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CJ7
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MPAA RATING: PG for language, thematic material, some rude humor and brief smoking
Starring Stephen Chow, Kitty Zhang Yuqi, and Xu Jian
Ti is a poor father who works all day, every day at a construction site to make sure his son Dicky Chow can attend an elite private school. Despite his father's good intentions to give his son the opportunities he never had, Dicky, with his dirty and tattered clothes and none of the "cool" toys, stands out from his schoolmates like a sore thumb. Ti can't afford to buy Dicky any expensive toys and goes to the best place he knows to get new stuff for Dicky: the junkyard! While out "shopping" for a new toy for his son, Ti finds a mysterious orb and brings it home for Dicky to play with. To his surprise and disbelief, the orb reveals itself to Dicky as a bizarre "pet" with extraordinary powers. Armed with his "CJ7," Dicky seizes this chance to overcome his poor background and shabby clothes and impress his fellow schoolmates for the first time in his life. But CJ7 has other ideas, and when Dicky brings it to class, chaos ensues. (Sony Pictures)
| GENRE(S): | Comedy | Sci-fi |
| WRITTEN BY: | Stephen Chow |
| DIRECTED BY: | Stephen Chow |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: August 12, 2008 Theatrical: March 7, 2008 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 86 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | Hong Kong |
| LANGUAGE(S): | Mandarin |
Alternative Title: Cheung Gong 7 hou
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 6.6 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
E. H. gave it a0:
I am a fan of Stephen Chow's works. However, CJ7 was highly offensive due to the fact that the space alien "dog" was severely and continuously abused throughout it's short life! This was totally unnecessary and was not the kind of viewing that is "just for fun" viewing!
Nate H gave it a7:
I actually really enjoyed this movie. I can understand how many wouldn't though. It is very much geared towards the inner child as most of it is very light and full of heart. The switch to tragedy towards the end gives a bit of meaning and resonance to the whole story, a father-son pic at the very core, but some of the cliche scenes of "haha you're poor" felt a bit forced. The whole scene in the middle was great, as the young kid has CJ7 "help" him in class. The imagination of Stephen Chow is something to marvel at. This is a completely different type of movie from Kung Fu Hustle though, so don't see this hoping for anything like that. Still a very good film. Just don't set your hopes for something it's not.
Adam N gave it a9:
Seriously underrated. If you're a fan of Stephen Chow this is an instant must-have. Just because its no Kung Fu Hustle 2 and instead a movie that may look like Flubber at first glance the critics automatically dismissed it. I'm 26 and I was laughing throughout the movie and was glued from start to finish. Flubber was a disaster, CJ7 is a brilliant film for all ages.
Jay H. gave it a5:
A strange film, I think it would be more appreciated in China than elsewhere, but it was curiously fascinating. The acting isn't too bad. Ultimately, it didn't quite work.
[Anonymous] gave it a9:
I enjoyed this movie on several fronts. It took place in a very interesting cultural setting, and I found the class differences very interesting. This was not at all a Hollywood movie where you knew what was coming next. If you never like foreign movies, you obviously won't like this. If you sometimes like movies with a twist, watch the trailer. It gives you a good sense of the movie.
Bellino P gave it a10:
Mr. Chow is one of the best under rated Directors of all time. This is a great film.
Chad S. gave it an8:
"E.T." beget "The Last Mimzy" beget "Cheung Gong 7 hou"(American title: "C7"). It was a matter of time before this filmmaker turned his attention towards the sky. His live-action cartoon style is a natural for science fiction. The physical laws that govern time and space are ignored repeatedly in "Shaolin Soccer" and "Kung Fu Hustle". In "Cheung Gong 7 Hou", sci-fi is out of the closet. Ironically, the socio-economic status of Dicky and his father(Stephen Chow) suggests an affinity for Ken Loach films. Ti works as an unskilled laborer at a construction site so Dicky can attend a fancy private school. If "Riff-Raff"(Loach's best film) had a sci-fi component, it might look something like "Cheung Gong 7 hou". The alien that Dicky(a name that operates an inside joke; like "E.T.", the male owner presumes his new friend is a boy, but where's the genitalia?) cares for has the bloated head of an ugly bird that's seemingly grafted onto an elastic body. It's sort of cute, but you're always aware that C7 is a special effect, or an expensive toy. Dicky and the alien seem more like "Calvin & Hobbes" than Elliott(Henry Thomas) and the extra-terrestrial. Because C7 never truly feels alive, Dicky gets away with behavior that would raise the ire of the Humane Society. Dicky has a surprising cruel streak. He's not entirely sympathetic. In fact, he's whiny; sometimes exasperatingly so. In other words, he's like a real kid. Dicky uses C7 to improve his life, which is why the final act packs a surprising emotional wallop. The alien loves the boy more. Dicky just wanted to be the cool kid with the cool stuff at school. He used C7 to be popular. When it's too late, he finally learns to be a true friend. "Cheung Gong 7 hou" reminds me of the tamagotchi fad from last century. C7 is more virtual pet than alien.
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