THE NEW KING OF COMEDY (新喜剧之王)

Release Date: Malaysia, 05 Feb 2019

Genre: Comedy

Running Length: 1:31

Cast:  E Jingwen, Wang Baoqiang, Zhang Qi, Yuan Xingzhe, Zhang Quandan, Jing Ruyang

Director: Stephen Chow

Screenplay: Stephen Chow

Based on the main idea from his 1999 film King of Comedy, Stephen Chow's THE NEW KING OF COMEDY is not really a remake. Although both films share the same premise of a struggling extra (actor) wanting their big break into the main cast, the original film is more of a romantic comedy while this new take focuses squarely on the journey of background performer, Dreamy (newcomer E Jingwen) wanting so badly to be cast as a lead.

There are two things I really appreciate about this film: No CGI and Stephen's casting of E Jingwen.

Most of his recent movies have been heavy in CGI (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7, 2013's Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons and 2016’s The Mermaid). If you know me, I cringe whenever CGI is used in Chinese films. Because for whatever reasons, the outcome always look cheap and unbelievable. So it's very refreshing to see no heavy effects were used in this production.

And the casting of E Jingwen as the film's lead was a bold move as she doesn't have the looks of Cecilia Cheung (1999's King of Comedy) or Jelly Lin (The Mermaid). However, as the movie progressed, I was captivated by her earnest performance. There's just something very genuine about Jingwen.

So, is this movie funny? Not really.

(Not that I mind)

There are its moments but I was chuckling instead of laughing out loud. Perhaps it's the distracting Cantonese dubbing as the original language is in Mandarin. (After CJ7, Stephen has stopped acting to focus on writing and directing films for audiences in mainland China).

Or perhaps, it was done on purpose. The 1999 film had a similar tone; it was a bittersweet drama + comedy. Just like the original, I appreciated the quieter moments of its characters interacting with each other. There are two standout scenes in particular: a washed-up actor Marco (Wang Baoqiang) accepting he is no longer an A-list actor and a really moving scene at the end involving Dreamy's parents (played convincingly by Zhang Qi and Yuan Xingzhe).

All in all, eventhough I appreciate the performances of the cast, this is far from a perfect film. Its pacing is uneven and the plot is half baked. And the closure felt rushed and forced.

That said, Stephen Chow is getting better as a drama-comedy director. Or maybe, he has just mellowed over the years.

RATING: 7/10