Painless time-killer...
49 Days isn't a crap movie, but nor can it be considered as any good. At best, the movie can be labeled as an adequate time-killer which doesn't bore, but at worst, there is nothing exciting in it at all. In other words, a movie that you finish and just moments later you feel - "I have just wasted my time." Have you ever sit through a movie, where tens of people die in a fire, yet there is not even a single sign of emotion moving within your heart? 49 Days loses out big time, because of its lack of emotions and wholly fully ordinary direction by a former kung fu star. Stephen Fung, a director himself could have done a heck lot better, if he was given the job and likewise, Gillian Chung performs in a role that allowed nothing more than being her old cliché self.
The movie attempts to ape A Chinese Ghost Story and also a trying efforts of the late 80s, but sadly the script does not allow any breakthrough. The result is once again yet again missed opportunity because the director wanted to play safe. The movie starts and ends without being surprise or anything whatsoever, but luckily it doesn't bore you either. Perhaps it is saved by a charismatic performance from Stephen Fung and a beautiful look of Gillian Chung. The pairing shows glimpses of chemistry, but the director never attempts to give their relationship any depth or character which results in an empty feeling towards the end.
Stephen Fung plays a character who comes back from the dead after being wrongfully accused for arson of his own house and while he is given most of the focus, his character isn't well developed and resulting in absolutely no emotional responses even when he die. Gilian Chung is also given a role that wastes her time and talent and needless to say - she is looking pretty. Boyz's Steven appears here and there in what seemed like a Chapman To's cameo, but minus the comic genius of the later. Raymond Wong is just painfully annoying as traitor and rather mad and one dimensional to the point of destroying the movie. Wong Yat Fei is once again funny, but his presence is far too shortlisted.
Overall, 49 Days isn't a totally crap and in fact it isn't really that bad. However, it just forgot the plot and at times it just seems stupid. Hampered by poor direction, average sets, 49 Days is really a wholly fully average production that merges too many genres. Ask yourself after watching the movie - is it a comedy? horror? thriller? family drama? If you are asking Neo, he really do not know, as it isn't really comedy, it isn't scary, it isn't thrilling and the family drama has no emotions whatsoever. Sure this movie doesn't bore you to death as it moves in a very fast pace and before you know it the movie have already ended. Perhaps it is a good thing, but only when you really have a lot of time on your hands to kill off, in that case, it is a pretty much painless time-killer...
I rate it 6.5/10
