Shanghai Kiss (2007) User Reviews (47)

Wow an Asian male lead who's more a lover than a fighter...

[lhhung_himself · 8/10 · 4 September 2007]

First of all, this is quite a touching story about a young man learning about himself and what drives him. One could easily see someone like Zach Braff playing the lead role and the movie does have a bit of the feel of Garden State with perhaps even sharper dialog. It would be a good movie without the added dimension of having the a realistic Asian-American male lead, Liam, brilliantly portrayed by Ken Leung. Liam has problems, but not the stereotypical Asian problem of shyness - he's has no problems picking up women of all races (though he prefers blondes) but can't seem to relate to any of them except a precocious teenager (wonderfully played by Hayden Panettiere of Heroes fame) who is off-limits.

He's forced to look deep into his roots when his grandmother whom he's never met leaves her house in Shanghai. The identity conflict that arise from being born in one country but raised in another is what I call the 1.5 generation problem. The first and second generation of immigrants identify with their country of birth, either the old country or the new one, but those of us that are in between are uniquely cognizant of both cultural pulls. It's not so bad in Canada where this is nearly the norm nowadays, but the monoculture in the US and the pressure to choose tribes puts a lot of stress on someone like Liam or I imagine, the writer, David Ren, who are both Asian and American and neither. This struggle is brought out sensitively, naturally and is touching without being overly sentimental or preachy.

I hope this film what Double Happiness and Sandra Oh did for female Asian-Americans (actually Canadian - she's from my home town) and acclimate Hollywood to a multi-faceted realistic male Asian lead. In any case, regardless of the political implications, this is just a good, enjoyable romantic comedy about a young man finding himself and well worth watching.

ken leung = billy crystal

[cockerspaniels3 · 8/10 · 20 October 2007]

Bought and viewed this film. Rate it an 8.

Think Ken so resembles Billy in his speech. Quite the actor and look forward to more of his films.

Was put off to buy with the white girl dominant on the cover. Reviewed more and so happy with the purchase.

Caucasion with a 22.5 difference age Tianjin girl. In Canada more tolerant of others. Quite disturbing to have the white girl dominant on the cover while this is Ken's movie. Hollywood and America have far to go.

Thousand Pieces Of Gold is some other unappreciated gem.

Once in a while, something different comes along.

[Genjuro_X00 · 8/10 · 27 February 2008]

Firstly, I liked this movie. I liked it for the fact that it explored a lot of ideas that I myself have seen and experienced. Yes I'm Asian, but that doesn't make me automatically like this movie. I took a step outside the confines of who played what role and looked at it from a spectator and movie goer experience, and I found that it was a very interesting movie. I think that if you look beyond the Asian element of this movie, it can be applied to anyone. This is a movie about finding oneself and coming to terms with oneself, and I think this movie does it very well.

Acting wise I think that everyone did very well. I've never seen Ken Leung in a non-action movie before so I'm glad that I'm able to see a different, more realistic, side of him.

All in all, this is a good movie to see. I would definitely say rent it if you would like to see it.

Superb !! ~

[ichocolat · 3 September 2007]

How can I begin to describe just how great this movie is? I mean, the movie is simply awesome! So I decided to make the list. Here it goes :

[1] The cast is absolutely amazing. Hayden Panettiere (who stars in the TV show Heroes as Claire Bennet) is absolutely stunning! Her eyes sparkle when she smiles and it surely will melt the audiences' hearts. Ken also does a great job in his acting. His smile is addictive and he is charming, not in the George Clooney kinda way, but more like in Justin Long. Oh ya, Kelly Hu also deliver top-notch acting. Credit to them all!

[2]The storyline is unique and refreshing: I gotta say that I have long to watch a movie that move away from clichés, predictable and forgettable storyline. The story touches my heart deeply it made me somewhat very close to the characters and I can almost feel their feelings, as if I am in their shoes. It is interwoven with many cute, witty moments, and also many sad and heartfelt moments.

[3] The scenery is breathtaking! Usually when I watch Hollywood movies with Shanghai scenes, I watched a filthy, smelly markets selling pork and rats, and people riding bicycles to go to their destinations. I mean, Shanghai is shown as a place that is forgotten by the fast-pace of the globalized world we live in today. However, in this movie, Shanghai is shown as a place with beautiful buildings and places of interests. It is such a refreshing sight.

[4] It is more than just a movie. It is about dilemma faced by many expatriates. They lead their lives away from their home country, and to come back into their hometown will definitely bring back many memories, both good and back. It will also makes one think about one's culture and roots. This movie did exactly this.

So a full score of 10 out of 10 for this movie. Gotta be top of the list to all movie-goers! :)

fun Panettiere in an odd pairing

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 May 2015]

Liam Liu (Ken Leung) is a Chinese-American actor struggling to make it in L.A. He meets high school student Adelaide Bourbon (Hayden Panettiere) on the bus. Six months later, he's in an engaging relationship with the 16 year old and sleeping with other women. His hated drunken father tells him that he inherited a house in Shanghai from his grandmother. He expected $500k but it turns out to be 500k yuan. He decides not to sell and meets Micki Yang (Kelly Hu).

Hayden Panettiere is the best part of the movie. The Shanghai is some OK travelogue but nothing really funny. Ken Leung needs better actors to play with. He's much better with either Joel Moore or Panettiere. The movie falters without them. I would rather skip Shanghai and stay with the relationship digging into its obvious inappropriateness. This is an odd pairing and I wish they played with that more.

sweet and funny, witty and poignant

[michellephillips · 6/10 · 3 September 2008]

This movie made me laugh out loud. For that alone it gets my vote. It has a witty script, with more than a nod to Woody Allen along the way. The wonderful Ken Leung as Liam carries this movie on his very able shoulders and keeps the viewer watching throughout. I am not Asian or Asian-American, so I cannot comment as to whether or not this film accurately portrays the Asian or Asian-American experience. However, issues of isolation, family alienation, a desire for connection romantically are common to us all, so for me the film works. I like romantic comedy with a serious side, and I found that in Shanghi Kiss. On the negative side, the female lead is stereotypical, which was disappointing, hence my rating of 6. I would have liked the female lead to have as much depth and charm as Mr. Leung's character Liam, but she does not. This weakens the film. I would have liked to see more of Liam's father in the film. We hear about his mother, and again I want the same balance for both characters. Regardless of these reservations though, I recommend this film.

Average movie on finding a purpose

[leonshikto · 6/10 · 29 December 2019]

The film explores less in the romantic aspect but more on the life of the male lead who struggles in life at his career, love life and also his relation with his father. It follows a journey to Shanghai because he wants to make sense of what to do with his life which is the main question...

According to my rating strategy : Story: 1/2 (Good) , Task Fulfillment :1/1, Directing, Soundtrack and Cinematography : 1/2 (Good), Cast :1/2 (Good), Viewer: 1/2 and Wow Factor : 0/1

fun movie with some depth

[head_hunter · 9/10 · 10 October 2007]

hi, looking at the poster makes you think it might be just another teen/high school/college movie about love, friends etc. but this movie did surprise me a lot in terms of plot and made me laugh without using the f word but instead by using clever dialogs and many small scenes.

It is a movie about a troubled Asian American men (Ken) in his late twenties - a wannabe actor, without job, financially still depended on his dad, whom he cant get along with. at the same time, he gets to know a young 16 year old gorgeous (Hayden) high school girl, whom he really likes, but having the age difference in his head, his moral tells him not to take advantage of that situation. His life suddenly changes when inherited a house in shanghai and he decides moving there to find his own identity and to accept the fact he is not only amercan, but also Chinese.

like any other romance movies, the movie also starts off a little bit cheesy in the beginning, where the two main antagonists meet each other in the bus. But behind that, the movie differs a lot from the usual concept of a romance movie. The main plot is basically about a man's journey finding meaning in life, at the same time involved in a love relationship which is socially not acceptable due to the age difference. Besides the thoroughly thought dialogs, the unique plot, what I personally like most is the way Asian American man is portrayed here. He is not some math nerd, some kung fu guy, he is just some normal guy who is fun and troubled at the same time. Like you and me. This movie is definitely suitable of watching with your girlfriend/date, but it can also be enjoyed by watching alone.

i am going to order it as soon as it is available in Germany, and if you find any grammatical mistakes, you can keep it for yourself!

the catcher in shanghai?

[tieniemajig · 4/10 · 28 November 2008]

I'm somewhat surprised to see such high praise for this film in other reviews here. In a nutshell, while I feel that the movie is decent, it didn't blow me away and it's not something I'll really recommend to friends.

I took a certain delight in many of the scenes in the movie: the opening scene where the title character fights through Asian stereotypes while trying to audition for a commercial, the awe and wonder he feels seeing Shanghai for the first time, and his helplessness with the Chinese language as he tries to get back to his hotel. There are a few good laughs in the movie, and sure enough an emotional edge to it which some people will relate to -- in a way, you can call the title character an Asian American "Holden Caufield," if you will, as we watch him feeling empty and going through the motions, struggling with a difficult emotional past and present.

However, I felt no love at all for Hayden's character or frankly any interest in their relationship. She sure is nice to look at, but the whole premise of a hot blonde sixteen year old Beverly Hills chick flirting with a much older Asian man on the bus seemed a wee bit implausible, if not outright painful once you throw in her baby talking and bizarre instantaneous attachment and clinginess.

Overall, the laughs were a bit too few and far between and the story was a bit lackluster, feeling to me like an awkward and somewhat mediocre mixture of "Garden State" and "Lost in Translation." As an Asian American, I really wanted to love the film -- but I just didn't find it entertaining or profound.

Great

[omkazn · 9/10 · 4 November 2007]

Regardless of some of the stereotypical female characters, unrealistic situations (i.e. white girl picking up Asian guy on a bus), this movie explores some very real issues and important themes.

One of the reasons i think this movie has been taking a lot of flak for its characters development is its the first of its kind to have a Asian American MALE LEAD who DOESN"T fit the stereotypical molds. So obviously, lots of things are unrealistic. But lets examine why they seem unrealistic and seemingly improbable. It is because its never been portrayed.

Media defines culture. Music, movies, literature, art, these things are what defines culture, so obviously anything that happens in the world that can be attributed to any of the aforementioned mediums has credibility and realism, and anything that does not seem improbable. But we have to remember, HUMAN BEINGS write literature, create art, make music and direct movies. WE are in control of what defines us, and i think this movie does a great job in creating a NEW definition of what normal Asian Americans can be like, again it is a movie, so its hypothetical. Does anyone not watch spider man? Again the point is not about whether its realistic, because it is, i've seen it and i've been where this character's been, the emotions that are portrayed are very real, and if your not Asian American, or are not 1.5 generational Asian American, then you simply do not experience this cultural identity confusion and you probably will not understand this movie. But for those who fit the description and can identify with ken leung's character, this movie contains very real emotions, and of course we should be the ones that like this movie. it is kind of a movie about Asian Americans.

Lacking Something

[princessadorable · 5/10 · 21 February 2009]

The movie was okay. I give it 5/10 because it had a story and it said it, but the the main dude was really monotone and lacked compassion and his relationship with the American chick(hayden panttiere) was also lacking something and was just very strange...the fact that she was younger than him was also sorta creepy. He slept with lots of people but not her even though she was the girl of his dreams... yet she was like 16 so it was just weird.

Overall it was just a strange movie.. had about the depth of a spoon. Its an okay movie to watch while you're knitting or sewing, that's what I did.

Powerful film!

[froeper · 10/10 · 31 August 2007]

This movie wasn't what I was expecting at all when I sat down to watch it. It looks like they're marketing this as a light romantic comedy, which it is in a way: it's very very funny and romantic. But behind the comedy, there's layers of sadness that reminded me of Woody Allen at his best. Ken Leung's Liam might be the most complex character since Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. Here's a guy who can't really emotionally connect to anything - his family, his Chinese heritage, women, maybe the world. All he really has is his friendship with a free-spirited girl named Adelaide (Hayden P) who tries hard to get him to emotionally open up. Except she's only 16 and he can't be with her anyway. His father (Lo Pan), who he blames for his mother's death, calls him one day and tells him that his grandmother left him a house in Shanghai. So he decides to go their to sell it and make some bank.

That's the basic set up, which is conventional enough, but what is intriguing is every decision Liam makes throughout the rest of the movie. He's impulsive, impetuous, and relies solely on Al Pacino/Scarface type gut instincts. Even though he intellectualizes throughout the film, it's as if he doesn't trust himself nor his conclusions.

For example, there's a scene towards the beginning where he's drinking with a buddy of his. His buddy points out a cute girl at the bar, and Liam completely blasts her, calling her fake. Then at last call, when he's lost his buzz and the emptiness and loneliness of life has crept in, he starts to talk to this girl, whom he takes home. Later, she's lying next to him, making small talk and a tear runs down his face. It seemed shocking to me at first, but after a moment I knew exactly why he has crying. The scene was handled very delicately and very few actors could've pulled it off. This is such an interesting character that you can watch him eat a meal for an hour and not get bored.

Hayden is cute and charming. Her character is a dichotomy of maturity and playfulness, often at the same time. There's a scene at the end with her that's almost heartbreaking. J D Moore is hilarious as a writer who's fascinated by the opposite sex. I guess the weak link here is Kelly Hu, who's perfectly satisfactory, but her performance lacks depth. Also, her Chinese accent seemed to go in and out at times.

The best part of the film is the dialogue, which I guess is the thing that made me compare this to Woody Allen.

The movie is not without flaws. As mentioned: Kelly Hu's performance, the subplot with Byron Mann's character at the end (I won't spoil it) seemed contrived, some stilted dialogue by the river (or where ever they were), the scene where they first meet is slightly unbelievable (Beverly Hills teenager taking the bus?) although their relationship was developed well.

I'd say this is love or hate type movie. You will love it if you liked: Lost in Translation, Garden State, old Woody flicks, Little Miss Sunshine and other quirky indie comedies like that. Few things in the plot may not be believable for some, but I doubt anyone would say this isn't entertaining.

Could be Better...

[choky82 · 7 June 2008]

Well, the movie was not bad but i felt it was missing a lot of scenes, what i mean by this is that the encounters of Liam and Addy were too short, as an audience i didn't feel connected to the character of Liam(as one usually does when seeing a movie, at least in some great movies i do), i mean i did feel connected in some parts of the movie, I'm a Korean living in Mexico hence the connection, but i couldn't say if Liam was really in love with Addy, but there is more, i felt that the movie was like a mix of several movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind(Scene where Addy mets Liam), Lost in Translation(Scenes where Liam is in Shanghai), Garden State(Both characters, Addy the cheerful girl with some emotional scars and Liam struggling actor in L.A. that has issues with his father(about his mother) and his difficulty to show emotions), When Harry met Sally(Last scenes, where he runs to her house(more like a satirical part of When Harry met Sally, because in the movie Harry is not even tired after his long run and Liam smokes when he is resting(very funny), arriving at Addy's House all sweaty), and Addy saying "why do you make it so hard for me to hate you" (like Addy says News Flash Sally said the same thing to Harry) and i don't know if there is another similar movie but you get the idea. Overall not a Bad movie i give it a 6.5(I'm unintentionally being like Liam's friend Joe(those who saw this movie understand what I'm talking about)), i really enjoyed the song Lilly of Pink Martini and also the reference of Nat King Cole(that made me search for his songs). Well that all folks. Thank you for reading all the way through my comment(I usually don't write comments).

sure, it defies stereotypes; but that doesn't mean it's good

[ghoge · 2/10 · 15 January 2008]

Much has been made by other reviewers about how "Shanghai Kiss" breaks away from the unflattering stereotypes that dog Asian men in American popular culture. And to be sure, I'm glad to see these folks playing roles other than martial artist or math geek. But in its relentless quest to show that, yes, an Asian guy can indeed sleep with white chicks, this movie gives us an entirely unsympathetic main character and throws him into completely implausible situations.

Nowhere do we see why it is that Ken Leung's character is such a babe magnet. Instead, we get someone who is shallow, egotistical, moody, immature, and just plain annoying. And he's not even especially handsome, either (though he does have a sort of boyish cuteness). In short, there's nothing particularly desirable or appealing about this guy. Yet, inexplicably, the ladies just can't get enough of him.

And as if the fact that the protagonist is totally irritating isn't enough to detract from our enjoyment of the movie, there's also the rank implausibility of the storyline. I mean, how often do attractive women (of any race) blatantly throw themselves at random strangers (again, of any race) on public buses? Or, when someone just steps off a trans-Pacific airline flight, how likely is it that they are immediately going to go someplace where -- you guessed it -- women are eagerly waiting to pleasure him? To me, the whole thing smacked of the film makers shouting out as loudly as they can, "Hey, look at this! Asian guys can get some action in bed!" Well, OK, that's swell, I guess. But somehow, I don't think that making our "hero" out to be as unappealing and unsympathetic as possible, while putting him into completely implausible and unbelievable situations, advances the cause of Asian male de-stereotyping.

Full disclosure: I hit my limit and stopped watching the movie about a half-hour into it (right after the main character arrived in Shanghai). So that's why I'm giving it two stars, because maybe it got better after that. But as for me, I'm afraid I'll just have to keep hoping that maybe someday I'll find a non-stereotypical Asian guy in the movies who's actually worth spending some time with.

Can't Resist Shanghai Kiss

[shoane · 10/10 · 26 March 2007]

There is something irresistible about Shanghai Kiss. The story is humorous, romantic, and thought-provoking at many different levels. A young Asian-American in search of his identity, played by Ken Leung, befriends a precocious teenager, played by Hayden Panettiere. Ken gave a brilliant performance as the witty, sensitive, and endearing young man. He was so natural that at no point did I doubt that he was that character. Hayden simply lights up the screen. Her eyes sparkle, and when she smiles, it just melts the audience's heart. As the story continues, Ken inherits a house in Shanghai, and meets a woman played by the lovely Kelly Hu. There are other relationships interwoven into the story, such as Ken's troubled relationship with his father, and his friendship with his straight-shooter nerdy buddy played superbly by Joel David Moore. I can barely do justice in describing how interesting the storyline is and how clever and humorous the dialogs are. But one thing I can say is that you would not be able to resist thinking about this film for days afterwards.

Highly unlikely except in your wet dreams

[Bad-Good-Great · 4/10 · 3 January 2020]

This guy was a kinda short guy even by Chinese standard when he walked among the Chinese in Shanghai. His hair looked unkempt as he just rolled out of bed. His pants were always 5 inches longer than his actual inseam length, a typical problem when the regular Chinese Joe tried to buy a pair of pants but always turned out too long without alteration. He looked so sloppy, more like a homeless guy. He looked so mediocre even by Asian standard. So how it possible an pretty American blonde would pay attention to this guy on a metro bus in L.A.; especially in Southern California, there are so many male Asians, taller, cleaner, more handsome, more interesting than this short guy. But she took such interest in him, did a sketch of his regular Asian Joe face, even moved over to seat in front him and started singing? Jesus, this love-at-first-sight scene...a beautiful blonde young girl suddenly approached an Asian man out of nowhere and fell for him without any explainable reason? Wow, this is the Final Fantasy of most Asian young men, not just the Chinese, man. It could only have happened in your wet dream after you flipped through couple of Playboy, Hustler or Penthouse magazines, then you masturbated yourself and fell asleep afterwards.

Then this mediocre guy went to Shanghai, just like when he was in L.A., met another pretty woman, not only easily had sex with her, she was exactly like that pretty blonde in southern California, fell for this short Asian American. He seemed to have some mysterious Star Wars Force that would enable him to score pretty women like hitting the lottery jackpot. Wow, the wet dreams simply couldn't stop and kept coming.

I think this movie's title should be changed to: "The Wet Dreams of A Chinese Guy (2007)"

One of the best movie in 2007 on Modern Day Asian American Lives

[foreversoldier · 10/10 · 28 October 2007]

I believe this is one of the best movie in 2007 on Modern Day Asian American Lives. This is one movie that I loved to watch with my wife. This is got no condescending tone about Asian Americans like many other US movies. The movie was modern, witty and incisive. I enjoyed watching it! I have been to Shanghai and it is very modern in the center piece of the town. Many people do move there from all around the world. The girl singing to a guy on the bus seems unreal to me. But I guess that is one way to add drama. I believe this is one of the best movie in 2007 on Modern Day Asian American Lives. I just read how all the people in the film had worked for almost nothing to support a movie like this. The making of the movie itself is truly amazing. I would recommend this movie to all my friends.

Kelly Hu is beautiful, but this movie is lacking.

[abtronic · 5/10 · 31 August 2007]

I'm doing this review to undo the harm a previous IMDb poster did to me. Most likely the reviewer had something to do with the production of this film. The glowing review made me want to see this film only to be slightly disenchanted by it. I really wanted this movie to be good because Asian American films are limited to action martial arts films, which shows the current lack of acceptance of Asian Americans as viable leading men or ladies. So, I was going into this movie with good expectations, and I found myself first questioning the writing, then the acting, and casting. The contrivance and farce needed to accept the much of the film is outside my range. At no point did I believe any of the character development points, which mostly likely has to do with the casting. Ken Leung doesn't work in my opinion because he lacks all likability and charm needed for this part. Hayden's perverse attraction to him and her baby talk performance really turned me off. Kelly Hu is beautiful and believable, but her accent was less then believable. Boy, is she one beautiful woman. Hmmmm. Anyway, I do appreciate what the screenwriter was attempting, because the story line is believable on many levels. Being an Asian American actor that doesn't do stunts is like an automatic blacklist in Hollywood. The directors lost some of the nuance of reality in many scenes, which was distracting. I guess I can forgive a lot of these little things that threw me off. By the end of the movie I do like Ken Leung, but not his performance. I'll give this movie a five for the attempt, but nothing as glowing as the previous poster.

Garden State but better

[hw711 · 10/10 · 5 September 2007]

WOW, you gotta see this movie. It has a non-stereotypical Chinese male lead, which is totally rare in Hollywood films. It's a drama that has some comedic moments. It's about this 28 year old Chinese American (this part same as me) living in LA struggling with his acting career and how an opportunity to leave his normal confine changed his outlook on life and his relationship with his father and others. There is the childhood mother accident and the resulting blaming game. There is the overly positive (polar opposite of main character) girl. I know, the overall storyline is almost exactly like Garden State but the detail experiences are completely different. I actually like it a lot more than Garden State. There are less drug use and weird stuff, instead, it has more real life problems and emotions. I don't mind the former, I like Garden State too but the latter just makes you feel so much closer to the characters.

I love the scenes in Shanghai. I really want to go there now. LOL. I wonder if Hayden got the opportunity to visit while shooting the movie. BTW, all the actors were amazing (even the potential house buyer couple). The main actors displayed all range of emotions very convincingly.

I have to admit, I saw an illegal copy of the movie. But I liked it so much that not only am I going to purchase a legit DVD for myself, I'm going to buy a few to give them to my friends. It's unfortunate there is not enough promotion for it so I'm going to help spread the words myself.

One of the worst movies ever

[Apr23HRH · 1/10 · 25 October 2007]

So I get that Asian-American actors need richer roles than just kicking some guy in a martial arts movie, but please don't tell me that this is the alternative. All the characters are stereotypical, flat, and undeveloped to the point of caricature. You've got the sixteen-year-old blonde, the cynical man who wants to "rediscover" himself, and the hot girl who provides the easy impetus to do it. Where is the heart in this movie? Where is the exploration of real issues? If Ken Leung was white, there is no question that most Asian-Americans, or Americans in general for that matter, would find his character deeply offensive. He comes to Shanghai commenting on its modernity and looking wide-eyed at all the bright lights like he expected to find two huts and a water buffalo. He's sleazy, he's in love with himself, and his "conversion" at the end is unconvincing. It's easy to go back to "rediscover your roots" when you have a gorgeous house with the best view in the city and a beautiful girl (portrayed by Kelly Hu, quite obviously not Chinese, let alone Shanghainese) who conveniently speaks English waiting for you. He doesn't make any real effort to learn Chinese and absorbs culture by hanging out in Karaoke bars and expensive restaurants. I mean, come on.

It's great to see an Asian guy who can finally get (lots of) girls in movies, that's for sure. But as an Asian-American woman from Shanghai, I found this movie egregiously awful. If you're looking for a quality Asian-American film, you can do better. I'm pretty sure that all the actors and filmmakers themselves can do better as well, since they are pretty talented individually, just apparently bad collectively.

I was really looking forward to this film and am sorry to say that I was sorely disappointed

excellent surprise

[annbower · 10/10 · 1 January 2008]

I did not know about this film before I rented it on a whim. It was very entertaining and the acting was great. I especially liked the male lead, Ken Leung. I have only seen him acting as a bad guy in action films. He carried this movie as a leading man (a woman's opinion). I will look for him in movies in the future no matter the genre. Hopefully more Asian's will be seen in mainstream movies. I thought the commentary on the DVD was interesting. It opened up my mind on the meaning behind some of the scenes that I had not considered. I especially enjoy films that keep me thinking about them after they are over. I would watch this movie again just to take it to another level.

What an Odd Film

[AngelHonesty · 4/10 · 6 January 2022]

They put Hayden Panettiere all over the cover and yet in reality she has a small role in this film. The movie follows Ken Leung as he tries to find his identity as a person and figure out what he wants in life to be happy. Its slow paced and a little weird as the viewer randomly follows this man and his depressing life. The thing that confuses me most is how he seems to be able to get any woman he wants. He inst very good looking, he is practically a bum and yet his "humour" and "heart" is able to make any woman head over heels about him? And to make it even weirder, his biggest fan is a sixteen year old (he is 29) and he falls in love with her? The over all message in the end of the film, about finding yourself is great and all, but the journey getting there, is exhausting and a little off putting to watch.

Will lead the Asian American revolution.

[drjsway · 10/10 · 3 September 2007]

I've been following this movie since before it even started shooting and managed to see it earlier this year at the San Francisco Film Festival. Now I see it's finally getting released. When I first read about it, I thought, an Asian guy dating a white girl in a Hollywood movie?! As an Asian guy myself I hoped it was good because I was sick of people like William Hung representing us. Harold and Kumar had a romantic subplot but it wasn't really the focus of the movie and Harold is a bumbling nerdy stereotype. The problem with AA movies is that none have been really good. Better Luck Tomorrow and Saving Face was probably the best (Motel's good), but where are the sex, lies, videotapes, Reservoir Dogs, Little Miss Sunshines, The Squid and The Whales? For an AA movie to break through into the mainstream, there needs to be a film that can be considered as great as any of those. Even better, it needs to be as good as the best movies out there: godfather, Annie Hall, The Apartment. So you can tell I had high expectations.

This movie surpassed my expectations. This is the film that is "good enough" to put AA cinema into the mainstream and I hope it leads the Asian American revolution and also, raises the standards of other Asian American movies. Good is not enough Asian American filmmakers, your movies need to be great. This movie was funny, sad, romantic, beautiful, and deals will so many issues like a young man struggling with feelings for a teenage girl, alcoholism and how it creates a wall to your family, the loss of a parent at a young age, communicational gaps between 2nd generation American and his 1st generation father, what it means to be American vs Chinese, racial stereotypes in Hollywood, leading a practical, stable life vs a fulfilling life (becoming a lawyer or an artist), maturity vs immaturity, following your heart vs complying to what's socially acceptable, - and it faces all these issues in a funny way. This movie is so funny and that's what makes it so enjoyable. It's not a message movie nor is it preachy. It doesn't try to make a statement, it just tries to entertain but the message, the statement comes through subtly. I hope other Asian American filmmakers take notice. The bar has been raised.

Unconvincing,clichéd, disappointing

[punditz · 2/10 · 6 March 2008]

might have spoilers!!!

I m still confused why this movie received such a high rating on IMDb. It is poorly directed(so what if its his first), has average actors and a shitty story line. This is an attempt by an inferiority complex-ed Chinese guy to lash out at the "snobbish" Americans. Ken leung is rather pathetic, he manages to "score" white chicks with stupid lines and then gets to act all superior towards them. And whats with the stories of childhood harassment(we are discussing a 7 yrs old's penis...??) Hayden is rather irritating at times and obviously retarded cause she picks up bored looking Chinese men from a bus.Then tries desperately to act like a 16 yr old, with her weird antics. and kelly hu, although hot, is useless, whats with all the crap about Chinese way of life and low wages.?? Give me a break. Please avoid this by all means.

For once, a non-fighting/nerdy/criminal role for an Asian male.

[hitman514-1 · 10/10 · 20 October 2007]

Before Spike Lee came around, Black male actors weren't getting the best roles - a) They were usually the first to die in any movie, b) they normally played the roles of drug dealers, gangsters, criminals, slaves, convicts, and pimps). c) Their roles were restricted to action/crime, musical, or sports-related movies.

Spike Lee changed all of that and it's because of Spike that we got to see black actors, such as Denzel, Terrence Howard, and Jamie Foxx (to name a few)get powerful Oscar-worthy roles.

To date, Asian actors are still suffering in Hollywood.

The only roles Asian actors can get in Hollywood are: a) the evil Asian-villain who gets beaten by the white hero...and the white hero saves the beautiful Asian girl from the clutches of "Dr.Fu-Manchu" b) a gangster, Viet-Cong soldier, Shaolin-Monk, Martial Arts teacher, Chinese-takeout cook/delivery-man, computer-geek, pingpong player, etc... c) anything to do with Martial Arts

It's about time that we have an Asian Spike-Lee! David Ren has stepped up to the batter's box and hit a grand slam with this one and I hope that he comes back for more!

This flick has it all...relevant themes, great movie, great cast, and great director!