Hollywood studios release their biggest films in summer; in China, the blockbusters are released for Chinese New Year. With millions of people first happily reunited with their families, and soon after finding refuge in cinemas to avoid them, Chinese New Year is the perfect time to roll out movies with popular directors, famous stars and top special effects. Here’s our guide to the biggest Chinese blockbusters hitting screens in time for the holiday.
The Mermaid
Hong Kong director and actor Stephen Chow has been rightfully dubbed the king of Chinese comedy, but he does have a weakness for CGI and occasional cinematic bloat. With little known about his newest film besides that it’s about a young man saved by a mermaid and the fact that Chow doesn’t seem to be acting in it, we were a bit sceptical about how The Mermaid would turn out. Then we watched the trailer.
If we had a dollar for every Chinese comedy trailer that made us laugh out loud – as in straight-up, embarrassing guffawing – we’d have exactly one dollar, thanks to The Mermaid. Footage so far includes a hilarious bit with a police sketch artist who can’t figure out what a mermaid actually looks like, and the film also seems to sport a slightly grimy feel reminiscent of Chow’s early Hong Kong comedies. With any luck, this could be even better than those.
The Monkey King: The Legend Begins
Few films serve as a better example of China’s emergence as a major film market than 2014’s The Monkey King. Cheang Pou-Soi’s 3D blockbuster grossed over 1 billion RMB after its release during Chinese New Year. Now Cheang is looking to recapture that success with a sequel, also sure to boast energetic visuals and well-choreographed, imaginative fights presented in stylised 3D.
The new Monkey King has lost the previous installment’s lead Donnie Yen, but replaced him with plenty of star power: Gong Li, previous antagonist Aaron Kwok, and action direction from kung fu legend Sammo Hung. We’ll admit that the last time a Journey to the Westadaptation sounded fresh, Sun Yat-sen was still alive, but nostalgia is a huge part of the appeal here. If you’re not a kid, this movie aims to make you feel like one.
From Vegas to Macau 3
Other films coming out for the holiday may also be counting on nostalgia for Hong Kong film classics, but none are exploiting it with the same pedigree as From Vegas to Macau 3. The last two Macaufilms gained a lot of their appeal from the ever-charming Chow Yun-Fat working once more in his native Cantonese. They were also powered by the popular touch of prolific Hong Kong director Wong Jing, notorious for batty comedies like God of Gamblersas well as far sleazier efforts with titles like Raped by an Angel 4: Rapers’ Union.
Thankfully, Wong’s cleaned up his act for these films. This time he’s also helped by co-director Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs). The From Vegas to Macaufilms may seem inexplicable to Westerners, but the best way to understand them is as part of a long tradition of Hong Kong Chinese New Year films that gather a bunch of stars together for what amounts to a lighthearted hangout. For Chinese film fans, that sounds like a sure-fire way to escape those holiday doldrums.
The Mermaid, The Monkey King: The Legend Begins and From Vegas to Macau 3 are on general release from Monday 8 Feb.