Review: 'Mr Unbelievable' has familiar faces and feel-good vibes
Eric (Chen Tian Wen) and Lawrence (Tosh Zhang) shoot “Unbelievable.” (Clover Films)
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.
Secret ending? Indeed, and a bloopers reel through the credits too!
Running time: 93 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Mr Unbelievable” is a Singapore comedy with musical aspects in it. It features a former getai singer’s journey to achieve his dream, even as he learns about what’s important in life. It stars Chen Tian Wen (Eric Kwek), Marcus Chin (Master Lo Man), Roy Li Feihui (Ah Fei), Jaime Teo (Ah Hua), Liu Ling Ling (Man Li), and Tosh Zhang (Lawrence).
“Mr Unbelievable” is intentionally cheesy and corny, which works well given the subject matter of the film and the different language mediums it spans. It definitely appeals to the older crowd, but there are elements for the younger audience too - namely the inclusion of Tosh Zhang as one of the main cast members, and providing perspectives from the post-getai generation.
Lawrence (Tosh Zhang), Ah Fei (Roy Li Feihui), Ah Hua (Jaime Teo), Master Lo Man (Marcus Chin), Eric (Chen Tian Wen), and Man Li (Liu Ling Ling) perform. (Clover Films)
Highlights
Fun 80s segments
The 80s sets are fun and detailed with all sorts of callbacks to the 80s, although they’re mostly limited to the getai and KTV pub sets. It’s not just the locations that are interesting though — the characters really do speak and behave with an 80s mentality, a time of more innocence and straightforwardness. For some of the characters, it’s also interesting to contrast their modern day appearances with their 80s looks too.
Man Li is endearing
Man Li might very well be the most lovable character in the film! You can’t help but be touched by her genuine emotions towards Eric and be amused by her strange quirks and miscellaneous skills that she has. Liu Ling Ling’s role here is a stark contrast to the creepy psychotic mother she played in “Bring Back The Dead,” showing us the range of this versatile actress and her ability to pick up any role. Liu Ling Ling is truly the gem in this homegrown comedy!
Eric’s swan song. (Clover Films)
Letdowns
Plot holes
Doesn’t Lawrence have to work? How difficult is it to track down people in this day and age? Why doesn’t Eric ever take off his shades? So many distracting questions are raised over the course of the film which could have been answered with just a line or two of exposition.
Eric and Ah Hua don’t discernibly age
The thing about Eric is that he looks just as old in the flashbacks as he does in the present day — are we to believe he’s a teenager in the 80s segments (he’s born in 1965)? Conversely, Ah Hua has nary a wrinkle or grey hair 25 years later, making you question if she’s accidentally stumbled upon the Singapore Fountain of Youth. This severe oversight of the costumes and make up department really shakes you out of your suspension of disbelief, especially since the film jumps between the two eras many times.
“Unbelievable” gets repetitive
There’s only so many times you can listen to “Unbelievable” before it really gets grating. It’s a hilarious MTV and an excellent display of our comic talents, but it doesn’t actually make for good listening by any stretch. True, the movie is a spin off from the song… but we could have done with one or two fewer repetitions. There’s a touching rendition of it towards the end of the film though.
A teenage Eric. (Clover Films)
“Mr Unbelievable” is, quite frankly, an unbelievable feat considering the amount of time it took to put it together. It’s light entertainment with many familiar faces and locations that puts you at ease with feel-good vibes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? If you were a fan of the “Unbelievable” MTV.
“Mr Unbelievable” opens in cinemas 3 December, 2015 (Thursday).
