My wife and I wanted to see this because of the high IMDb rating and also because there is a large Asian population in our town due to the local state university. Frankly, we were also curious if the Asian kids would be as disrespectful of their own ethnic movie as they are of ours. Very often they will use their smart phones during top movies of all kinds and it's been appalling to us. It's hard to believe they're unaware of how badly that makes them look but much easier to believe they don't care.
Well, we weren't disappointed, most of the audience was Asian, as expected, as it's in Chinese with subtitles, and some did use their cell phones during the movie. I suppose it could be we don't get the top notch kids, but the university insists they are.
Anyway, the movie itself dragged in the beginning, but started to pick up about a third of the way through. It finishes strong and pleasantly. The early parts revolve around a feckless rich and unattractive playboy who is in the habit of getting what he wants. And what he wants besides prostitutes is to develop an island and make a lot more money. In order to have his project pass muster, he scares away the (apparently protected) dolphins living there with constantly playing loud sounds.
It turns out there are more than dolphins in the area, and, in fact, there are genuine mermaids who have long stayed out of sight. The story concerns one of them played by Jelly Lin, I think it was, who is sent to kill the playboy because his sonar is causing huge damage to the marine life including the mermaids themselves. This is good as the more the mermaids and an octopus get screen time the better the film becomes. Jelly Lin makes for a delightful focus who doesn't mind getting into some broad humor. It eventually all becomes a rollicking, almost slapstick comedy folded into a surprisingly touching love story.
The effects aren't quite as good as in Shaolin Soccer, but they're tolerable and occasionally very effective. The message is clearly and honorably pro-environment in the end. Too bad the violence gives the movie an R rating because Asia does not enjoy a good reputation for conservation as the dolphin, whale and rhinoceros killing has, to my knowledge, hardly abated, despite numerous complaints. And what could be better than to have their kids watch someone like Stephen Chow, the director, promote conservation?
Well, we weren't disappointed, most of the audience was Asian, as expected, as it's in Chinese with subtitles, and some did use their cell phones during the movie. I suppose it could be we don't get the top notch kids, but the university insists they are.
Anyway, the movie itself dragged in the beginning, but started to pick up about a third of the way through. It finishes strong and pleasantly. The early parts revolve around a feckless rich and unattractive playboy who is in the habit of getting what he wants. And what he wants besides prostitutes is to develop an island and make a lot more money. In order to have his project pass muster, he scares away the (apparently protected) dolphins living there with constantly playing loud sounds.
It turns out there are more than dolphins in the area, and, in fact, there are genuine mermaids who have long stayed out of sight. The story concerns one of them played by Jelly Lin, I think it was, who is sent to kill the playboy because his sonar is causing huge damage to the marine life including the mermaids themselves. This is good as the more the mermaids and an octopus get screen time the better the film becomes. Jelly Lin makes for a delightful focus who doesn't mind getting into some broad humor. It eventually all becomes a rollicking, almost slapstick comedy folded into a surprisingly touching love story.
The effects aren't quite as good as in Shaolin Soccer, but they're tolerable and occasionally very effective. The message is clearly and honorably pro-environment in the end. Too bad the violence gives the movie an R rating because Asia does not enjoy a good reputation for conservation as the dolphin, whale and rhinoceros killing has, to my knowledge, hardly abated, despite numerous complaints. And what could be better than to have their kids watch someone like Stephen Chow, the director, promote conservation?