Jiao Xu in "CJ7"
(Credit: Sony Classics)
- Photos:
-
- Running time:
- 88 minutes
- Rated:
- PG
- Cast:
- Stephen Chow -
- Ti
- Xu Jiao -
- Dicky Chow
- Kitty Zhang -
- Miss Yuen
- Lee Sheung Ching -
- Mr. Cao
- Lam Tze-chung -
- Boss
- Director:
- Stephen Chow
- Genre:
- Comedy, Science Fiction
- Official Movie Web Site:
- http://www.sonyclassics.com/cj7/
- Overall User Rating:
-
(1 rating)
Big question: Does "CJ7" have the same excitement and sweetness as Chow's last movie, "Kung Fu Hustle"?
Catch it: People familiar with Chow's high-flying martial arts will want more action sequences—not to fight is one of many lessons Ti teaches his son—but unlike some of his contemporaries, Chow's got lots of imagination that doesn't involve kicking someone in the face. "CJ7" is best when Dicky imagines all the things he wishes the CJ7 could do—laying the smack down on a vicious neighborhood dog, for one thing—and we see the far-fetched dreams of a kid in need of confidence, companionship and the opportunity to have something of his own.
Skip it: If you don't want to see Dicky's previous hobby around the house: crushing cockroaches as they skitter along the wall. Glad to see his dad insist that this is a game no one should play during dinner.
Bottom line: The Sandler-esque humor of CJ7 shooting excrement at Dicky, machine gun-style, belongs in a different movie. The same goes for a scene of Dicky's teacher eating his boogers. What you'll take away from "CJ7," more than the anti-climactic schoolyard conflicts, is a look at the things kids think they need, the things they really need, and the pain a parent will endure to get it for them.
Bonus: As it turns out, alien pets enjoy having their belly rubbed. Hey, who doesn't?
