PodBill Just what I expected

Steineded How sad is this?

MusicChat It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Michael Ledo The film is a romantic comedy. Lui Xuan is a real estate developer. He has sonars around his island, "The Green Gulf" to keep away protected species so he can develop it. Unbeknownst to him, it has trapped and is killing off the local indigenous mermaid (and men too) population. Shan has been assigned to lure Mr. Lui so she/they can assassinate him. Lui courts her as this turns into an odd Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet involving two different species. Shakespeare sells.The film has English subtitles. The comedy was good. It made me laugh out loud. The police scene was a riot. The sound track fit neatly into the film using mostly stuff we hear in American and old European films. The opening scenes of a side show scam artist sets the comedy mood. The film also has action. It hits on all cylinders.Guide: Quick male butt showing. Implied topless scene. Use of SOB and frequent "bitch." A large tentacle is where manhood should be. Shooting and killing. Even the music has subtitles.

win2888asia I very like to see thisSome argue that Stephen uses a lots of old jokes and routines in this movie that makes it a little bit weak on the script. However, I think it's one of his best. He doesn't make as many dirty jokes as usual, but you can really learn his philosophy through this two-hours movie and have a very good laugh at the same time.

Hellmant 'THE MERMAID': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)A Chinese sci-fi/comedy fantasy romance; co-written, co-produced and directed by Stephen Chow. It tells the story of an extremely wealthy playboy, who falls in love with a mermaid that's sent to kill him. The movie stars Chao Deng, Yun Lin, Yuqi Zhang and Luo Show. It's received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it's became the highest-grossing Chinese film ever made! I found it to be just a little too strange, I like strange but I didn't like parts of this (for whatever reason), but I still enjoyed it (mostly). Liu Xuan (Deng) is a very rich playboy businessman, that purchases a wildlife reserve for a sea reclamation project. His company then uses new sonar technology to get rid of all of the sea life there. What Liu doesn't know is that the area is inhabited by merepeople, and his sonar technology has killed many of them (and caused the others to get really sick). The surviving merepeople want to kill Xuan because of this, and they send a beautiful mermaid, named Shan (Lin), to assassinate him. The two then start to fall in love instead. The movie is obviously very different than Disney's 'THE LITTLE MERMAID'; Hans Christian Anderson's original fairy tale was the main inspiration for both films though. It's violent, at times very dark, and R-rated (I think it's probably considered a family film in China though). It's also very bizarre, and weird. I respect those things a lot; but not if I don't actually like what they create (like a lot of the weird slapstick comedy in this). I do like the movie overall though, and I respect it's originality and awesome creativity.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/bryytrjyDdI

ebossert Note: Check me out as the "Asian Movie Enthusiast" on YouTube, where I review tons of Asian movies.So here's the story. An estate project involving reclamation of the sea threatens the livelihood of the mermaids who rely on the sea to survive. So they dispatch one of their own to seduce and kill the project manager. The director here is Stephen Chow, who has also acted in many films. His more popular directorial efforts include Shaolin Soccer (2001) and Kung Fu Hustle (2004), but two of my personal favorites are From Bejing With Love (1993) and Journey To the West: Conquering the Demons (2013). If you're familiar with his work, you will know what to expect with Mermaid. He gives us a charmingly wacky, high energy film that moves at a brisk pace from start to finish. There are tons of jokes that are consistently peppered at the viewer; some work better than others, but it helps to keep the viewer engaged throughout.The premise itself also allows for some unorthodox character interaction, which is especially entertaining. How many comedy movies concern a nutty mermaid who is attempting to seduce and assassinate someone? I always like it when a movie is a bit different, and this one certainly is. Like some of Chow's other films, there are some rather serious and violent moments that are introduced, but they work well despite resulting in some tonal shifts. The reason I feel this way is because this film makes its lead characters likable and you don't want to see them get physically harmed. So that's a positive.The lead actress here is Yun Lin, who is a newcomer, but she dominates the proceedings with a very expressionistic performance. When she shows up for the first time, her make-up is all messed up and she's practically screaming her lines. You're saying to yourself, "Is this the lead actress?" Acting like this can get extremely annoying, but I have to say that she nails it very well. To give a performance this energetic and yet still be funny and likable is quite an accomplishment. She was definitely good in this. The lead actor (Chao Deng) is also very good. He plays off of Yun Lin properly and they have good chemistry together. Finally, I have to point out that the supporting actress (Kitty Zhang) could very well be the most beautiful woman on the planet. My goodness! The first time I saw her was in the very romantic comedy "All About Women" (2008) and really liked her performance in that one. She's just as good in Mermaid. At one point during the later half, she gets quite serious and she's entirely convincing. I do not want this woman getting angry with me.With all of that said, however, I would not elevate Mermaid into quite the same class as the previously mentioned movies from Stephen Chow's filmography. But at the same time, I'm not exactly sure why I feel that way. Maybe it's the environmental theme and characters, which are basic and not particularly nuanced. So in some sense these qualities limit the overall depth of the film.Also, the special effects are low grade and cartoonish. There's a lot of mermaid and tentacle stuff going on, which is not particularly convincing from a visual standpoint. This flaw is limited to being a minor distraction due to the light overall tone. For some reason, I easily forgive lackluster special effects in comedy films. And to be perfectly honest, I think moviegoers place way too much emphasis on special effects nowadays. If the film itself is immersive, low-grade special effects can be perfectly fine. Clash of the Titans (1981) is a great example of that. I love that movie.Regardless, I definitely enjoyed Mermaid, and it could very well move up my ratings list after a second viewing. If it plays in a cinema in your area, check it out. It is not yet available on DVD, but there is a good chance at a wide release given the popularity of the director.