atlasmb

In this competition show, twelve individuals try to survive in the woods. Periodically, there are opportunities to gain aids, like tarps, matches, or food. What sets this series apart is that each contestant has two relatives that stay in "headquarters", where they live and watch the proceedings. A contestant can only be extracted if their relatives order it.

At every turn, the relatives are under duress, having to make decisions that might affect the game's outcome. And the contestant who wins gets $250,000, so the stakes are high.

It should be noted that surviving does not make you a survivalist. This game is not like "Naked and Afraid", where one must survive off the land with no assistance. But surviving in "Extracted" is not easy. Many competitors do not make it to the end.

As in many other games, alliances are formed and people must confront their own values, deciding the "right" thing to do in difficult situations.

Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek are two very likable actors, so it is no surprise that this film is likable. Perry plays Alex, a New Yorker who works for a company that develops clubs and restaurants. When he is sent to Las Vegas to build a new facility, he meets Isabel (Hayek), who is of Mexican extraction. Sparks fly, then they go their own ways.

Obviously, it doesn't end there, or this would not be a rom-com. Maybe halfway through, the film changed for me, and I became more engaged. What was a light story about two lives became a more consequential story about real connections.

Contributing to the story in various ways were the music, which I thought was excellent, the inclusion of Jill Clayburgh, who plays Alex's mother, and the performance of Angelina Torres, who plays the great grandmother of Isabel, and adds great warmth to the story, though she gets little screen time.

This film, which I thought would be of little value, actually proved to be worth watching. Keep an eye out for the location photography, too.

This musical features the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The soundtrack features two songs that are memorable and stand out in the context of the story. As for the story itself, it is mildly compelling.

A father and daughter stow away on a ship from Hong Kong to the U. S., where they hope to complete a deal for her arranged marriage to an American. Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) and her father, Dr. Li (Kam Tong), know little of the U. S., so they experience culture shock when they arrive in San Francisco. Little China does possess aspects of the old world's cultural heritage, but most of its inhabitants have been integrated into American culture, or they were actually born in the U. S. The contrast between the two cultures provides much of the humor and the much of what makes the film interesting.

Mei Li immediately falls for the man she was supposed to marry, Wang Ta (James Shigeta), but he has eyes for a nightclub dancer, Linda Low (Nancy Kwan). To make things even more confusing, Linda has been in a four-year relationship with the club owner, Sammy Fong (Jack Soo), and Ta is the object of the secret affections of Helen Chao (Reiko Sato).

Hermes Pan is responsible for the dance numbers in the film. He shows the viewer a variety of dances, especially to highlight cultural differences. The Chinese Americans dance everything from a square dance, to the Charleston, to rock and roll, and jazz, all in the same number. This is one of the most entertaining parts of the film. Also, watch for Nancy Kwan's (nearly iconic) performance of "I Enjoy Being A Girl" and a very stylish "dream" dance to the tune "Sunday".

And the introductory titles are beautiful, as they set up the beginning of the story.