If this movie provides any insight into the Chinese psyche, I'm worried. First off this is a kids movie with a cute little alien creature that a boy befriends. EXCEPT the boy doesn't befriend him. He tries use him at first to get stuff, like good grades, and when the alien fails the alien is tortured, beaten, and thrown in the trash. For some reason, the alien returns to the boys home where he is further beaten and hit and thrown around. The alien decides to stay again. I am going to reveal the ending...The movie ends with the father being killed at an accident at work and the cute fuzzy alien thing sacrificing himself to resurrect the father. The only sense of the story I can make is that the creature was so despondent at being left in such a cruel miserable country he decided to kill himself by resurrecting the father. He resurrected the father because he wanted to punish him for being such a jerk by making him live longer at his sucky life as a poverty stricken coolie.
And don't worry, the boy gets beaten too. Great kids movie. Want to know why China is one of the worst offenders when it comes to animal cruelty? Here's one reason why.
Now I am no huge fan of Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks, but at least the messages in their movies have a beautiful sentiment behind them. You know, friendship is important, love is important, etc etc. The message in this movie seems to be you can treat non-human living beings as horrible as you want, use them, dispose of them, and you will still be their master. If this is what passes for children's entertainment in China, then that is one messed up country.
I should also mention, this movie is painfully unfunny. Most American kids movies have a lot of clever things to keep adults entertained along with the young ones. Like, for example, the use of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song in Shriek III. There is none of that in this movie. It is extremely dumbed down. But it won't work for kids either, as it can be upsetting to sensitive children.
So, unless you are interested in a sociological examination of what constitutes a kid's movie from China, stay far away from this one. Shaolin Soccer isn't too bad though. I don't know where all the positive reviews came from either. I think it must be astroturfing by people who work for the studio.
And don't worry, the boy gets beaten too. Great kids movie. Want to know why China is one of the worst offenders when it comes to animal cruelty? Here's one reason why.
Now I am no huge fan of Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks, but at least the messages in their movies have a beautiful sentiment behind them. You know, friendship is important, love is important, etc etc. The message in this movie seems to be you can treat non-human living beings as horrible as you want, use them, dispose of them, and you will still be their master. If this is what passes for children's entertainment in China, then that is one messed up country.
I should also mention, this movie is painfully unfunny. Most American kids movies have a lot of clever things to keep adults entertained along with the young ones. Like, for example, the use of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song in Shriek III. There is none of that in this movie. It is extremely dumbed down. But it won't work for kids either, as it can be upsetting to sensitive children.
So, unless you are interested in a sociological examination of what constitutes a kid's movie from China, stay far away from this one. Shaolin Soccer isn't too bad though. I don't know where all the positive reviews came from either. I think it must be astroturfing by people who work for the studio.