9 films you should catch this Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and this year’s one comes with a rather long weekend. With most companies giving a half day on Friday and Monday being an official day of rest, we’ve got 3.5 days of holidays. That’s something to cheer about.
If you don’t celebrate the Lunar New Year (or you don’t celebrate it for all the 3.5 days), here are some films you should catch (or really ought to have caught already) over the holidays!
Films you should catch over the Lunar New year
“Arrival” sees the story of our first contact with aliens, headed by Louise (Amy Adams). It’s mildly educational in its depiction and explanation of linguistics, but what really makes it stand out is its attention to detail. The way that the world governments react is both plausible and realistic, and it’s this grounding in real world details that allow us to believe in the fantasy of aliens arriving and being completely unfathomable to us.
2. xXx: The Return of Xander Cage
“xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” is just pure entertainment, with a sprawling cast of action stars and models popping in and out to deliver fisticuffs and quips. The story isn’t too complex, so you don’t have to focus too hard to make sure you don’t miss any clues or important details. It’s the kind of film where you watch beautiful people perform amazing stunts and just enjoy the ride, and if you want a relaxing Lunar New Year, “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” may be just the film for you.
“The Great Wall” is, in a way, thematically suited to the festivities since it takes place in China. But beyond that, it’s an action film that tries to balance both Western and Asian sensibilities, with varying results. “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” also sports a multi-cultural cast, but “The Great Wall” handles the diversity better. It’s available in cinemas until 2 February.
There’s really no reason why you shouldn’t catch “Moana”, no matter what age you are. It’s got a catchy song and one of the funniest Disney characters in history, Heihei. It draws on the myths and legends of a culture that’s not frequently depicted in mainstream media, making it fresher than other Disney adaptations of existing stories. Maui (Dwayne Johnson) might be incredibly irritating, but that shouldn’t stop you from catching it otherwise. It’s reaching the end of its run, so it’s only available in selected cinemas.
And last year’s “Ballerina” is still showing in cinemas this Lunar New Year weekend, so you should catch it while you still have the chance! The animated film about an aspiring ballerina sees wonderfully choreographed acts that are as fluid and natural as any live action dance movie. Felicie (Elle Fanning) may be impossibly thin, but she approaches dance with a healthy zest that adults can only dream of having. It’s also finishing its run, so catch it soon!
But wait! What if you’ve already caught all these films? You can consider yourself a true cinephile.
There are four more Lunar New Year-related films opening over the weekend, and you can check out these four films to truly bask in the festive spirit.
6. Take 2 (遇见贵人)
“Take 2” is a new Jack Neo film that looks at a sensitive topic in Singapore society — ex-convicts. It sees four men with criminal records attempting to rebuild their lives, to varying degrees of success. Just like how the Lunar New Year represents a fresh start for the Chinese, “Take 2” also represents a fresh start for the Singapore movie industry by tackling taboo topics on film.
7. The Fortune Handbook (财神爷)
The other uniquely Singaporean Lunar New Year movie this weekend is “The Fortune Handbook”, which sees a god of fortune descending to Earth to help a mortal family. Predictably, chaos ensues since deities really aren’t supposed to dabble in the affairs of humans. It’s a fun fantasy film that has both Christopher Lee and Li Nanxing (woah that’s almost like having Zoe Tay and Fann Wong in the same film) starring in it.
8. Kung Fu Yoga
If you’re looking for something a little less local, “Kung Fu Yoga” is Jackie Chan’s new action film that’s a Chinese-Indian co-production! It sees Jack (Jackie Chan) teaming up with Ashmita (Amyra Dastur) in a search for an ancient treasure. While the rest of the world might marvel at having such a multi-racial cast, we’ve been casting Chinese and Indian characters together ever since we’ve had local television programmes. It’s about time the world followed suit.
9. Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (西遊2: 伏妖篇)
And to round it off, we’ve got the requisite Journey to the West film, “Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back”. It’s a sequel to 2013’s “Journey to the West: Conquering Demons”, in case you’re wondering why there’s a “2” in the Chinese title. It features a brand new cast for Tripitaka and his disciples, as they continue their journey to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures.
So what films are you going to catch this Lunar New Year?
Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.
