Chow's child-like sense of wonder is no guarantee that he can make a suitable film for kids.
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08/25/08
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CJ7 (2008)
51 %
Reviews Counted: 72 Fresh: 37 Rotten:35 Average Rating: 5.5/10
Consensus:
Eccentric and sweet, Stephen Chow's latest is charming, but too strangely and slackly plotted to work as a whole.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 88 mins
Theatrical Release: Mar 7, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: Chinese writer-director-comedian Stephen Chow (SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE) takes a break from his usual action-comedy adventures for an E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL-inspired tale of family bonds and personal integrity. Chow stars as Ti, a down-on-his luck widower who must funnel... [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Stephen Chow, Xu Jiao, Kitty Zhang, Lam Tze Chung
Director: Stephen Chow
Screenwriter: Stephen Chow, Vincent Kok
Producer: Stephen Chow, Chui Po Chu, Han Sanping, Vincent Kok
Composer: Raymond Wong
Screenwriter: Stephen Chow, Vincent Kok
Producer: Stephen Chow, Chui Po Chu, Han Sanping, Vincent Kok
Composer: Raymond Wong
Reviews
He knows he's the hundredth director to rip off E.T.: he's just going to do it better, and with jokes fit for a vintage Warner Brothers cartoon. [Blu-Ray]
08/13/08
In spite of the hole the writers dig themselves in accidentally turning the main hero in to a really unlikable presence, "CJ7" is a great twist on the boy meets alien tale...
08/13/08
Despite its flaws, this is an entertaining fantasy adventure that both kids and adults will enjoy. Worth seeking out.
08/08/08
Chow’s kung fu fans may be disappointed that he’s made a family film, but on its own terms it’s well crafted, quite touching and frequently LOL.
08/08/08
Whimsical, knockabout and slightly out there, it's an enticing watch and one which more adventurous young audiences won't find too alien.
08/08/08
There are some nice surreal touches, such as getting enormous adults to play two of the eight-year-olds. But I can't forgive Chow for a misjudged and frankly offensive ending, which is culpably evasive about the reality of life and death.
08/08/08
With its fast action, cute critters and schoolyard antics, children and fans of Kung Fu Hustle should enjoy Stephen Chow's CJ7, which further cements his reputation as a commercially gifted director.
08/08/08
Chow’s film is a charming, funny illustration of family life that explores the notion of being given a second chance. A kids’ comedy with a heart.
08/08/08
The choice between fantasy and reality is ultimately what CJ7 addresses and dramatises. Chow's film is charming, to be sure - but that is just the half of it.
08/06/08
Chow loves his comedic exaggerations, and for good reason: he executes silly with dazzling skill. CJ7 might be a minutely less aggressive production from Chow, but that doesn't make it any less unreal or hilarious.
07/29/08
This is a wildly inventive and funny film that is a breath of fresh air.
06/18/08
Always intriguing but not always fully involving, CJ7 still features, as with its resurrecting dog, Chow's enlivening touch. Even when his film isn't completely absorbing, it seems he never met a dying genre cliché he can't reanimate.
05/29/08
CJ7 is a deceptive little delight, a movie that wisely avoids the pitfalls of its obvious homage to set its own cinematic course
05/16/08
CJ7 acknowledges the clichés, sometimes embracing and sometimes satirizing the conventional depictions of kids and adults in family films.
04/30/08
While to many audiences it might seem bizarre and out there, it's perversely watchable.
04/24/08
China has a lot to answer for these days -- unsafe food exports, unsafe toys, Tibet. And now CJ7.
04/11/08
Chow's loyal fans are sure to be disappointed by CJ7, and the film faces one other significant problem in traveling to these shores: Any kid who is the right age to appreciate this pap is going to be too young to read subtitles.
04/11/08
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