CJ7 (2008)

The Worst Film Ever

Absolutely amazing

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Stephen Chow is a talented writer/director, but you would be hard pressed to guess that from CJ7. The film begins as the story of a poor kid who's hard-working father is determined to send him to a good private school. Picked on by fellow students and a finicky teacher for his bedraggled clothes, the kid's life changes course when a cute alien creature enters his life.The pre-alien part of the movie is a little dull, but that is also the most consistent part of the film. Once the creature shows up, Chow seems to lose his bearings. The movie veers wildly from unpleasant slapstick to maudlin sentiment. There is no character development; characters are who they need to be to suit the current gag. The child protagonist is generally unsympathetic. CJ7 itself makes no sense, developing fondness for characters that put it through slapstick hell. This is not the work of a storyteller, but rather the work of a joke writer. Some moments in the movie are rather entertaining, particularly a fight between two unusually large children. But most of the scenes don't work. Since the movie ignores believable characters to go for the laughs, the fact that the movie has very few laughs is unfortunate.This is a kids movie, so it's fair to ask; would kids like this? And it's possible they would. Children are unlikely to be concerned that the movie is a poor man's E.T. They won't be that put off by its star's casual cruelty, nor will they demand that the alien's actions make emotional sense. The little critter is cute and the movie is loaded with cheap wish fulfillment, so yeah, kid's might like it. But it's not a good movie.

Another Chow movie has intrigued me yet again. Though, a little different to his other known humour such as ,'Kung-fu Hustle' and 'Shaolin Soccer', this particular movie has portrayed more than just the random bursts of laughter.The storyline may be somewhat average but because it's aimed at a younger audience, it mostly doesn't matter. What's most important, are the contents that are being portrayed. There's an underlying message conveyed to the audience, not only just to the children but to the adults as well and that is, you should cherish the things you already have in life, most importantly your family. Which, in this case the film has portrayed very well to the point where I almost shed a few tears.

I have been a faithful reader of IMDb reviews for years and for years I have been postponing creating an account so that I can add my feedback every time I finish watching a movie. CJ7 was the film that made me finally break down and do it.I only know of Shaolin Soccer and Kungfu Hustle by reference, but after watching CJ7, I have decided I must watch those two, although I have learned by reading other reviews on CJ7 that these movies are very different.CJ7 is a beautiful film that was definitely made with kids in mind but adults can enjoy immensely. This Asian gem will make you laugh and smile while shedding a tear or two, all at the same time.The first thing that struck me as excellent was the photography and I immediately remembered thinking the same thing about other Asian movies I have watched in the past. Then, it was the CGI, which I never expected to be this good in this type of flick. Also, how nothing in this film seemed remotely unfamiliar, no matter how different my culture and the culture of the characters here may be. And last, but by no means least, the music selection. Not many Americans are familiar with Boney M --which is a real shame--, but they were very famous in many other countries and the second "Sunny" came on the first time, it planted a big smile on my face. There's also the scene where CJ7 is working his most crucial magic. All sounds are muted and the song takes over. This definitely worked for me and the song selection was impeccable. "I love Chopin" was a real pleaser too.I finished watching CJ7 thirty minutes ago and definitely wish the movie was still going. In fact, I can't wait to watch it again soon.Do not only your children, but also yourself a favor and watch CJ7. You will not regret it.

Stephen Chow is huge, no doubt about that. In the West, he is known through his latest films (Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle), but in the East he's been a comedy phenomenon for years. He started his career in the early 90s as an actor, launched by several famous Hong Kong directors. It didn't take him long to start directing films himself, which brought him his current fame.A new Chow film is probably the most important public film event throughout the larger part of Asia. That said, the stakes were high for CJ7.Chow is best known for his typical comedy formula: a mix of Hong-Kong humor, parody and crazy special effects that make his films stand out from the crowd. In that sense, CJ7 will be a surprise to many viewers. Talking about viewer expectations, Chow's new film could be compared to Danny Boyle's Millions. A film from a director that throws himself at the children's market without losing too much of its own identity, but with the chance of losing many of its initial fans.CJ7 contains enough typical Chow humor to make it recognizable, but at the same time CJ7 is targeted at a younger audience, with many themes lifted directly from other children's films. Take ET, add some Totoro, mix it with Chow's comedy and what you have is something close to CJ7. It's probably a good thing to realize this before going into the movie, as many will go in with the wrong idea and will be left disappointed by the film.If you get used to the idea that this film is a bit different from Chow's other films, it turns out to be a pretty sweet, nifty and funny film after all. Most of the main roles are played by small kids, and they do a pretty great job. The main role is a bit too soft maybe, but the mini-triad kid is hilarious, the fat kids are plain weird (I wonder how they were filmed) and the little girl is really too cute.Of course there's also the alien, which is a cuddly little animal. It's digitally created but feels like a living, breathing, rubber bath toy. An awesome creation that plays a large part in the film's charm. To make it complete, Chow himself takes on the role of the father, which he does well (as usual). I think Chow's style of acting can easily put people off, as he seems pretty aware of the comedic scenes he's delivering (much like Takeshi Kitano), but his presence on screen is warm and compelling enough not to be bothered by it.The film looks pretty lush and colorful, Chow really made some progress in the visual department. Although the special effect are still behind Hollywood standards, Chow keeps them functional and funny at all times, which makes the lacking technical qualities easy to forgive. The soundtrack could have been a bit less dramatic I think, although I guess those are the downsides of making a film mostly targeted at kids.CJ7 is still a funny film, though the number and range of gags is a lot smaller. They are replaced by a pretty typical but warm children's tale. The result is a film that could charm you as easily as it could disappoint you. Chow is enough of a director to pull it off, but those wanting another typical Chow comedy will be left with empty hands. Those willing to go along with Chow's fluff will be treated to a fun and cutesy film. 4.0*/5.0*