Dogs in space

Three years after the hit Kung Fu Hustle, Hong Kong comedy king Stephen Chow is back this month with his long-awaited sci-fi film. CJ7 tells the story of a poor father and his son whose lives are changed by odd visitors from another planet.

Chow plays the father while his son, an elementary school student, is played by Xu Jiao (pictured right with Chow), a nine-year-old girl from Ningbo city of Zhejiang province, where the comedy was shot. Chow chose Xu, who is said to resemble him as a child.

A low-wage earning construction worker, the father tried his best to send his son to an elite school, believing this would bring him a promising future. But the son is teased by rich classmates because of his poor background and shabby clothes.

Their life dramatically changes when a fascinating and strange toy turns up, which is finally found to be a dog from E.T.'s planet.

Chow, a comedy favorite for many decades, directed his first movie The Shaolin Soccer in 2001 and played the leading character. The film's global box office exceeded $42 million.

Chow's inspiration for CJ7 began 20 years ago when he watched Steven Spielberg's E.T as a young man.

"I went back to see the movie over and over again and was amazed that sci-fiction could be filmed like this! I knew then that I would make a movie like that. Steven Spielberg's work inspired me to become a director," Chow said in an interview, admitting the film was a departure from his usual funny style.

This $20 million budget movie is the most expensive of Chow's career.

Another Asian star who is busy with promotion is Jay Chou, who shows off his basketball skills and kungfu moves in a new production, Kung Fu Dunk. Directed by prominent Taiwan filmmaker Chu Yin-Ping, it revolves around an orphaned boy (Chou) who grows up in a kungfu school and becomes a talented basketball player.

Now showing:

Anna & Anna, opens at Shanghai on January 18. Twelve Nights director Aubrey Lam returns with her first film in four years. Starring acclaimed actress Karena Lam and mainland actor Lu Yi, this is the intriguing and haunting tale of one woman with two selves. Lam gives a remarkable performance as a woman forced to face her misgivings when she meets her doppelganger, or alter ego, who has carried on the alternate life she gave up. She effectively portrays the titular Annas as two separate and different people who are yet one and the same.

Doraemon the Magic: once a pan-Asian phenomenon, Japanese cartoon cat Doraemon made its return to China with the local premiere of a second animated film. The blue, moon-faced robot cat led its troupe of cartoon friends in greeting audiences of mostly children at the premiere in Beijing.

The Pursuit of Happiness: Oscar nominee Will Smith stars in this moving tale inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman struggling to build a future for himself and his 5-year-old son Christopher.

The End of the Year: a low-budget film by Chinese director Wang Jing, touches on a perennially popular topic, the ordeal migrant people face trying to get train tickets home at the end of the lunar year.

(China Daily 02/02/2008 page6)