East Meets West (2011) User Reviews

Surely this was a spoof...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 13 February 2021]

I was fortunate enough to get to sit down in 2021 to watch the 2011 Hong Kong comedy "East Meets West". Mind you, I hadn't even heard about this movie prior to now, 10 years after it was initially released. But it being a Hong Kong comedy, of course I sat down to watch it, without a shadow of a doubt.

And when I sat the impressive cast ensemble as the movie started and their names were credited on the screen, I must admit that I thought I was going to be in for a treat.

Turns out that this movie was not without the scopes of my liking, nor even within the confines of what I would consider entertaining. The storyline was just a scrambled heap of rubbish that made little coherent sense. And to be honest, the movie was just way too offbeat and odd for me.

So not even the impressive cast ensemble could manage to salvage the movie. And this cast list includes the likes of Hong Kong names such as Karen Mok, Ekin Cheng, Eason Chan, Kenny Bee and Jaycee Chan. Granted, I will say that it was definitely a treat to see Karen Mok in her particular role, which just goes to show what a versatile actress she really is.

I literally have no clue as to what writer and director Jeffrey Lau was thinking when concocting this movie, nor what the purpose of the story was. Because it sure wasn't entertaining.

My rating of "East Meets West" lands on a mere three out of ten stars, and that is based on the impressive cast list, the production value, and the wardrobe. But from an entertainment point of view, then this movie was just a swing and a miss.

It's Not Comedy, It's Trash!

[changmoh · 1/10 · 24 November 2011]

One thing that comes to mind after 10 minutes of this movie is: What the hell were the people smoking when they did this gad-awful trash of a movie? Jeff Lau's "East Meets West" is apparently an attempt at spoofing the Hong Kong music industry and a host of popular Cantonese comedies. However, it ends up making a sorry ass of itself.

It boggles the mind how so many famous and talented stars are involved in crazy cinematic circus.

The synopsis provided in the Production Notes is as follows: "Ten thousand years ago eight gods fought incessantly, not realizing that by doing so they were securing their own demotion into the secular world. They can only return to heaven once they can get along with each other harmoniously. Ten thousand years later a stereotypical Hong Kong girl Zhong Xiaoming, and her smart father Ah B, have no idea why they are being chased up for a debt. Having no alternative, they flee to Guangdong to search for the girl's unreliable mother Jia Jia to find out the reason. From antiquity to the present, East and West, dance and flight, a pleasantly surprising cast, magnificent and happy, no great disparity between rich and poor, success and prosperity!" It is a huge put-off to see characters dressed outrageously and acting like idiots even if they are gods incarnate. There is absolutely no emotional connection between the cast with the audience and for the most part we don't know what is happening or why. Is the sight of Kenny Bee in Beatles or Elvis hairstyle funny? No one laughed or even sniggered at the media screening I attended. Will anyone laugh at Ekin Cheng covered in flour and communicating in sign language? Again, no one found it funny enough to laugh.

Besides the iconic hairstyles, the cast also don ridiculous eyeglasses and weird wigs and make-up. The big-name cast, especially Karen Mok, are largely wasted in a movie that largely requires them to make a fool of themselves. Mok is supposed to be playing a woman who yearns for love and affection but is too shy to show it. However, she appears to be just clowning around in a meaningless role. Jaycee Chan has a cameo ostensibly to make fun of his father Jackie. Kenny Bee just looks lost throughout the movie while Ekin Cheng just look pathetic. (Full review at limchangmoh.blogspot.com)

Zany madcap fun full of the kind of 'mo lei tau' gags that will delight fans of veteran Hong Kong 'king of comedy' Jeff Lau

[moviexclusive · 7/10 · 28 November 2011]

Nineteen years after his 'The Eagle Shooting Heroes' became one of the comedy classics of the Hong Kong film industry, writer/director Jeff Lau returns with an unofficial sequel set in modern-day China. Bearing the same Chinese title as his earlier but with the year 2011 added at the end, it sees Jeff at his most inspired in recent years- though like most of his works, it is as likely to entertain those looking for some wacky fun as it is to frustrate those looking for something called plot or character.

And we must admit- there is very little of either, both of which are probably little more than excuse to string up a whole line-up of madcap 'mo lei tau' antics. Fans of his will surely be familiar with what to expect from him, but the unaccustomed may probably take some time to get used to the slew of bizarre, peculiar and downright absurd smorgasbord of garish costumes, wacky hairdos and outlandish CG effects. The concoction is potent, so you'd best be prepared to check your brains at the door if you must to enjoy it as it is.

To accompany him on this journey into the wild and weird, Lau has assembled an all-star cast including Eason Chan, Karen Mok, Ekin Cheng, Jaycee Chan, Huang Yi, Kenny Bee and Stephy Tang. It's a crowded ensemble all right, and with the exception of Eason and Karen, the rest have to contend with being just supporting actors. Karen plays Xiaoming, a rebellious rocker-type punk with an immense distrust of both her father Ah B (Kenny Bee) and of the opposite sex. One can't blame her- her father's music career has fallen by the wayside after falling in love with her high school classmate Jia Jia (Huang Yi).

Jia Jia owes a Mainland tycoon Zhou Dong (Eason Chan) a huge debt, and when she is kidnapped, Xiaoming and Ah B rush to her rescue. Zhou Dong wants Ah B to stage a reunion concert of 'The Wynners' (yes, the real- life five-member boyband consisting of Bee, Alan Tam, Bennett Pang, Danny Yip and Anthony Chan- all of which make cameo appearances in the film) and unless Ah B makes it happen, Zhou Dong will kill Jia Jia. En route to meet Zhou Dong, the father and daughter pair meet a wannabe actor Wen (William So hamming it up with a thick accent), a rich girl Jade (Tan Weiwei) who only wants to pursue her musician dreams and her bodyguard Bing (Jaycee Chan), as well as a single father Da Xiong (Ekin Cheng) working as a small dumpling chef to support his son.

Jeff uses the first half hour of the movie to introduce all his characters, and if you don't already know them by this time, you probably won't at all. The disparate group is brought together by a legend that tells of seven immortals who have been fighting incessantly over the years to defeat their eighth counterpart, despite failing at every attempt. And just like that, the film morphs into a superhero movie, with each of the seven heroes suddenly finding renewed purpose in their lives helping those in need. And again before you know it, it becomes a romance between Zhou Dong and Xiaoming, the latter's identity concealed from the former behind a mask.

You could of course criticise it for being all over the place, and that it is- but it is precisely this messiness in which Jeff's films have been known to thrive. Which other Hong Kong film have you seen someone (ok, a superhero in this instance) deflect a piece of falling debris with his quiff? Or yet another superhero (Ekin's dumpling chef to be precise) deal with a pair of bank robbers by wrapping them inside two giant dumplings? That's the kind of outrageous humour Jeff has been known for, and there is plenty of that zany creativity on display.

And in between the 'mo lei tau' gags are more intelligent digs at reality, such as William So's wanna be gungfu actor who's claimed to have studied Wing Chun from the two Ip Man movies, or even more personal ones like Kenny Bee's real-life inspired character as a has-been pop idol. There are also some lessons specific for the Mainland audience (after all, the budget for this movie did come from China), like the avariciousness of local property tycoons exemplified by Eason's Zhou Dong and the emphasis on forgiveness over revenge and payback. It may sound haphazard, but Jeff does a surprisingly deft job blending these elements together.

He also has a most capable cast to thank for it. Eason and Karen share good chemistry together on screen, and their romantic misadventures provide some of the film's more tender moments. Jeff also has given Kenny one of his most significant endeavours of late, and the latter (who also starred in the original 'Eagle Shooting Heroes') rewards his mentor's trust with a well-calibrated comedic performance. Kenny serves too as art consultant on the film, and contributes his voice to the songs in the film- including a remixed version of the original theme song and the Turtles' 'Happy Together'.

Jeff's sheer energy is matched with a sharp score which complements the tonal shifts between screwball and romantic in the film. Of course, that energy means that the film also goes in all different directions whenever it wants to- though this time, we found much inspiration behind the inanity. It won't please everyone, and neither do we suspect that it intends to, but if you're keen on some wacky fun not often had in Chinese cinema, strap in and let the clash of East and West take you on a journey you will probably never expect.

• www.moviexclusive.com

A hilarious superhero comedy / fantasy.... with caveats

[azncowboy123-915-393930 · 8/10 · 27 November 2011]

East Meets West is a genre mashup comedy from director Jeffrey Lau. Lau made the classic Steven Chow films A Chinese Odyssey 1 and 2. His specialty seems to be mixing comedy with heartfelt mythmaking, elements which made his Chinese Odyssey films cult favorites. He revisited the Sun Wukong theme in 2005 with A Chinese Tall Story.

Here Lau thankfully has left the Sun Wukong fixation behind in favor of a new kind of mythology.. superheroes. The film works best early on as a parody in the vein of Mystery Men or Kickass. These are everyday people who become superheroes with somewhat dubious powers. The humour is hilarious, offbeat and incredibly energetic in the first half hour or so. Lau adds a bit of commentary on pop music, HK nostalgia and kung fu in the mix. The CGI is better than expected for a HK comedy and works well in the cartoonish moments.

Lau overplays his hand with the romantic angle though, leaving most of the cast with nothing to do for the second half to last third of the movie. Most of the 'heroes' have good backstories but little to no development and closure. The film undergoes a tonal shift and drags on a bit too long. The romance has some payoff, though not enough to justify the amount of screen time it gets.

On balance, it's still a worthwhile flick just for the well-done offbeat humour, something we don't get enough of these days from HK film.