame standards, will likely come off a lot milder than what her character as well as the movie needs it to be.

Chiefly, the movie demands that we believe in the character transformation of Siu Man (played by Choi), who starts off as a sexually repressed woman unable to consuumate her marriage to her ex-husband Kuen (Deep Ng), but whose psychological inhibitions gradually dissipate after she meets the free-spirited chef Jiahao (played by Wu). Neither state is however portrayed compellingly enough in the film, such that we never fully buy into why she was so uptight in the first place, and/or therefore how her interactions with Jiahao would set her on the path to sexual liberation, even with say some pole dancing added into the mix.

A significant part of why we can never invest completely in Siu Man is due to the imperfect script (co-written by director Tsang Tsui-shan and Link Sng), which fails to find a clear raison d'etre to Siu Man's state of mind in the first place. There are late hints to how she had a very strict upbringing by her father Ping (veteran martial arts actor Lau Wing) after losing her mother at a young age, but not quite enough texture to their father-daughter relationship for us to be convinced how that has led her to be so high-strung. Similarly, it isn't clear why she seems unable to fully give herself to Kuen despite being in love with him, especially given how she seems to want him back badly enough at the start to beg him for a second chance with a mechanical dildo.

On the other hand, Siu Man's relationship with Jiahao comes off muddled, leaving us unsure just why he will be the one to unleash her passions. Is it because she is physically attracted to him? Or because she outwardly mocks, but inwardly admires, his happy-go-lucky attitude? Or is she grateful to him for rescuing her father's 'cha chaan teng' business by whipping up the restaurant's former signature dishes of Hakka-style pork belly and traditional steamed tofu? Or perhaps she is also jealous of the attractive lady (Ashina Kwok) selling ginger at the local market whom Jiahao flirts with, and whom she observes Jiahao having sex with on the kitchen stove? Whether it is one or a combination of these reasons, their relationship needs sharper definition, in order for us to be persuaded why Jiahao is her sexual elixir.

It doesn't help that the story introduces an unnecessary supporting character next to Siu Man and Jiahao in Ah Him (Alex Lam), a regular at the 'cha chaan teng' restaurant who has a big crush on Siu Man and whom she agrees to go out. Not only is Ah Him a clumsily sketched caricature, it is more than a little cruel that she seems to hook up with him just to spite Jiahao, and breaks up with him after he proves too conservative to accept her pole dancing routine. Oh yes, the movie would have been much better served simply focusing on the attraction between Siu Man and Jiahao, so as to give some much-needed clarity just what each means to the other.

To make up for the narrative deficiencies would have needed an out-and-out candid performance by the lead actress, and it is in this regard that Choi's acting, however audacious by her own standards, is still not daring enough to save the movie. Indeed, Choi is not only too restrained in displaying Siu Man's repressions at the start, but also too muted to convince us that she is both physically and emotionally liberated by the end. At the risk of sounding lewd, Choi would need to really let go for us to be captivated by her character transformation, and her discomfort at going all out both physically and emotionally (which she herself has said in numerous media interviews) dulls what should be a gripping portrait of female emancipation.

So as much as she has been the selling point of 'The Lady Improper', Choi is also the reason why the movie with its flaws and all isn't as compelling as it should be. Like we said, such a character-driven story needs tighter and sharper scripting, in order to define the central characters better as well as their focal relationship. But equally, Choi should either have chosen to strip away her own inhibitions completely or stepped away from the role, rather than end up in a 'middle ground' that is too subdued for the film's good. As it is, both the movie and her character come off less improper than impotent, and will leave you unmoved, unconvinced and unsatisfied.

Arriving a little later than the bumper crop of Lunar New Year titles last week, 'A Lifetime Treasure' wraps a well-intentioned message about treasuring the elderly around some less-than-inspired scenes of nonsensical humour. Directed and co-written by Andrew Lam Man-chung, the basic premise of the comedy-drama sees the five residents of a nursing home teaming up with their superintendent (played by Lam himself) to thwart the efforts of a mobster Rainy Hung (Lam Suet) who wants to take over and redevelop the place. Whether these five residents succeed in their quest to preserve their On Hei Nursing Home is a foregone conclusion, especially how this is ultimately a Lunar New Year title meant to leave its audience feeling merry.

In what is undoubtedly five strokes of casting gold, Lam has enlisted Hong Kong cinema veterans Sammo Hung, Teddy Robin, Bruce Leung, Richard Ng and Tien Niu as the elderly quintet of the nursing home. Watching these veterans ribbing each other while hamming it up in their respective roles should be an absolute riot, what with Hung as the world's greatest detective still obsessed over a thirty-year-old case of a golden pig figurine that he never solved, Robin as a master thief who likes to be called by his English name Ben Chow, Ng as a former ace swimmer dubbed 'wind-on-the-water', Leung as a former intelligence operative known as the 'wind listener', and Niu as a former singing diva. Naturally, these five individuals are each still enamoured with their previous glories, while at the same time more than happy to mock their other four companions for doing so.

Indeed, it would be logical to expect that Lam would build his movie around these five seemingly unique individuals, but alas you'll quickly find out that it isn't to be. Oh yes, the emphasis here is instead on Hung's two lackeys Chun (Louis Cheung) and Lok (Bob Lam), who are despatched to intimidate the residents and/or force the closure of the facility. As you may expect, Chun and Lok find themselves outwitted by the surprisingly resourceful bunch; not only that, both will also have their conscience pricked, so much so that they will end up assisting the old folks to launch a counter-offensive against their former boss - oh, and the fact that Lok has a crush on the home's one and only tenacious nurse Ching (Ivana Wong) might have something to do with why he has a change of heart.

Yet Lam does none of his characters little justice by burying them amidst a string of inane gags, which are so lackadaisically conceived you'd wonder if they were made up on the set. One extended sequence has the five elders cast as zombies in a scene for a B-grade movie named 'Zombie Bathrobe', where they proceed on the set to ogle over buxom actress Xenia Chong clad in a bikini. Another extended one has them breaking into Hung's office to steal a contract that would determine the fate of their nursing home, complete with a spoof scene straight out of 'Mission: Impossible' and another dramatically exaggerated one where Ng is shot by a tennis-ball cannon. And yet another has Leung suddenly transforming into a kung-fu master, just so he can have a one-on-one with 'The Legend is Born: Ip Man's' Dennis To.

You'll be hard-pressed to find any truly inspired moments, especially given how the movie seems perfectly content to trade in silly, childish and even crass humour. As paradoxical as it may sound, it still takes wit to engineer some truly nonsensical 'mo lei tau' jokes, which is sorely absent here. And just like that, Lam pretty much squanders the talent of the ensemble cast he has assembled here - not only do Cheung and Lam find themselves with little to work with, the five veterans come up equally bereft, often clearly resorting to improvisation just to fill up their scenes. If Lam's writing falls short, his directing is just as lacking, failing to stitch up the string of gags into a coherent or engaging whole.

Not even a late poignant finish can save this limp movie, which gathers a to-die-for cast for a Lunar New Year movie and leaves them floundering. Like we said at the start, there is a noble lesson here on treating the elderly as treasure, but that is unfortunately lost amidst a clumsy collection of unfunny scenes. Among the Lunar New Year titles we've seen this year, we dare say this is the worst of the lot, which probably explains why it didn't manage much of a reception even in its home territory. There is frankly little to cherish here, even if we wanted to be generous to it, so save your 'ang pow' money for something better worth your treasure.

Despite being billed as hailing from the writing-directing duo of 'Infernal Affairs', 'Integrity' is - like 'Project Gutenberg' - pretty much a solo effort by one-half of the duo. And like the latter, it is only half as good as their seminal trilogy, despite a star-studded cast that includes Sean Lau, Nick Cheung, Karena Lam, Anita Yuen and Alex Fong. Oh yes, even with such solid performances by these Hong Kong veterans, this crime thriller ultimately falls apart, no thanks to some ludicrous narrative twists in the last third that completely undermines whatever measure of suspense the movie had built up before.

To writer-director Alan Mak's credit, it is a genuinely promising setup for a film meant as the start of a trilogy. Sequestered in a hotel room is the whistle-blower Jack (Cheung), who is the prosecution's key witness in a high-profile case of tobacco smuggling and bribery. Despite reassurance from the ICAC's chief investigator King (Lau), Jack is still spooked that his life might be in danger, and flees to Sydney just before he is due to testify in court. So King's boss Ma (Alex Fong) sends fellow ICAC investigator Shirley (Lam) - who happens to be King's estranged wife - to Sydney to persuade Jack to return, while asking King to remain in Hong Kong to follow up on a couple of new leads in the same case.

As it turns out, the first defendant Chan has also vanished along with his wife and kids, such that King suspects the entire fiasco may be masterminded by the puppet master code-named Alpha Leader behind the entire illegal operation. To inject some urgency into the proceedings, the presiding judge agrees to postpone the trial only for a week, giving King just seven days to find Chan and Shirley the same to convince Jack to return to Hong Kong. That becomes impetus for King to trick the case's other defendant Chung (Yuen) into signing a plea agreement to be the prosecution's witness, in order to extract important information on how the whole smuggling cum money laundering enterprise is run.

At least for the first hour, Mak maintains a taut air of intrigue putting in place the various pieces of the puzzle. How far does Alpha Leader's reach extend to? Will he get to Chan before King does? Will he get to Jack before he is able to testify? Or is there more to Jack than meets the eye? Will Shirley therefore be in danger as well? It is not easy to set up such an elaborate tease, and Mak juggles all these elements deftly enough for you to be hooked into the mystery. Undeniably, the actors play their parts beautifully too, with Lau as an assertive but ethically questionable leader, Cheung as an indecipherable poker face and Lam as a tough but warm foil to both men.

Alas anyone hoping for a satisfying answer to any of the aforementioned questions will likely be disappointed. Mak, whose forte is less in writing than in directing, quite absolutely botches the ensuing twists in the story. For reasons not quite unexplained, Alpha Leader's restraint suddenly turns into ruthlessness, ordering not only Jack's kidnapping but also the elimination of almost everyone who has anything to do with the case. But most significantly, Mak engineers a personal connection between King and Jack which feels utterly contrived, and is only made worse in the final few moments when that relationship draws in two individuals whom we were led to believe were sent by Alpha Leader to follow Jack.

Without giving any more away, let's just say that Mak tries too hard to surprise his audience, and with each unfortunate revelation only succeeds in draining his film of whatever goodwill he had built up at the start - which not even the nostalgic sight of both Lau and Cheung in their younger days can quite compensate for. It says a lot when what is supposed to be the tease of the next film leaves us greeting the inevitable next chapter with more trepidation than anticipation, but that is precisely how you'd feel by the time Mak confirms that Jack is as duplicitous as we'd suspected.

Mak is also not quite as skilful a director to overcome his own screenwriting flaws, so much so that the last third comes off both overstuffed and under-developed at the same time. As a result, the pacing also suffers, taking the air out of a tightly wound atmosphere as it careens towards an improbable and unbelievable finish. Not even the two obligatory but superfluous action scenes he stuffs in at this point - including a short vehicular chase inside a carpark and a brief assassination on the slopes of a skiing resort - manages to be distracting enough, seeing as how they are poorly choreographed and hardly exciting.

Frankly, going by both 'Gutenberg' and 'Integrity', it really wouldn't hurt for Mak and his other moviemaking half Felix Chong to settle for more straightforward storytelling. Not every movie needs have a bombshell ending, not least if it requires such a substantive leap of logic that it ends up undermining the whole film. Those looking for a fairly engrossing two hours to spend this Lunar New Year will probably still find this a captivating enough diversion, especially to watch both Lau and Cheung chew up the scenery, but it is no understatement to say that it is no 'Infernal Affairs'. Like we said, it starts strong but ends with a whimper, so do keep your expectations well in check.

Twenty years after he turned his trials and tribulations as an aspiring actor into a movie, Stephen Chow remakes his own 'The King of Comedy' with a whole new Mainland cast to decidedly mixed results. Not only does he fail to convince just why a remake was necessary in the first place, this new edition is inferior in almost every respect, so much so that we dare say you're better off seeking out its predecessor on Youtube (than watching this obvious clone intended strictly for the lucrative Mainland audience).

In place of himself, Chow has here cast relative newbie Vin E in the leading role of a passionate but unlucky actress named Dreamy toiling it out in the moviemaking industry while hoping to catch her big break. Like that which Chow played in the 1998 original, Dreamy endures countless rounds of humiliation from almost everyone on the set, including the director/ assistant director(s) who wonders why she insists on asking so many details about the throwaway roles she plays, the lead actor/ actress who laments she is wasting their time with her unnecessary questions, and even the on-the-set meal person who thinks she is there just for a free lunchbox.

If that last bit sounds familiar, that's because it was a recurring joke in the original, which starred then-Chow regular Ng Man-tat as a misanthropic who was seen consistently denying Chow's character his lunchbox. Even if we're willing to give Chow the benefit of the doubt that he's included the same plot element for nostalgic reasons, we're quite sure that we cannot say the same of the rest of the movie, which finds him again milking 'mo lei tau' humour out of the scenes where our earnest but oblivious aspirant is cast as a thankless extra.

Instead of a John Woo-like action movie where Karen Mok is the lead, the production here is a family-friendly Lunar New Year comedy entitled 'Snow White: Bloodbath in Chinatown' starring Wang Baoqiang's washed-up movie star Marco. In one of the scenes, Dreamy is cast as a stand-in for the evil witch for the movie after undergoing a botched plastic surgery op that causes her to have a pointy nose and chin, and is made to endure a beating by the seven dwarves; and in another, she is tricked into playing a vengeful ghost back to haunt Marco, in order that the director may capture a genuine look of fear on the latter's face which seems painfully out of his very limited range.

As surprising as it may sound, that is as amusing as the movie gets, unless you include a sequence where Dreamy insists on keeping her prop of an ax on top of her head while attending her father's (Zhang Qi) birthday dinner. Whether intended or otherwise, the scenes on the production of the aforementioned fake movie that see the vain and irascible Marco trying but flailing to act are not funny by any measure, not least because Wang's egoistical character is so annoying you'd just want to smack him. Oh yes, we're not quite sure if Chow meant for Marco to be a hilarious caricature, but we find little humour in his character at all.

And therefore if you, like us, stepped in hoping for some good-old Stephen Chow comedy, we can guarantee you that you'd be utterly disappointed. Not only does Vin E hardly come close to capturing the same sort of charming naivety which Chow evoked in the original, there are very few scenes that are anywhere near as entertaining, even as some of them are clearly recycled from the same formula. Yet it isn't quite as simple that Chow has simply lost his comedic mojo; rather, continuing a a trend from his most recent movies such as 'Journey to the West' and 'The Mermaid', Chow seems to have simply traded laughter for emotion and/or drama.

So instead of finding humour in Dreamy's struggles, Chow chooses to play up Dreamy's determination as she overcomes one obstacle after another in order to chase her dreams of being a movie star. Besides all that humiliation we've described, she'll have to blink through her roommate Xiaomi (Jing Ruyang) getting her big break after being talent spotted on the street. She'll have to look past her father's virulent objections against her choice of career, although both parents secretly look out for her behind her back. And last but not least, she'll have to endure the heartbreak of her boyfriend Charlie's (Zhang Quandan) infidelity, with whom she had even planned to settle down with. Chow's message to 'work hard and persevere' is scrawled in his handwriting on some of the versions of the movie poster, and it is this he chooses to emphasise in the movie.

Yet as well-intentioned as it may be, we can't say that we were particularly moved, not least because the farcical tone of the abuse she has to withstand somehow diminishes the realism of the circumstances that we are supposed to empathise that she is in. To be sure, Chow's own original also tried to portray his character's unblinking dedication to craft, but it went down a lot better with his own signature brand of humour. Without the wit, and with a much heavier hand, the drama here unfortunately falls flat, and the movie ends up being a lot less entertaining than its predecessor was.

Truth be told, 'The New King of Comedy' is a wholly unnecessary remake. After his string of VFX-heavy blockbusters, many of Chow's fans - like us - were hoping that this movie would see him return to his early roots finding humour and heart in ordinary people. Yet if this pointless retread is a portend of what that return might look like, we'd much rather watch reruns on TV than sit through one-and-a-half hours of half-baked humour and cringe-worthy melodrama. Surely someone who was once feted as the king of comedy can do much, much better than this?

It is testament to the popularity of Peppa Pig in Mainland China that it is getting its first big-screen feature tailor-made for the Lunar New Year holidays, and to those worried that the character might not survive the cultural crossover well, we'd like to reassure you that it is as authentic a treatment as you'd probably imagine.

Oh yes, the parts with Peppa, her brother George and her parents Mommy and Daddy Pig are for the most part comfortingly similar to that of the cartoons on TV, except of course that they are now in Mandarin than English. Among them, there's one with Peppa visiting the kids' carnival for a camping trip that turns into a muddy delight (if you know your Peppa, you know that means jumping up and down in muddy puddles); another with Gerald Giraffe as a new student in Peppa's class with her teacher Madame Gazelle, but feeling a little left out from the rest because of his height; yet another with Grandpa Pig showing off his toy aeroplanes when Peppa and George go over to visit; and last but not least, Peppa and her family taking a trip around the world to visit her friends Danny Dog, Suzy Sheep and Pedro Pony who are also on vacation.

Yet while there is little sign that the creators of Peppa Pig have decided to sell out their character, it would be remiss if they didn't at least acknowledge the cultural context of her big-screen debut. Most significantly therefore, Peppa's concluding segment sees her celebrating the Lunar New Year with her friends and learning the traditions associated with the festival, such as spring cleaning, dragon dance and firecrackers. There is one more segment that sees two new classmates, Peggi and Pandora, joining Peppa's class, and let's just say it is no coincidence that both are panda twins whose father happens to be Police Officer Panda.

If it isn't yet obvious, 'Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year' is less a feature-length version of Peppa's adventures than a loose collection of the usual Saturday morning shorts, strung together loosely by a live-action modern-day story of a family on the eve of the New Year. In a clear parallel to Peppa's family, this real life one comprises an older girl Tang Yuan, her younger brother Jiaozi and their parents. Jiaozi is especially fond of Peppa Pig, thus creating a convenient narrative bridge into the occasional animated segments. Instead of heading to their paternal grandparents' place, their maternal grandparents are coming over to visit this year, but comic hilarity (supposedly) ensues when both sets of grandparents decide to show up.

Amidst paper cutting and dumpling making, both grandmothers will seemingly compete for the affections and attention of their grandchildren. But you should know better than to expect some all-out rivalry between the two elderly women, given how this is meant to be a family-friendly - or more accurately, child-friendly - movie after all. For every potential misgiving, there is always a song-and-dance number to defuse the tension, so get ready for no less than five live-action musical sequences. Indeed, director and co-writer Zhang Dapeng has fun turning almost anything into a song, including the two aforementioned activities, a squeezy minibus ride, spring cleaning, and even a visit to the toy shop.

Truth be told, the whole film feels completely episodic, and the start-stop nature of the storytelling makes it feel draggy and even tedious for anyone above the age of ten. Yet if you're even thinking about watching this, it is probably because your younger kids love Peppa Pig; and if so, we dare guarantee that they will be entertained, and even excited for the Lunar New Year festivities. This is through and through intended for them, so there is really no point judging the movie on any other measure, lest of course you were one of them disaffected millennials in China who misappropriated Peppa as a symbol of slacker culture. But we digress - if you have a child that loves Peppa, take them by all means and let them enjoy this East-West fusion; otherwise, you probably wouldn't and shouldn't bother about this movie anyways.

Far more than being a gripping psychological horror, 'Split' will best remembered for its shocking final moments, which revealed it to be a standalone sequel to its writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's 2000 superhero drama 'Unbreakable'. Those moments had therefore also set the stage for his latest film, named after the remaining member of the triumvirate yet to have a movie in his reference.

But frankly, if you didn't already know that, you'll likely find 'Glass' confusing, even frustrating - unlike the last two movies of his interconnected trilogy, this is intended as continuation of both storylines, and Shyamalan makes no apologies for not restating the context leading up to the meeting of these three unique personalities.

At the risk of stating the obvious, these are: Bruce Willis' David Dunn, the so-called 'unbreakable' human who discovered that he possessed superhuman strength and invulnerability; James McAvoy's Kevin Wendell Crumb, a serial kidnapper with dissociative identity disorder and a couple dozen 'split' personalities, including a murderous one known as 'The Beast'; and last but not least Samuel L. Jackson's Elijah Price, a devotee of comics literature whose struggle with his rare genetic disorder of osteogenesis imperfecta (i.e. his bones break easily, like 'glass') has made him convinced that his place in life is to be the very antithesis of superheroes.

Through the engineering of psychiatrist Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), they find themselves imprisoned at the same institute for the criminally insane. According to Dr. Staple, she has three days to cure what she terms their 'delusions of grandeur', failing which they will be trialled and probably put away for life.

Much of the movie therefore takes place within the confines of the hospital where our three leads are locked away, with a good first hour at least spent watching Dr. Staple's therapy sessions with them. Though the routine isn't as fresh as before, there's no denying that watching McAvoy shift abruptly from one persona to another continues to be fascinating, especially how they respond to Dr. Staple's therapy. In comparison, Willis' David remains largely subdued, as if both sceptical and hopeful that Dr. Staple will put things right with Kevin; on the other hand, Jackson's Elijah appears to have regressed into a catatonic state, showing little expression beyond twitching his facial muscles.

But there is good reason why the movie is titled after Jackson's character, so you really should not be surprised when Elijah snaps out of his stupor to put the finishing touches on his nefarious plan. Oh yes, like he revealed at the end of 'Unbreakable', Elijah is a master manipulator with his own designs for the world. Whereas his string of terrorist acts were intended in 'Unbreakable' at proving the existence of those who were indestructible, Elijah now wants the world to see that superheroes and arch-villains do exist, and sets out to free both David and Kevin so they can duke it out in public.

If you know Shyamalan, you'll know better than to expect that things are as simple or straightforward than they first seem, so rest assured that we haven't at all spoiled the movie for you; in fact, we'll even let you know that there are at least two or three major twists in the second half of the movie alone, leading up to a shocking conclusion that all but sets the stage for an exciting new chapter.

Lest you recoil at the very notion of Shyamalan's so-called 'twist ending', we'd say this - before he turned his own technique into a laughable gimmick, it did actually stand for something, and this one here is as good as that in 'Signs' or even 'The Sixth Sense'. At his best, Shyamalan has proven himself to be a master storyteller, and 'Glass' finds him at his world-building best.

Like 'Unbreakable', 'Glass' finds him deconstructing superhero mythology through Elijah's obsession with comic book lore; yet beyond drawing parallels between the characters and classic superhero archetypes, his most intriguing conceit here is that of pain as a form of cleansing that opens the door for those who are "broken" to acquire superhuman powers. Sure, the dialogue may tend towards the pedantic at times, but Shyamalan's singular vision and view of the superhero construct is unmistakably bold and fascinating to behold.

It is also brought to fruition by a trio of excellent actors that highlight their characters' contrasting nature with alacrity. Call it showboating if you want, but it is no small feat making a showstopper of each one of 23 different personalities - including a nurturing older woman named Patricia, a lisping eternal 9-year-old boy named Hedwig, a pair of Irish twins and even a pompous professor of Japanese cinema - and that is what McAvoy does. Whereas Kevin is violent and unstable, David is strong and sceptical, and Willis continues to underplay the role as he did in 'Unbreakable'. And then of course there is Jackson, who is deliciously sinister as the delicate but deadly Elijah, a more fully formed villain than most of those in the Marvel or DC movies so far.

Much as we were wowed by 'Glass', we'd be naïve not to recognise that there'll be those who think it pretentiously meta. Lovers or haters aside, Shyamalan has always been a divisive filmmaker, and this is no different. In part, we were half fearing a bomb like 'After Earth' or 'The Happening' after the deluge of negative critic reviews, so we were pleasantly surprised by how brilliantly clever and original it turned out to be.

We'd also caution you not to expect a typical superhero movie complete with a grand action-packed climax - not only are there enough Marvel and DC movies for that, 'Glass' was always intended to be more of a psychological thriller. Yet it is precisely this cerebral quality that sets it apart as a truly original piece from an auteur, and we're thrilled to see where Shyamalan takes his universe of world-savers and evil-doers to next.

Peter Jackson has been at the front and centre of the promotional campaign for 'Mortal Engines', the first in a series of four YA novels by British author Philip Reeve, so much so that you might think that he is its filmmaker in the same way as 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies. But despite being a passion project of his, Jackson is only its co-writer and co-producer, having handed directorial duties to his long-time VFX artist-collaborator Christian Rivers. That distinction pretty much explains why the movie is what it is - visually spectacular from start to finish, but in both plotting and characterisation, as clunky as some of the second-, even third-rate, steampunk metropolises that we see in the film.

Oh yes, to say that 'Mortal Engines' looks gorgeous on the big-screen is in itself an understatement. Every single element of the distant post-apocalyptic future that it is set is intriguing, be it the giant motorised cities propelled on rusty treads and steel wheels that barrel through the barren wastelands, or the flying airships of a band of rebel pilots called the Anti-Traction League and the floating city of Airhaven where they gather, or the half-machine half-zombie stalkers built of dead persons with their nervous systems implanted in cyborgs that are hence devoid of feelings and memories. There is plenty of mythic world-building potential in the material, and it's not hard to see why Jackson was attracted to it in the first place, or why he had chosen to hand the reins of the movie to Rivers.

These strengths are evident right from the get-go, which opens with an exhilarating sequence where the towering predator city of London engages in a death race with one component of a quaint mining colony through what is left of Europe. After a nail-biting pursuit, London shoots massive harpoons at the helpless hamlet to reel it in, and eventually gobbles it up to plunder its resources while consigning its inhabitants to be low-level immigrants within the city. Similarly, the finale that unfolds as a showdown between London and the walled-up nation state of Shan Guo is just as breathtaking, alternating between the awesome destruction wrought by London's quantum-powered super-weapon known as MEDUSA and the guerrilla airborne counter-attack launched by a couple of Anti-Traction rebels.

But in between these graphically stunning episodes is a much more pedestrian story that feels like it was scavenged from better fantasy epics, comprising essentially of a naïve apprentice historian cum wannabe flyboy hero Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan) who teams up with the mysterious scarred assassin Hester Shaw (Icelandic actress Hera Hilmar) to stop the power-hungry Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving) from unleashing Armageddon upon what remains of the rest of the world. Using pieces of old-tech that have survived the calamitous Sixty-Minute War which had wiped out current civilisation, Thaddeus is putting in place the final pieces of his plan to build the aforementioned super-weapon MEDUSA, and had many years earlier killed Hester's mother Pandora to obtain a crucial piece of the weapon.

As you might expect, Tom and Hester starts off as rivals before forming an unlikely partnership that has romantic entanglements as well. Alas too little attention is paid to the evolving relationship dynamic between the teenage couple, so much so that when the bickering exiles supposedly develop feelings for each other in the third act, we're left feeling unconvinced. Thaddeus' motivation for world-domination is never explained, relegating him therefore to a straightforward villain who is just there because the story needs one. To distract us from its under-developed key characters, Jackson (who co-wrote the script with his regular screenwriting partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) throws in a number of interesting but otherwise superficial secondary roles that add little to the central revenge tale.

Among these, Thaddeus' daughter Katherine (Leila George) and a scruffy local mechanic named Bevis Pod (Ronan Raftery) barely register, even though they are intended to form the resistance to Thaddeus' plan from within. Faring the best is the notorious outlaw Anna Fang (Korean singer/actress Jihae), who plays the equivalent of the swaggering kick-butt space pirate for all its worth, although you'd hoped that there was somehow more to the back-story between Anna and Pandora. And perhaps the most ill-conceived of them all is Shrike (Stephen Lang), one of them stalkers whom Thaddeus releases from captivity to track and kill Hester; without giving away too much, let's just say that Shrike and Hester share a complicated father-daughter bond that is so poorly handled that we almost burst out laughing at the former's denouement.

These narrative flaws ultimately reduce what could have been a sweeping dystopian epic into little more than a series of imaginatively realised environments, locations and cities. In particular, we wish we had more time exploring the English capital, whose landmarks such as St. Paul's Cathedral and the London Eye have been intriguingly repurposed. Indeed, there was much potential in the story itself - including its themes of 'municipal Darwinism' and contrast of East and West cultures - but much of that is lost amidst a hectic, even frenetic, need to rush from set-piece to set-piece, while neglecting both plot and character to add up to something more poignant. Such are its mortal sins, and as much as we appreciate how this is a labour of love for Jackson and his Wingnut Films, we suspect it is after all too weak and uncompelling to kickstart a whole new sci-fi franchise.

Four years after the laughably absurd 'Iceman', the concluding chapter of what was intended as a two-part movie saga is finally seeing the light of day, although judging by what we've seen, it would probably have been better for everyone involved for the sequel to have stayed on ice. Oh yes, despite keeping our expectations firmly in check, we were still left utterly astounded by how abysmally bad 'Iceman: The Time Traveller" is. There is the barest semblance of a story, hardly any continuity or logic to the chain of events, and just about the worst acting we've seen of an ensemble in recent time. No one - not even Donnie Yen, who has publicly distanced himself from the release of this movie - can and should be excused from this utter embarrassment, which has been deservedly dealt an ignominious box-office reception back home in China.

Right from the very lengthy narration by Yen's noble Ming dynasty general He Ying, you'd already get the sense that something is off. Some philosophical mumbo-jumbo about time, space and fate precedes what is essentially an extended recap of the first movie, in which He Ying had awoken in present-day Hong Kong and found himself pursued by three of his fellow blood brothers Cheung/ Yuanlong (Simon Yam), Niehu (Yu Kang) and Sao (Wang Baoqiang), culminating in what was an epic fight on the Tsing Ma bridge. To no one's surprise, He Ying survives the fall off the bridge, and is freed from the morgue by Cheung, who also breaks Niehu out of police custody. The trio then journey to Beijing, where they make an unnecessary pitstop at the Forbidden City before landing up in a cave where the time-traveling orb they seek has been buried.

By that point, it should be manifestly clear that there are plenty of gaps in continuity, probably arising from a combination of the producers deciding to cut their losses (and not invest further money in shooting/ re-shooting additional scenes) and the stars deciding to do likewise too. Notwithstanding, that doesn't excuse the haphazard plotting by veteran Hong Kong screenwriter Manfred Wong, consisting random detours (such as He Ying and May helping two Chinese revolutionaries on board a moving train in 1920s China foil the Tanaka Plan), gratuitous additions (such as a love triangle among He Ying and his past and present day lovers) and downright illogical actions (like Yuanlong allowing He Ying to simply walk away after having set up an ambush for him involving a whole contingent of armed guards). Even from what was filmed, it's clear the story needed a whole lot more work.

It doesn't help that director Raymond Yip - to whom this sequel is credited to, even though former director Law Wing Cheong had apparently filmed both parts back to back - rushes from scene to scene as if fearful to dwell too long on any particular event. So amidst a flurry of scenes, you'll just barely be able to follow how Ho Ying returns to his family in Taoyuan village to change the course of history and avert an impending massacre, Yuanlong's nefarious plans to join forces with the Japanese General Hojo (Yasuaki Kurata) and overthrow the young Ming emperor, and last but not least how Sao is killed by Niehu while trying to stop General Hojo. There's really no point trying to keep track of what's going on given how muddled it all is, and especially not when it all culminates in an ambiguous ending that like the opening tries its best to get all philosophical yet again.

But to be sure, the fault lies as much with Yen and his co-stars. Yen's performance is as dull, wooden and aloof as you've ever seen him, and it looks like he gave up on the movie even during filming itself. You can tell too from the lacklustre fight scenes, which though poorly choreographed by Yu Kang, are just as sloppily executed by Yen. Yam fares no better, and seems content to wear the same smug from scene to scene. Huang and her fellow female co-star Maggie (who plays He Ying's previous lover) seem at a lost what to do with their respective characters, while Yu and Wang appear to be sleepwalking through familiar personas they can play with their eyes closed. Like we said, none of the actors look like they invested any effort, commitment or inspiration in the film, therefore dooming the movie long before audiences gave up on it.

As much as you might be keen to check out how bad this movie is because you've either seen the first movie or read the ongoing spat between Yen and the producers, we'd advise you to simply divert your curiosity someplace else. This is not a case of so-bad-it's-good, but one of so-so-so-bad, for so many reasons that obviously go beyond the box-office outcome of its 2014 predecessor. It might have sounded like a good idea to have Yen take over one of Yuen Biao's more memorable roles, but seeing as how the two 'Iceman' movies have turned out, we say it was probably one of Yen's worst career choices ever. Here's our final word of advice: save yourselves the agony of sitting through 87 minutes of pure tedium, and at least you won't have your impression of all those involved tainted with the stain of this humiliation.

Cleverly inverting the point-of-view from which a tale of human and Yetis would probably be told, 'Smallfoot' tells of a clan of bigfoots living high up in the Himalayan mountains whose peaceful and orderly lives are disrupted when one of their own stumbles upon a smallfoot. It isn't just that these smallfoots have thus far been the stuff of myth; in fact, their very existence goes against the community's long-held beliefs, which are literally set in stone and worn around the neck of the high and mighty Stonekeeper (Common). So as you can probably expect, that very individual is told to either rescind his account or face banishment from the community, but by bravely choosing the latter, opens up a whole new path of knowledge, understanding and enlightenment for his fellow 18-foot hairy denizens.

Adapting from the book 'Yeti Tracks' by animator Sergio Pablos is Dreamworks Animation veteran Karey Kirkpatrick and his co-director Jason Reisig, and the duo fashion a lively, fast-paced and colourful action adventure that sees our hero Migo (Channing Tatum) venture below the clouds concealing their mountaintop habitat to find the smallfoot and prove that he isn't lying or delusional. But had the movie simply been about Migo confronting the ostensibly deceitful Stonekeeper, it would probably be no more than the stuff of Saturday-morning cartoons; instead, Kirkpatrick and co-writer Clare Sera find unexpected depth digging deeper into why the bigfoots had sequestered themselves in the first place, weaving in a poignant lesson on the dangers of fear and close-mindedness as well as the transformative power of communication.

Lest you think that the movie ends up being heavy-handed, we can reassure you that it never does, or for that matter turn preachy. On the contrary, there are plenty of amusing details along the way - like how the exuberant Migo is at first perfectly content to follow in his father's (Danny DeVito) footsteps to have himself catapulted headfirst towards a giant gong every morning in order to wake the sun up; or the band of rebel Yetis called the clandestine Smallfoot Evidentiary Society (or S.E.S. in short), led by the Stonekeeper's own daughter Meechee (Zendaya), who assist Migo on his quest; or how Migo first runs into Percy (James Corden), an animal TV show host whom he will become unlikely buddies with, when the latter in his desperation for clicks tries to convince a fellow reporter to dress up in a Yeti costume so he can pretend to have captured one on camera.

Just as worthy of mention are the couple of Looney Tunes-esque sequences that are clearly meant to hark back to its parent studio's golden era of animation. Migo's initial descent becomes an extended set-piece that includes a tangle with a rope-bridge and its two precipitous cliffs, as well as with the broken body of the propeller plane which Migo had seen the original smallfoot crash-land out of. Later on, a refuge from a blizzard inside a deep cave becomes the scene of a series of comic misunderstandings, including a warming up on top of a pile of burning firewood, an encounter with an irate mother bear who had just put her baby cubs to sleep, and a classic display of language barriers. There is inventiveness in each of these gags, and calibration in both pace and rhythm, so even though they are zippy and zany, they never get too hectic for their own good.

Kids will also love the couple of musical numbers, penned by Karey and his fellow Kirkpatrick brother Wayne, including the narration-and-song opening 'Perfection' by Channing Tatum, the inspirational 'Wonderful Life' by Zendaya, and the edgy rap 'Let It Lie' by Common. To be sure, none of these reach the heights of Disney's 'Frozen' or even 'Moana', but they are definitely catchy enough to sustain their own energetically animated diversions. They also give the off-the-beaten voice cast ample opportunity to demonstrate their lesser-seen (or heard?) talents, and we dare say that Tatum, Zendaya and Common pull off the singing parts beautifully. Those familiar with Corden's 'Carpool Karaoke' series will be glad to know he has a quirky number here too, that is based on Queen's 'Under Pressure'.

So even though 'Smallfoot' never hits the Pixar gold standard of feature animations, or perhaps even the subversive ingenuity of Warner Animation Group's own 'The Lego Movie', there is plenty of fun and laughs to be had in this fable on lies and 'myth-understandings', as well as on mis-communication and the lack thereof. Like we said, you'll be pleasantly surprised that its makers haven't opted for just another superficially glossy piece of kids' entertainment, and have instead decided to evolve the narrative in more complex and satisfying ways. It isn't small or unambitious by any measure, and is in fact big on both entertainment and emotion, so you'll find that there's something for every member of the family - big or small - in this delightfully joyous celebration of wonder, discovery and truth.

We are proud, immensely proud, to say that for a little red dot which some had up until recently mistook as a province in China, Singapore has been getting plenty of limelight within the last few months. On the political stage, the recently concluded Trump-Kim Summit that was dubbed the 'Singapore Summit' showcased our professionalism at organising a milestone diplomatic event. And just barely two months after, the very first Hollywood film to feature an all-Asian ensemble in more than 20 years (the last being Ang Lee's 'Joy Luck Club' back in 1993) is easily the most impressive our island city has ever looked on the big screen. Oh yes, the iconic touristy locations including Chijmes, Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands are all there, but there are also surprising nods here to our hawker culture (which you may have heard our PM announcing at this year's Rally is being put up for a Unesco listing) and Chinese heritage that you'll cheer for, and damn if seeing the sights and sounds we call home doesn't make our hearts swell with national pride.

Indeed, 'Crazy Rich Asians' is as much a win for Asian-Americans as it is for Singapore, and you'd be plain silly to let some misplaced criticism about how the movie doesn't reflect the real Singapore (because it was meant to be a satirical fantasy?) or lacks the representation of other races (because no film set in New York, or London, or Los Angeles reflects the full cultural breadth of the place?) rain on our parade. Gamely assembling an outstanding ensemble cast from Hollywood, Malaysia and Singapore, this adaptation of Singapore-born author Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel is as breezily entertaining and hilarious as the best of the rom-coms, but its examination on class, culture and the Asian identity is what truly gives it emotional heft and thematic resonance. In fact, it would be utterly simplistic to say that it is a critique on the nouveau riche in Singapore society; there is also the intra-community prejudices within the Asian diasporas, the Chinese tradition of filial loyalty and its implications on parent-child relationships, and last but not least the tensions between different forms of identity including personal, cultural and class.

If it isn't yet obvious, this movie is so, so much more than just an indulgence in the escapist pleasures of the ultra-rich that its synopsis may suggest. Certainly, as the young economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) at New York University accompanies her boyfriend Nicholas Young (Henry Golding) back to Singapore for his best friend's wedding, she plays the role of the audience surrogate channelling our sense of disbelief, amazement and disgust at his family and their never-never land of aspirational wealth, obscene consumerism and invidious judge-iness. Yet beyond these and the obvious caricatures of Nick's movie-director cousin Alistair (Remy Hii), his status-conscious Hong Kong cousin Eddie (Ronny Chieng) as well as spoiled-rotten bachelor Bernard (Jimmy O. Yang), there is plenty of sobering material about Nick's formidable mother Eleanor's (Michelle Yeoh) disdain towards Rachel and protectiveness towards her son. Ditto the crumbling marriage between Nick's fashion-maven cousin Astrid (Gemma Chan) and her husband Michael (Pierre Png), owing to the latter's inferiority complex and subsequent infidelity.

As directed by Jon M. Chu, the movie is perfectly balanced between big broad sequences and quiet intimate moments. The former comprises the gaudy scenes of opulent dinner gatherings, lavish bachelor/ bachelorette parties and $40 million weddings that the trailer was full of, and Chu's eye for colour and movement ensures that these scenes are lively, vibrant and eye-popping. But it is the latter where his film truly scores - witness for instance how Chu and his cinematographer Vanja Cernjul capture the way Eleanor sizes Rachel up and subsequently regards her with withering putdowns as well as icy glares, and how Rachel and Eleanor face off in a penultimate segment over a thrilling game of mah-jong. Just as captivating but for entirely different reasons are the occasions where Nick and Rachel distance themselves from the crowd and allow themselves to re-discover just why they had fallen in love with each other in the first place. As packed as the movie is with its huge group of characters, Chu never loses focus on his core characters and their relationships vis-à-vis one another, and it is his keen eye for these interactions that ensures his film also possesses emotional gravitas.

Most significantly, 'Crazy Rich Asians' offers a touching lesson on embracing who you are, no matter if you're rich or poor or disparaged. That is as true for Nick as it is for Rachel, just as true if not more so for Eleanor, and surprisingly poignant for both Astrid and Michael. Wu is a standout as the classic good-girl, never overselling the role but instead playing it with just the right mix of poise, vulnerability and self-assertiveness at the right time. Her chemistry with Golding is also infectiously appealing, and for all the hackles about casting a British Malaysian actor to play a Chinese Singaporean justifies the casting choice with his own polished screen charisma. Even more electrifying though is the push-pull dynamic between Wu and Yeoh as their characters lock horns with each other, and though the movie belongs to the younger actors, the veteran Malaysian actress is absolutely regal in her supporting role that is crisp, authoritative but also unexpectedly deserving of empathy. Chan and Png try to flesh out the complications arising from a reversal of the classic Asian husband-wife breadwinning role, but they as well as the other more minor supporting actors relegated to over-the-top bit comic parts are constrained by their little time onscreen.

That said, Kwan's novel wasn't ever going to fit neatly into a two-hour feature film, which also means that some of the subplots were going to necessarily receive short shrift; still, for the most part Chu's screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim have retained the core themes within the novel and ensured that these remain just as affecting as Kwan had intended. Like we said at the beginning, Singapore has never looked as gorgeous as it does in this movie, and credit to that colourful razzle-dazzle goes of course to Chu's visual eye. Yet beneath that shiny veneer is also a layered reflection of the Singaporean Chinese identity, which is both ethnically similar and different to the American-Chinese (or better known as Asian-American) identity, demonstrating how race is shaped as much by history, geography and kinship. Ultimately, its message about identity is as much relevant for an Asian-American audience as it is for us, especially how our multi-racialism often neglects intra-racial differences as well as class differences. You need not be Asian, or crazy rich, or even Chinese, to enjoy this hilarious, romantic and heartfelt rom-com that doesn't lose its cultural richness while retaining its universal appeal.

By now, you would have probably heard of this unexpected hit of a South-Korean title. Yes, it already had all the makings of a blockbuster, but it surpassed even projections by pundits. Surpassing 10 million viewers in only 15 days, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds tripled returns of the US$36 million investment on the 2-parter, and became the second highest-grossing film of all time in Korea.

Most importantly, it will be remembered as "that emotional rollercoaster of a film that kept my waterworks going".

Given my history with the franchise, I prepared an extra packet of tissues for the viewing of the sequel. But sadly, I hardly used a piece. Although both titles were shot together, Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days feels like a distant product. It pushed up the sliders on scale and size, but lost the epic in their storytelling and pacing.

What happened, Director Kim Yong-hwa?

The film returns us to hell, and along with the three guardians Gang-lim (Ha Jung-woo), Haewonmak (Ju Ji-hoon) and Lee Deok-choon (Kim Hyang-gi), we now accompany new paragon Kim Soo-hong (Kim Dong-wook) - brother of first episode's paragon, Kim Ja-hong - through his trials.

While the first chapter had Ja-hong as the plot anchor, The Last 49 Days turns our attention to the 3 guardians and their mysterious past. This, to me, is where the sequel flounders.

It's not long before we splinter into various story arcs. There's the main story of the trio's pasts, retold through increasingly frustrating flashbacks that sometimes last no more than a minute. Then there's the added task from King Yeomra, which dispatches Haewonmak and Deok-choon to claim a long-overdue soul, Hur Choon-sam (Nam Il-woo).

Turns out the old fellow (who appears briefly in the first film) is protected by his ultra-powerful resident Household God Seongju (Ma Deok-seok). As the two guardians struggle to wrestle the deity into submission, they find out not only his reason for protecting his client, but also that he was an ex-guardian who was there at their own passing - thus a key to retrieving their memories.

Add to that, Gang-lim's supposed agenda is throwing in all his chips to get Soo-hong reincarnated, Soo-hong's own unwillingness to do so because he doesn't want to believe that his friends murdered him, Seongju's bout with failed investments and helping his actual charge (Choon-sam's grandson) to find a real guardian, and you have essentially a very diluted film. Even King Yeomra is not spared with his own little twist!

By sowing 49 Days with so much storyline, a deft director might still be able to measure out portions of steer his priorities in the right direction to maintain a strong plot with a moral compass like the first. But Kim dropped the hat on this one. The second episode flickers back and forth stories incoherently, and makes for a frustrating viewing.

Most annoying of all is Soo-hong's temperamental behaviour. It seems to serve only as a catalyst to drive Gang-lim's actions, and loses potency because of it. Gang-lim's own guilt-laden agenda is also slightly unbearable, given how it was obvious halfway what it was really all about.

While the film does still feature gorgeous graphics and settings, it has lost a slight shine from the first film's reveal. We get to see a new scene for Indolence Hell, but other new segments really raise eyebrows in the wrong way. One word - dinosaurs.

Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days stays on track in terms of a continuation, but the calibre is far more hollow than the first. You'll get to enjoy some light sobbing at the end, but this second chapter leaves no lasting impression.

Let's hope the next episode fares better. And yes, there will be one.

So goes a quote: "Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious". How true that is of Huang Bo's directorial debut 'The Island', a survivalist dramedy which adapts the familiar premise of 'Lord of the Flies' for a thoughtful study on social hierarchy. Huang himself co-writes the story of a company of white-collar workers who are shipwrecked on a deserted island while on a teambuilding adventure, after encountering a giant tsunami ostensibly unleashed by a meteorite passing dangerously close to Earth. It is no coincidence that these twenty or so members are colleagues; after all, there is invariably a chain of command established among them, which is all but upended when the company boss Zhang (Yu Hewei) proves utterly clueless about what they need to do in order to survive in the wilderness.

Oh yes, it is deliberate irony that the least among the group should emerge as their leader, but hey at least their bus guide Dicky Wang (Wang Baoqiang) knows how to gather fruits, fresh water and fish, so it isn't surprising that the rest choose to submit to the Army veteran and former circus monkey trainer than to Zhang under those circumstances. Though at first reluctant, Dicky begins to relish being in charge, and pretty soon resorts to force and intimidation to get others to work for him. No one likes to be oppressed, especially not someone used to being the authority, and so in time Zhang will establish a breakaway faction in an overturned freighter beached on another corner of the island. Instead of Dicky's communist-style dictatorship, Zhang runs his little fiefdom by capitalist means, with playing cards as the currency to exchange for goods and food.

Amidst the establishment of these two diametrically opposite centres of governance is Huang's middle-aged sad-sack worker Ma Jin, who is on his own desperate quest to get off the island within 90 days in order to claim the 60 million RMB lottery prize he had just discovered that he won before the fateful tsunami. Ma also pines hopelessly for the affections of his fellow co-worker Shan Shan (Shu Qi), but takes for granted the loyalty of his childhood buddy Xing (Zhang Yixin). Ma and Xing have a brief falling out when the latter inadvertently learns of Ma's real motivation for risking their lives to leave; notwithstanding, the tightly-knit pair stick with each other as they go from Dicky's faction to Zhang's faction to forging their own survival within a broken helicopter next to a shallow riverbed.

In time, Ma will be forced to abandon his dreams of ever cashing in his winnings, but it is also at that time a freak occurrence will turn his despair into hope. Without revealing too much, it suffices to say that Ma and Xing will hatch a plan to reunite the two rival factions so as to establish lasting peace among the community at large, and in the process Ma will win Shan's respect and regard. But with a running time of close to two and a half hours, you'll be mistaken to assume that the film is done; in fact, the third and final act explores just how far both Ma and Xing are willing to go in order to safeguard the kind of life they had built up on the island, especially if that entails withholding the truth from the rest of the group. Both have no illusions just how insignificant they will otherwise be in the real world, and it is this fear that ends up perverting their actions.

Oh yes, it's not hard to see that Huang intends a cautionary lesson on how easily power corrupts even the most unassuming of us - whether is it the lowly service staff Dicky who has leadership suddenly thrust upon him, or the meek and modest Xing who had seemed just days ago perfectly content to simply follow in Ma's footsteps, or the self-effacing Ma who assumed the mantle of leader with no more than the noble intention of healing the rift between his warring colleagues. Besides a critical examination of authority, the film also portrays keenly how communities develop and thrive by simple supply and demand of valuable commodities like food, water and other resources. As artificial as the set-up may be, there is little artifice in how the characters respond to the changing circumstances, and this demonstration of social behaviour is captivating to watch.

As an actor-turned-director, Huang ensures that the performances of his ensemble cast are not lost amidst the allegory. Huang himself brings nuance to his role as a debt-ridden loser looking for a break in life, while giving space for the sort of broad laughs that he is known for in his pairings with Wang. Though in just a supporting role, Shu Qi offers a welcome human touch from time to time in her scenes with Huang, especially when the rest of the proceedings threaten to get a little shrill. Huang also proves to be a visually imaginative director, and some of the more outstanding images on display include a life-or-death shave with a massive cargo freighter during the tsunami, the upside-down shipwreck where Zhang sets up his camp and a tree with hundreds of fish hung from its branches to dry.

It's an impressive debut for Huang no doubt, and even though it does go on for too long, 'The Island' establishes his distinctive voice as a social commentator with comedy as his vehicle. Like our opening quote, there may be outrageous moments of humour within, but that absurdity really underlines the very farcical nature of human behaviour in society. Those familiar with Chinese society will certainly read deeper into its portraits of class differentiation, yet its theme will resonate with anyone who's ever wondered about his or her place on the social ladder. 'The Island' also comes at a particular time in Chinese cinema driven by social allegories, and it is a perfect example of a new consciousness seeping into the mainstream as well as popular culture.