The Mermaid (2016)

The Mermaid: Directed by Stephen Chow. With Chao Deng, Show Lo, Yuqi Zhang, Yun Lin. Shan, a mermaid, is sent to assassinate Xuan, a developer who threatens the ecosystem of her race, but ends up falling in love with him instead.

“This yearu0026#39;s Chinese New Year is packed with Festive Films, from Monkey King 2, Vegas to Macau 3 to Mermaid.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAfter watching all 3 of them, I have decided to only write a review for Mermaid because it is the only one worth the effort and time.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe great thing about Mermaid is that while it is a comedy that brings the whole family together, it manages to bring in an underlying plot that teaches us important values about ecosystem and a life lesson about money and materialism.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile not on par with Chowu0026#39;s masterpiece like Kung Fu Hustle or Shaolin Soccer, Mermaid is better than Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons. The slapstick style of comedy of Chow is evident throughout the movie, and the laughter by the audiences can be heard echoing throughout the cinema halls.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA number memorable scenes provide some of the biggest laughs – such as when Shan made numerous botched attempts to assassinate Liu Xuan with various means and weapons from the sea.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNewcomer Jelly Lin is the latest in a long line of u0026quot;Stephenu0026#39;s Girlsu0026quot;. Chow has the knack of discovering an illustrious list of talented actresses that include Karen Mok, Cecilia Cheung, and Vicky Zhao. Lin is the latest muse to channel Chowu0026#39;s range of rubber-faced physical comedy and deadpan delivery of killer lines. Jelly Lin is reportedly cast from auditions with over 10,000 hopefuls.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile this film will not play extremely well with critics, it undoubtedly will have a good word-of-mouth as it is an entertaining movie with the right balance of humour, touching moments and good acting.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAfter watching so many movies is this Chinese New Year, I can say that Mermaid is easily the best movie of them all.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI look forward to Stephen Chowu0026#39;s next movie, and the opportunity for him to step in-front of the camera once more.”