Stephen Chow’s CJ7

[GeneChing]

But will it have kung fu in it? We're hoping...


A Hope" Sets Screening Date Finally (http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/09/26/63@277968.htm)
2007-09-26 13:40:42 CRIENGLISH.com

Film investor, the China Film Group Corporation, announced the decision, according to The Beijing News report. Agent of the comedy star says that Stephen Chow is still busy editing the film, which he has been working on for about a year.

He explains that fantasy film is a new field for Chow and he has to put in a lot of time on the post-editing. The emphasis of the director's work is the stunts, according to the publicist, however, the selling point of the film is the story itself, as story-telling is just Chow's forte.

Just as in his other films, Stephen Chow plays a small potato in this film. The poor father, stared by Chow, has a son whom he loves deeply. And they meet a kindly teacher, who is actually an alien.

Shooting of the film was concluded last year and it was once scheduled to be put on screen during this summer vacation.

[doug maverick]

doesn;t look like it but maybe the story is about an alien toy a young boy finds with special powers honestly i more interested in his next film stephen is producing

jump synopsis
A farm girl (Kitty Zhang) with dreams of becoming a big time hip-hop martial arts star in the big city gets a job as a janitor at a local dance school.

[GeneChing]

Stills from Stephen Chow's 'CJ7' Released (http://www.asianpopcorn.com/default.asp?Display=1026)
30/09/2007

Hong Kong director Stephen Chow's fantasy movie ‘CJ7’ is now in post-production. It is Stephen Chow's first movie after his ‘Kung Fu Hustle’ in 2004 and will be released in China in January 2008.

A series of photos featuring Stephen Chow and female lead, Chinese newcomer Kitty Zhang Yuqi, were released recently. Stephen Chow plays a poor Chinese laborer while Kitty Zhang plays an alien who disguises herself as a teacher in the movie. The first trailer for the movie will be released at the end of October.
Click the link to see the pics...:cool:

[GeneChing]

CJ7 (http://www.sonypictures.net/movies/cj7/) January 31, 2008

[SPJ]

he always had nice female leading actress.

among them, I really like Zhao Wei. She played Tai Chi dough making in Shaolin soccer.

my son will like chang jian number 7.

steven chow is a new breed of kung fu comedy film maker after jackie chan.

just about you think the things are worse enough, steven surprised you with more and exeggerations out of this world.

1. for example., in shaolin soccer, you think shaolin kung fu playing soccer is amazing enough, wait till you meet the devil team with steroid, -- and wait, shaolin tornado kick or xuan feng tui plus tai chi spinning-->grade 7 tai phoon created.

we are all blown or blasted away.

2. in kung fu hustle, you think kung fu in the pig alley is good, wait till you see the gu zhen player, wait for tai chi from landlord and lion roaring from the land day, wait for ultimate fast puncher faster than the bullet psycho, wait for the buddha palm dropped like a meteor from the sky--

wow.

--

:eek::D;):):cool:

[doug maverick]

stephen chow film is getting a world wide release. and its actually being shown in the us before hong kong. its says that its coming out the 11 here and on the 31 of january in hong kong. jackies latest project in hong kong have on gone straight to dvd here in the states.mainly because jackie hasn't proven that he can hold his own in a united states film. even thou he actually did with rumble in the bronx. maybe jackie should do a sequal to rumble in the bronx, and this time actually shoot in nyc instead of canada

[SPJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82MbD1Z_dvA&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v76hlfjjjEo

tv interviews.

it was a little girl that played the little boy as Chow's son in the movie.

wow.

:)

[SPJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJQfE2pGpV4&feature=related

the movie was inspired by Chow's canine companions.

chang jiang 7 is an alien dog.

however, the facial expression or acting is actually from Chow himself.

wow again.

:)

[SPJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKpeHYqXW5Q&feature=related

a trailer in Taiwan.

:)

[冠木侍]

stephen chow film is getting a world wide release. and its actually being shown in the us before hong kong. its says that its coming out the 11 here and on the 31 of january in hong kong. jackies latest project in hong kong have on gone straight to dvd here in the states.mainly because jackie hasn't proven that he can hold his own in a united states film. even thou he actually did with rumble in the bronx. maybe jackie should do a sequal to rumble in the bronx, and this time actually shoot in nyc instead of canada

Jackies US endeavors have had mediocre success..."Big Brawl" and the "Protector" just to name a couple. It was when he was in his element (shooting and filming in HK) that he was able to garner international success.

I personally enjoy movies like "Dragons Forever" and "Police Story" and the such because those movies had a different feeling. He does better when he is making movies in HK and then releasing them here.

"Rumble in the Bronx" was his breakout hit in the US...even though his movies have been around before that. It seems that when he tried to cater to the American audience, his endeavors seem like a fans service, which we all know usually don't turn out so good. He should just do what he does best and not worry about trying to please the American audiences.

His successes like the Rush Hour trilogy and his Shanghai films were enjoyable. Those films were a mix of martial arts and comedy that seemed to work. But he does better with his own brand of martial art movie making style.

On the same note, Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Soccer was made for a HK audience and it transitioned well into the American industry because it was made with a certain passion. Coupled with the US fascination with martial art films from HK, it was bound to be a success. But that was secondary benefit for me. The first time I saw it, I knew that it was a great movie....regardless if it ever got a US release.

Both Chan and Chow just need to focus on what they do best and not worry about how the American critics are going to take it. I think in that respect, their movies will turn out successful.

[Jimbo]

I agree that Stephen Chow today has more clout than Jackie Chan.

I'm going to make a comment about Jackie and I hope nobody takes it the wrong way, because I like him and a lot of his work:
IMO he no longer has much star power in the U.S., because following his big re-introduction here (Rumble in the Bronx), there came a lot of releases, both on video/DVD and in theatres, of some of his dumber movies. In fact, some video/DVD releases are very bad old stuff, mixed with some good stuff. IMO, lots of people probably began to equate him with the bad stuff and maybe didn't stick around to see the better stuff, on the rare occasions the better stuff was released (Drunken Master 2/Legend of Drunken Master). His initial popularity with the general U.S. audience seemed more of a novelty factor, which has worn off. He's seen as the goofy Asian guy who's only watchable as the "virginal man-boy" doing martial arts/stunts, and little to no dramatic depth for U.S. films.

In the U.S., he seems to have become a throwback, almost a modern Hop Sing, always playing second fiddle in star power/box-office attracting power to Owen Wilson, Chris Tucker, etc. And then The Tuxedo, The Medallion, etc., were so bad they were just plain bad. I haven't gone to see a new JC release since The Medallion I was so put off by it.

I think Stephen Chow has the ability to be better in terms of a more sophisticated type of humor and more versatile acting ability, so long as he doesn't switch over to Hollywood films or directors. He needs to keep his output lower, his quality high, his distance a little greater, and avoid being another Asian star that the American audience tires of. Nowadays, even Jason Statham is a much bigger star and more bankable in the U.S. than Jet Li is.

[SPJ]

I like them both but at different angle/point/level.

JC was from peking opera, he received hard training and disipline as everyone else in peking opera.

JC has a regular face and not much expression, and he says few words. but he strives to bring laughters to the audience. when CMA movies at the time, were fighting on and on and still going, and Bruce Lee came out and said well, it should be one punch or one kick and end of fighting,

JC thought in another way. Me only wanted to watch JC moves, training or fighting, nobody expected him to act in a story line. JC brought comedy into the fighting scenes, always new stunts, or new tools to fight and no stunt man substitute for him.

people expected that and paid money to watch him do that.

Chow is of a whole different caliber. He catches people imagination beyond your wildest dreams. He tells stories close to heart and beyond. Yes. there are plenty of life philosophies, too. sometimes twisted but still is a view.

I like his old movies, the best one I like is that he acted as agent 007. he was a butcher and selling porks. however, he was so skillful with the knife, he may hit a fly with a dagger.-- I was like wow.

Chow's monkey king movies were very good, too, with new twist and good fairy tale telling into an old and always popular fairy tale in China and Japan. This is where everyone sees his real potential and imagination on the screen.

"Shaolin soccer" was a smashing sucess and made him won international recognition thruout asia and the world.

"Kung Fu hustle" took you to another level with CGI.

--

sometimes, we may not judge one's films or story telling just by box office ticket sale in a certain area.

--

[SPJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ5asE6N7ow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeOa0R2FbNU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnuoy7Tt40M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd1TsoJPMAw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyLgN02iOe4&feature=related



007 clips.

:D

[GeneChing]

The Sina.com press release (http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2008-01-18/03011882394.shtml).

[GeneChing]

The Chinese New Year rush begins - it's like Asia's version of the summer rush or the holiday rush here.


Chow's 'CJ7' debut still hot despite snow (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/international/news/e3ibd2a4d5f94f9578b5af0fa7d37e2115b)
By Karen Chu
Feb 2, 2008

HONG KONG -- Despite the worst snowstorm in half a century, Stephen Chow's "CJ7" raked in 28 million yuan ($3.9 million) in China over its first day and a half and earned HK$3 million ($385,000) in Hong Kong on Thursday, setting nonholiday opening boxoffice records.

The sci-fi/family film had a sneak half-day premiere Wednesday in China, which earned 12 million yuan ($1.67 million), matching the full-day opening record set by "The Warlords" a month ago, and 16 million yuan ($2.23 million) on its first full day Thursday, also a record.

Copies of "CJ7" could not be delivered on time to theaters in central China, the area most affected by crippling snowstorms, said Sam Ngai, a spokesperson for Chow's production company Star Overseas.

In Hong Kong, exhibitors have high expectations for the film. It has been released on 94 screens, two-thirds of its planned total of 153. Chow's previous effort, "Kung Fu Hustle," crumbled boxoffice records on its opening day with HK$4.34 million ($557,000) on 97 screens. The martial arts comedy opened during the Christmas holidays in 2004.

"CJ7" marks a departure for Chow, who toned down the physical comedy that marked his "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Shaolin Soccer." The change failed to warm Hong Kong critics, but the film received glowing reviews in China, where the audience was eager for a break from the war epics that have stormed theaters all too often in recent years.

Critics offered particular praise for the eponymous fluffy alien-dog, which is the first digitally-animated character in a Chinese-language film. Chow cited Stephen Spielberg's "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" as the inspiration, as both films revolved around a mysterious but adorable alien whose sudden appearance brought chaos to a family.

"CJ7" was one of only two films opening in Hong Kong this week, seven days before Chinese New Year, one of the major moviegoing periods. Its competition was the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp vehicle "Sweeney Todd," an unusual choice for the traditionally family-oriented Chinese New Year season, but the bloody musical shaved moviegoers for HK$520,000 ($67,000) on 33 screens.

[GeneChing]

Click for pic

CJ7 stars meet fans on Valentine's Day (http://www.china.org.cn/english/entertainment/242884.htm)
Comedian-turned-director Stephen Chow and other cast members of "CJ7" met fans in three Beijing cinemas on Valentine's Day Thursday.

As of Friday morning, Chow's heartwarming sci-fi film has raked in 150 million yuan (US$20.87 million) in the Chinese mainland since its debut on January 30. The organizers held this fan meeting to thank the audience.

Chow's attendance attracted lots of enthusiastic supporters.

Actress Zhang Yuqi and cutie Xu Jiao were also present at the event.


Stephen Chow's 'CJ7' rakes in nearly US$18 million in China (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/13/arts/AS-A-E-MOV-Stephen-Chow-Chinese-Box-Office.php)
The Associated Press
Published: February 13, 2008

HONG KONG: Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow's attempt at promoting the family movie genre in China has been a success, with "CJ7" earning 130 million Chinese yuan (US$18 million; €12.4 million) in about two weeks, the film's Chinese investor said Wednesday.

The film — which tells the story of struggling single father and son and their encounter with an alien — opened Jan. 30, China Film Group official He Wenjin told The Associated Press. He declined to say how many screens the movie was released on.

The results put the movie on track to match two other recent Chinese-language releases — the historical epic "The Warlords" and the war movie "Assembly." Both were released in December and earned between US$24 million (€16.2 million) and US$25 million (€17.1 million) by the end of the month.

A movie that earns more than US$14 million (€9.5 million) in China is considered a big hit. The Chinese box office is growing but is still small compared to the United States, where a single movie can earn hundreds of millions of dollars (euro) domestically.

He, the investor, said China's recent snow storms — the country's worst in five decades — delayed the delivery of some copies of "CJ7" to theaters and hurt box office results.

Chow's other credits include "Shaolin Soccer" and "Kung Fu Hustle."

[GeneChing]

When I posted the War review (excuse me - Rogue Assassin) (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=842671&postcount=40), I didn't think that it was partly a cultural thing. Of course, Chinese New Years is when all the big films open in Asia. Jackie used to alway premiere his latest until Stephen Chow stole his box office thunder. It's the film rush season for Asia and this year, it's Chow vs. Chou (Stephen vs. Jay). Put my money on Stephen all the way.


Try Kung Fu action movies for V-Day (http://www.china.org.cn/english/entertainment/242719.htm)

Thursday's Valentine's Day celebrations will feature not only comedy-romance films but also kung fu flicks.

In addition to Stephen Chow's heartwarming sci-fi film "CJ7," the action-packed "Kung Fu Dunk" starring Jay Chou, and Julian Jarrold's biographical film "Becoming Jane," movie buffs can see two new domestic pictures.

The matrimonial comedy "Marriage Trap" by Zhang Cheng tells a playful story of love and unexpected surprises as a man finds himself deeply infatuated by a gorgeous con artist.

Meanwhile, "A Room for Two Persons," starring veteran performers Zhu Shimao and Cong Shan, is a touching depiction of a middle-aged couple confronted with a mid-life crisis and acute marital stress.

"We made about 3.17 million yuan (US$434,000) on last year's Valentine's Day, mostly from the Hong Kong action drama 'Protégé' and Hollywood fantasy comedy 'Night at the Museum,'" said Wu Hehu, deputy director of Shanghai United Cinema Lines, the city's largest cinema chain.

Wu expects even bigger audiences on Thursday as the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday ended just one day before.

Movie theaters in the city also did booming business over the seven-day Spring Festival.

Shanghai United Cinema Lines took more than 13.6 million yuan at the box office, about a 50-percent increase compared to last year.

"Kung Fu Dunk" and "CJ7" led the way with 6.78 million yuan and 5.44 million yuan respectively, accounting for more than 90 percent of movie tickets sold in the city last week.

Shanghai Film Art Center took in about 1.06 million yuan, half of which came from "Kung Fu Dunk." "Compared with the 760,000 yuan in box office sales during last year's Chinese New Year holiday, it's a big increase," said manager Shao Zhenhua.

Like many theaters, the center has a 10-percent discount on Thursday, with gifts such as T-shirts, mugs and bags.

[Shaolinlueb]

dude doug, i would love to see RITB 2. i loved that movie.

[GeneChing]

Nicely handled by Chow. I still want to see Kung Fu Dunk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49939) too.


Chow dunks the question (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/Features/20080211181017/Article/indexF_html)
By : RADIN SRI GHAZALI
2008/02/11

Stephen Chow had laughter and a few wisecracks when in town recently, leaving RADIN SRI GHAZALI a little confused.

HONG Kong’s leading actor and director Stephen Chow Sing-Chi was in town last week promoting his Chinese New Year movie CJ7.

At a Press conference conducted in Mandarin and Cantonese, Chow laughed when asked what drove him to try his hand at a sci-fi film (he is known for his comedies).

“My previous movies such as Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle toyed with visual effects and CGI (computer-generated imagery). I am very familiar with the techniques used and I do have the tendency to develop such interest more in a movie,” said the actor, who is often compared to legendary comedian Michael Hui.

The answer drew some confusion (a case of a question lost in translation).
CJ7 tells a story of a poor single parent Ti (played by Chow) who cannot afford to give his son ****y (played by Xu Jio, a girl) the luxuries of life.

One day, Chow's character findsa toy in a garbage dump and brings it back as a gift for his son. Later they discover the toy is more than just a doll – it's an alien named CJ7.

Many have compared CJ7 to Steven Spielberg’s E.T: The Extra Terrestrial. And the actor himself did not hesitate in admitting that his film was indeed inspired by the 1982 Spielberg movie.

“I admire Spielberg’s films and I am such a great fan. But CJ7 is better than E.T. – and it is in Chinese,” he said, laughing.

Chow’s pet dog called Chocolate inspired CJ7’s physical attributes. “My dog has big eyes and I have accentuated it through CJ7,” said Chow.

The actor, who was once linked to singer Karen Mok, not only acted and directed the film, he also wrote and produced CJ7.

Not only was he able to juggle the various tasks, he maintained a strong work ethic.

“One of the reasons my movies take a long time to complete is that I often multi-task with the roles that I have in production. I am a perfectionist,” he said.

The 46-year-old actor strongly believes that CJ7 is going to be be a big hit.

It cost US$20 million to produce, one of the most expensive movies ever made in China, and is receiving high expectations from movie pundits.

Even Chow has his own personal target. “We are estimating at least US$10 million (in box-office receipts). I am confident that people would like the movie and find it rather interesting compared to the other Hong Kong movies that are currently showing," he said.

When asked for his opinion on Taiwanese singer Jay Chou’s latest film Kung Fu Dunk, another Chinese New Year offering and said to have strong similarities with Chow’s previous effort Shaolin Soccer, Chow gave a shrug. “What Kung Fu Dunk? No, I have not seen it.”

[SPJ]

I bought the dvd of cj 7 yesterday.

I watched it and luv it.

it is not an alien kung fu super dog.

it is a healing and repairing "pet".

it may repair an electrical power cord by rearranging the molecules.

it may also repair human body wounds.

however, it will use up the energy "stored".

--

some of humors and dialogues kind of familiar, since we watched all of his previous movies in the 1990's till now.

--

super shoes, flew up to the sky and ran out of fuel, have to jump on the condor,

instead of buddha, it is the cloud image of cj 7.

buddha palm in a small scale smashing down, from kung fu hustle etc .

--

much enjoyed.

:)

[GeneChing]

Sounds family friendly. :)


Kung fu kid: (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/02/PKE4V5VDS.DTL&type=movies) Martial arts funnyman Stephen ("Kung Fu Hustle") Chow puts a slapstick spin on the adorable-child/action genre in "CJ7." Opening Friday, the comedy stars Chow as a working-class dad who watches all hell break loose after his mischievous son brings home a magic toy from the junkyard. Chow looked at nearly 10,000 child actors before making a gender-blind decision to cast 9-year-old actress Jiao Xu as his son, ****y. Jiao won the role after producers spent 18 months auditioning schoolkids throughout China.

"We couldn't find a single boy who came close to ****y's personality," producer Connie Wong says. "While auditioning girls for some other characters, we found that they were more natural than the boys, and so that gave us the idea of having a girl play ****y."

The filmmakers finally hit pay dirt in a small Chinese city. Jiao Xu had an extremely thin acting resume - one TV commercial - but captivated Chow with her brazen charm.

"(She) is not at all timid," Wong says. "And her acting is so natural."

Hugh Hart is a Chronicle correspondent.

[GeneChing]

By here I mean, SF, LA & NY....


Stephen Chow & Xu Jiao Play with CJ7 (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42439)
Source: Edward Douglas
March 4, 2008

It's been two years since ComingSoon.net last talked to Chinese filmmaker Stephen Chow for Kung Fu Hustle, and he's back with his latest comedy CJ7, which brings a sci-fi twist to his usual style of comedy. In the movie, an impoverished single father (played by Chow) finds a strange toy for his young son at a junkyard which turns out to be a strange alien creature that the boy brings to school to help him overcome bullies.

It's sometimes hard to get Mr. Chow to open up, especially when going through an interpreter, but this time, he had a secret weapon in Xu Jiao, the 9-year-old girl who plays his movie son ****y Chow. She nearly steals the movie from her film father and she nearly did the same when ComingSoon.net talked to the duo in New York.

"We had a couple ideas of development at the time after 'Kung Fu Hustle' and we were thinking of doing 'Kung Fu Hustle 2' but that just didn't come to fruition, so we took one of the ideas that was more appealing to children and went with that idea," Mr. Chow told us. "A lot of it was definitely influenced by 'E.T.' and based on my childhood memories, as well as the fact as when I was growing up, I was poor, so that influenced the storyline as well. I wanted to create something that was appealing to children and something that was close to my heart."

Xu knew Mr. Chow's work from before she made the movie, and she might even have known his reputation for discovering talented young actresses, but it didn't prepare her for having to change genders for the part. "I was really surprised that I had to play a boy," she giggled. "I was like, 'I'm a girl, why do I have to play a boy?' I found that to be really strange, but once I realized that was what I had to do, I tried to be a really good at it and get into the part. Initially, I didn't have a lot of confidence but throughout the whole production process, I learned and watched other boys and engaged myself with other boys to get a sense of what it is to be a boy. I have an older brother, but his characteristics and personality is really different from the character I had to play. Mr. Chow helped me a lot, giving me guidance and directions."

"She's really talented as an actor," Mr. Chow confirmed about the odd choice. "She had all the basic requirements and through the test shots, she was able to meet all my demands in terms of playing different kinds of roles. At the end of the day, she was the best person for the job, even though she's a girl. We just wanted to work with her to play the boy's role."

The role of ****y Chow must have been hard on the young girl who had never acted in a film before, and suddenly had to carry this action-packed comedy. "Although it was really strenuous with the comedy and the sad parts, I had a lot of fun," the young actress proclaimed. "For the comedic moments, I think about happy thoughts and folks on set will try to get me to laugh and Mr. Chow will motivate me to think about happy things so I can get into that part. Then also for the parts where I needed to cry or look sad, I'd think about sad things."

"Working with a child actor, you need to develop a lot of patience, and I had to change my behavior on set a lot: not curse, and just control my behavior and my frustrations," Chow admitted. "Initially, it was frustrating, because obviously, working with a child is very different from an adult, but for me, I realized that as the process went on, you can have a common happy environment on set and still get the result that you want from your actors."

CJ7 is rumored to have been one of the most expensive films produced in China, and a lot of that money went into designing and realizing ****y's alien pet, which looks like a three-dimensional Pokemon with a very expressive face. It's a very different use of CG FX than Mr. Chow's last few movies, and he explained how they designed the adorable creature. "The idea came about because I had a dog when I was younger, kind of like a Peking dog that had big eyes, so that was the characteristics and the design that went into CJ7. I'm also influenced by Japanese comic books and Manga when I was a child so I pulled a lot of the influences from that and wanted to create a character that was very comical, but also very different from E.T. and what already exists."

The most surprising thing about CJ7 is that its PG-rating will make it a film that older kids will love, but it's an odd decision considering what Mr. Chow went through with Shaolin Soccer, which was dubbed for its U.S. release to be able to find a younger audience that couldn't follow subtitles. He explained the decision to make what many might see as a kids' film. "With 'Shaolin Soccer,' I thought it was a good movie for everyone—for teenagers and adults—but for this one, I specifically wanted it to appeal to families as well as kids Xu's age, and that was really my goal, to appeal to families and to little kids, and I hope to achieve that goal with this movie."

Xu hasn't attended any acting schools, though she did take a talent class before filming the movie, but at this point, she's not sure if she wants to continue acting having starred in a major Chinese motion picture, as she told us as our interview concluded: "I'm going to keep learning and when it comes to acting and films, I'll just see what happens next. I'm not really sure."

CJ7 opens in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on Friday. You can read more on Stephen Chow's upcoming projects here.

[GeneChing]

I didn't see the politic commentary. That's interesting.


CJ7: ET Phone Hong Kong (http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0810,350962,350962,20.html)
Tamer f/x and a cute little gremlin in Stephen Chow's new one
by J. Hoberman
March 4th, 2008 12:00 AM

Something of a departure for Hong Kong's reigning master of special-effects slapstick Stephen Chow, CJ7 is a father-son fable transparently modeled on Steven Spielberg's ET. That the movie is less cloying or moralistic than it might have been is attributable to its unsentimental representation of childhood alienation and the intermittently grotesque CGI effects.

Chow plays a single dad who works as a day laborer on a construction site to send his young son ****y to an elite elementary school—where the kid is ridiculed by teachers as well as classmates for his raggedy clothes, poor personal hygiene, low test scores, and paucity of possessions. In his effort to get ****y an expensive toy, Dad rummages through the garbage dump and inadvertently brings home an extraterrestrial left by a flying saucer (possibly en route to Jia Zhangke's Still Life). The "super space dog," as ****y calls it, is a fluffy-headed, round-eyed dingbot with a flexible antenna and a stretchy, star-shaped body. Nearly as adorable as the pre-demonic gremlins in Joe Dante's gloss on the ET myth, the creature is also mysteriously unpredictable, acting out ****y's schoolyard fantasies one day and failing him miserably the next.

CJ7 lacks the all-out f/x delirium of Chow's Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle, movies that, in their funhouse distortions, are the closest contemporary equivalents to Frank Tashlin's '50s comedies. Like all of the writer-director-star's films, however, CJ7 celebrates the underdog, and a few Chinese critics have managed to read it as a political satire of the new Hong Kong. ****y and his father are both social pariahs, though hardly noble ones. What gives the scenario some needed zing is the dad's stupidity and the kid's brattiness: He's naturalistically ungrateful, demanding, and—having apparently inherited the typical Chow character's propensity for motor-mouthed ranting—strident. ****y not only has yelling arguments with his father but in one shocking sequence waterboards his pet. (Maybe not so shocking—the super space dog has left the cutest li'l swirly turd in his hand.)

That the boy is actually and extremely well played by an eight-year-old girl, Xu Jiao, gives the movie an additional gimmick. As with all of Chow's effects, this one gathers additional force for being presented in an impeccably lit and carefully composed world—it's the directorial equivalent of a deadpan.

[doug maverick]

I didn't see the politic commentary. That's interesting.

well you know gene when it comes to art if you look for something its there. but you have to look for it first;)

[GeneChing]

But I intend to see it this weekend. Let me get back to you on that.

Meanwhile, check out Dr. Craig Reid's review Stephen Chow's CJ7: Struck by Spielberg-itis (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=747), exclusively on KungFuMagazine.com. :cool:

[SPJ]

for the most part;

it is a kid's movie.

we have to do our homework to get good or passing grade, no super dog may help.

we have to practice to excel in athletic classes, no super shoes may help.

--

yes, we all have our dreams kids and adult alike.

the father only wanted the kid to have a good education. which father does not?

--

the leading character is the kid. Chow is only a side character.

--

we all do what we can in life and hope for the best or better.

--

actually, it is a very down to earth movie.

--

the female teacher would appreciate if Chow is honest and down to earth/level with himself,

Chow was joking about his body changed after the fatal accident (spoiler alert)

"how so?"

"more handsome!"

the female teacher just smiled back and walked away.

--

:)

[GeneChing]

Our local papers split. San Jose liked it. SF, not so much with only an alert man.


'CJ7': 'E.T.' remake worth phoning home about (http://www.mercurynews.com/movies/ci_8469118)
By Glenn Whipp
Medianews staff
Article Launched: 03/07/2008 05:18:55 AM PST

Steven Spielberg's "E.T." has to be the near the top of any list of movies that shouldn't be remade, even informally. Too many pitfalls.

Navigating the inherently mawkish material would be hard enough without throwing a friendly, cute-as-a-button, soon-to-be-on-life-support space alien into the mix. Might as well try something easy like a "Gone With the Wind" remake instead.

But with "CJ7," Stephen Chow re-invents Spielberg's sci-fi classic and delivers his best movie in the process. Chow, the writer, director and star of the Hong Kong hits "Kung Fu Hustle'' and "Shaolin Soccer," delivers a real heart-tugger full of comic invention and a genuine sense of wonder too often lacking in the fantasy genre.

The movie follows a scrawny little boy, ****y (Xu Jian), who attends a private school because his widowed, working-class father (Chow) wants his son to enjoy a better future. The father and son live in a hovel where the pastime during meals is whacking ****roaches while keeping the critters from falling into their rice bowls.

****y announces on career day that he wants to be a poor person. The kid is a true believer in the proletariat because, as exemplified by his dad, laborers don't cheat, fight or lie. ****y's dogged beliefs and ragged clothes make him the subject of ridicule among his classmates.

Poor kid, right? Well, ****y's fortunes change when his dad brings home a fluorescent green orb he finds at his one-stop shopping center "" the dump. The orb soon mutates into an alien, doglike creature whose head resembles a tribble (a shout-out to "Star Trek") and whose bendable body comes straight from the Play-Doh factory.

****y figures his new friend possesses great powers that will transform his life. And he's right, but not in the ways he imagined.

That's the beauty of "CJ7." Chow is such a goofy, imaginative filmmaker that he can take what, on the surface, sounds icky-gooey (poor kid meets adorable alien; heart-light activated) and make it into something that leaves you grinning from ear to ear. His visual humor here is as good as anything he has ever done, and he manages to incorporate the gags into a fuller, richer story, embracing the cornball aesthetic that has always been near and dear to him.

Chow is helped immensely by Xu, a 9-year-old girl playing the movie's heroic boy. Endearing and remarkably expressive, Xu is the heart of a film that, subtitles and all, will captivate kids and adults alike.

It's an early candidate for family-film-of-the-year honors.
'CJ7'

A-

Starring: Xu Jian, Stephen Chow
Director: Stephen Chow
Rated: PG for language, thematic material, some rude humor. In Cantonese with English subtitles.
Now Playing: Shattuck, Berkeley; Embarcadero, S.F.
Running Time: 1 hour, 26 minutes


'CJ7' (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/07/DDLPVECGB.DTL&hw=cj7&sn=001&sc=1000)
Hong Kong comedy. Starring Stephen Chow, Jiao Xu, Kitty Zhang. Directed and co-written by Chow. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (PG. 88 minutes. At Bay Area theaters)

It's not often American moviegoers are treated to a foreign film so soon after it's homeland release, so it's sad to report that Stephen Chow's "CJ7" - a Lunar New Year film released on Jan. 31 in Hong Kong and China - is a bit of a letdown.

The manic comedian who has gained fans worldwide for his outrageous slapstick and special effects-driven antics in "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Shaolin Soccer" takes a backseat this time - and that's part of the problem: This is lesser Chow because there is less Chow.

The film, which Chow co-wrote and directed apparently as a strange mix of Chaplin's "The Kid" and the recent sci-fi flick "The Last Mimzy," focuses on a 9-year-old schoolboy, ****y (played by an actress, Jiao Xu ), a kid from the poor side of town whose father, Ti (Chow), spends long hours working at a construction site to afford the steep tuition of a private school. They live in a condemned building full of ****roaches, eat rotten food and dress in tatters.

****y is bullied by the rich kids in school, but not for long. At the city dump, Ti finds an otherworldly toy, which ****y soon discovers comes alive and becomes a maniacal gremlin with magical powers. At first, ****y thinks the pet is his ally, but the sometimes creepy alien seems to have its own agenda.

What's impressive about Chow is that he can instill an underlying pathos - a moodiness, if you will - even in the silliest of all films, giving it a bit more weight than it seems to deserve. Chow uses computer effects the way Frank Tashlin animated Daffy Duck - it would have been apropos for "CJ7" to have been made by the Acme Co. - but ****y is a kid you root for fully. You wouldn't laugh if the little fella were flattened by a 500-pound anvil.

-- Advisory: Wall-to-wall cartoon violence.

- G. Allen Johnson

[BoulderDawg]

I don't watch a lot of movies of any noir or gendre. However last weekend I saw Kung Fu Hustle and I have seen some of Shaolin Soccer in the past.

I like Chow's style. I just wish he would flesh out the story just a little more and back away from the CGI. I thought the character of the mute girl was one of his best...problem was she was only on screen for about five minutes. He should back away from the 40th showing of someone knocking a wall down and develop his story line. It's like he develops a human interest story up to a certain point then leaves it there.

Anyway this new movie should be interesting.

[doug maverick]

i wouldn't call chows style or movies noir. thats the last word i would use for him.

[GeneChing]

I don't think I've laughed that hard at a movie with my kid before. My kid had trepidations because it was subtitled, but adjusted fine. I'm glad Chow made this excursion away from kung fu-themed flicks. The film is very predictable in its overall story arc, but what kid's film isn't so? I enjoyed the tragic moment most of all - it showed some real range in the two actresses, Jiao Xu and Kitty Zhang. It's the little detours that make a Chow film special. I love his self parodies, especially the Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle nods, which come early, so that's not much of a spoiler. I also love his looney tune sensibilities when it comes to fight scenes and action. If you're a fan of Chow, this is a must see, just to see where he goes with a kid's flick. In that way, it reminded me a little of Miike's Zebraman. I was thoroughly entertained for the duration of the film.

[Jimbo]

I saw it yesterday and enjoyed it. It was pretty funny and well-done.

** spoiler alert ** **spoiler alert!**

I was almost thinking it was becoming stupid when CJ7 began doing the wushu arm-swings, and pulling out his little bag of tools to build various gadgets, until it was revealed to be a dream.
Another funny little part of the film has Yuen Sum-Yi ( Mandarin: Yuan Xinyi) appearing in a TV news show as a 'UFO nut'.

** alert off **

It was good to see Stephen Chow have a film released here that is not martial arts-based. It got a good review in the paper here in S.D., CA. But it's only showing at one theater in town, an art-house theater. Definitely more low-key than Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, but in a good way.

[GeneChing]

...not sure why this came up on my newsfeed two months after the fact, but it was an interesting take on the film.


Stephen Chow's New Film a Keepsake for Himself (http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/03/04/1261@329893.htm)
2008-03-04 19:56:51

Stephen Chow's latest film "CJ7" in my initial impression, was not "CJ7" but really a big question mark - Has Chow, the spokesman for the now widely-accepted mo lei tau (Cantonese term for nonsensical humor) genre, been fed up with his trademark style?

For almost two decades, Stephen Chow has been a synonym for mo lei tau, which first brought him to fame in 1990 with "All for the Winner," and later cemented his role-model role for fresh comedians in 1995 with "A Chinese Odyssey." And finally with the 2004 hit "Kung Fu Hustle," he earned the Golden Horse best director honor and several Western awards. (For the same film he was also nominated for best actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards.) "Kung Fu Hustle," which is Chow's last directing/acting film before "CJ7," grossed a total of HK$60 million, the highest in Hong Kong's history. All these facts make Chow, if not the trailblazer for mo lei tau, at least the one who embedded it in the pop culture.

Within such a context, "CJ7," with much less mo lei tau residue, is a weak offer. How can a tear-drawing story involving a school boy, his poor father and an alien dog live up to fans' years-long expectation?

The film opened on January 30, and with Chow's star power it is still attracting movie-goers to the theaters. But many viewers have voiced their disappointment, saying the film is too serious to be a Chow's film.

"CJ7" however, serious or mo lei tau, or neither, is so far Chow's best offering, in terms of letting us see who he really is off the screen.

In the film, Chow cannot afford a toy for his son, so he goes to find one at the garbage dump. What he has found, CJ7, turns out to be an alien dog that possesses the power to fix destroyed things.

Chow told the Southern Metropolis Daily in an interview that the film was partially inspired by an incident in his own childhood, when his poor parents got into a quarrel right in the street when he asked for a toy. His father wanted to buy a toy for the little Chow; but his mother insisted the family could not afford it.

Chow says his entire childhood is mirrored in "CJ7." Indeed, many of its scenes have a shade of his early days. Born in 1962 in Hong Kong, Chow grew up in a shabby neighborhood. (In the film, the father and the son live in a dilapidated house.) When Chow was seven, his parents filed a divorce and since then he seldom saw his father; (In "CJ7," Chow is a single father.) A stranger to paternal love, Chow has always been craving to do something to regain what was lost. ("CJ7" was shot in Ningbo, an eastern coastal city where Chow's father once lived. A deliberate attempt by Chow.) And finally, a huge fan of extra-terrestrial life -- he has for several times publicly rhapsodized about witnessing UFOs -- he created a super-powerful alien to mend ruined things in the film, and the broken family in his memory.

For all these reasons and also that I admire Stephen Chow not for his mo lei tau aptitude but for who he is, I give "CJ7" a thumbs-up.

[MasterKiller]

Got this on Netflix. My 5 year-old loves it.

[GeneChing]

...never mind the Golden Globes...

"CJ7" takes top spot in 2008 (http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7784/)
Written by Marcus Lim
Tuesday, 06 January 2009

HONG KONG – Hong Kong funnyman Stephen Chow's "CJ7" was the top grossing Chinese-language film in Hong Kong for 2008, according to data released by the territory's Motion Picture Industry Association (MPIA).

Pic, about a poor Chinese laborer who learns important life lessons when his son gets a strange new toy, took HK$51 million ($6.6 million) at the box office from a seven week run in early 2008.

The fantasy film's gross put it miles ahead of the next highest grossing Chinese-language film, John Woo's period actioner "Red Cliff: Part 1" which managed a respectable $3.1 million cume.

Overall, Chinese-language films did marginally better year on year. 2008 saw 53 Mandarin and Cantonese-language films released in Hong Kong, a slight increase from 50 in 2007. Chinese-language film grosses also grew 8% to $32.4 million last year.

TOP TEN GROSSING CHINESE-LANGUAGE FILMS OF 2008 (HK)

1. CJ7 ($6.6 million)
2. Red Cliff (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46417) ($3.1 million)
3. Ip Man (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52218) ($2.3 million)
4. Three Kingdoms – Romance of the Dragon (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50955) ($2.2 million)
5. Connected ($1.8 million)
6. L for Love, L for Lies ($1.6 million)
7. Painted Skin (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47527) ($1.3 million)
8. Kung Fu Dunk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49939) ($1.1 million)
9. La Lingerie (1.1 million)
10. Beast Stalker ($1.03 million)

[GeneChing]

I wonder if it'll best IP MAN 2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56421)? :p

Click for photos. I'm only embedding one.
http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/18821/_1275447292.jpg

Fresh Batch Of Photos From the Animated CJ7 Sequel (http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Fresh-Batch-Of-Photos-From-the-Animated-CJ7-Sequel-18821.html)
By Will LeBlanc: 2010-06-01 20:53:26

If you're unfamiliar with the work of writer/director Stephen Chow then you are doing yourself a disservice as a movie fan. Or maybe you're just lazy and don't want to read a few subtitles that are almost always gods ****ed hilarious. Either way, you'd be missing out on some of the best movies of our generation. Shaolin Soccer is one of the funniest movies of the last decade and you'd be hard pressed to have a better time watching a movie than when you tuck in to Kung Fu Hustle.

His latest directorial effort CJ7 was just about the cutest thing to come out of 2008, and is getting sequelized, but in a different format. The film is about an alien, dog-like creature who befriends a poor young boy, and adventure and enlightenment ensue. CG stepped in just to animate the creature in the first film, but the sequel will be entirely in traditional 2D animation. Chow had this little nugget of awesome to say about the use of 2D:

"Wonderful story is more important in attracting an audience than just visual effects."

Respect. Chow is just producing, not directing, this time around, but his presence will surely be felt in the final product. Sina (Via Twitch) got their hands on what can only be described as a metric **** ton of images from the upcoming sequel and while they lack a bit of the cuteness the original had, they are still mostly adorable. Check a few out below or visit either of the above mentioned sites for full galleries.

[SPJ]

both adult and kid would enjoy the movie.

green cj-7 heals stuff

the ability to heal

--

well at least, it is one of human fascinations is to heal.

sometimes, life is not only about destruction all the time.

---

a toy that helps you to cheat on homework/test and defeat your bully in classes

I think not

--

something to think about for both kids and adults

beyond comedy out of this world, extreme exaggerations

steven chow's movies always carry some deepening thoughts about life in general

---

if you think deep a bit.

---

[ghostexorcist]

I remember a lot of people saying they hated this when it first came out. I'm a big fan of Mr. Chow's, so I bought the movie when it came out on DVD. It was cute. It was definitely nothing like his past movies. I would say that it was geared more towards kids. I loved the son's dream sequences. Those super shoes were awesome.

[GeneChing]

Stephen Chow's Bingo Group to produce CJ7 series (http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/stephen-chows-bingo-group-to-produce-cj7-series)
By Kevin Ma
Sun, 12 January 2014, 09:30 AM (HKT)

http://www.filmbiz.asia/media/BAhbB1sHOgZmSSIjMjAxNC8wMS8xMS8xNC81MS8wMi80MS9jaj cuanBnBjoGRVRbCDoGcDoKdGh1bWJJIg01MDB4MTAwMAY7BlQ? suffix=.jpg&sha=b5c300fe
Stephen CHOW 周星馳's Bingo Group Holdings Ltd 比高集團有限公司 announced that it is producing an animated series based on CJ7 長江７號 (2008).

Budgeted at RMB10 million (US$1.65 million), the 52-episode series is a co-production between Bingo's animation division and Qingdao Television Animation, who also co-produced CJ7: The Cartoon 長江７號愛地球 (2010).

The company also plans to produce one CJ7 animated film per year in the future.

Based on the 2008 film, the CJ7 animated series follows the adventures of a small alien creature and the young boy who took it into his care. It is set to air on television later this year. Just in case you were wondering....

[GeneChing]

Remember Xu Jiao? Stephen Chow’s CJ7 co-star is all grown up and making her way in the Chinese film business (https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3038997/remember-xu-jiao-stephen-chows-cj7-co-star-all-grown-and?fbclid=IwAR3ZRXq-KVdTY5MINY_FTL8GOIGbSQlVEPu9kTBecKhkuHbBEGV_S-IkBEI)
Fame was a double-edged sword for the then child actress, who left to attend high school in the United States and escape the media gaze
She talks about her part in romance Miss Forever, which opens soon, her zest for challenging roles, and why playing a boy in CJ7 is still the toughest she’s had
Elaine Yau
Published: 9:00am, 24 Nov, 2019

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1200x800/public/d8/images/methode/2019/11/25/6fad7846-0c22-11ea-afcd-7b308be3ba45_image_hires_182248.jpg?itok=JJoktq6C&v=1574677386
Stephen Chow and Xu Jiao, who played a boy, in a still from 2008 film CJ7, which made the then child actor an overnight star. She escaped media attention by going to the United States to study in 2013, and has several adult roles under her belt now.

In 2008, Xu Jiao became a household name at the age of nine when she was selected by Hong Kong comedy superstar Stephen Chow Sing-chi to feature in his Chinese science-fiction comedy CJ7 . Her long tresses shaved to play Chow’s son, and starring opposite an alien dog in the film, Xu impressed audiences with her acting skills.
The film, which took US$54 million at the global box office, catapulted Xu to overnight stardom. She won the best new performer award at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards for her performance.
Reflecting on that episode of her life, Xu, now 22, tells the Post in an interview that early fame is a double-edged sword for a child star.
“[Famous Chinese novelist] Eileen Chang said fame should come early [for those who seek it]. But fame at a tender age comes with pressure … you lose your own private space. Your every move in public is followed and becomes a topic of [public] discussion. People use a magnifier to see your flaws,” she says.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mb7L-7hscs

Xu felt stressed by all the attention while she was growing up. “That’s one of the reasons why I left for America to study. [By going overseas] I could strike a balance between fame and maintaining my own space, and between work and study,” she says.
Xu appears to have done just that since she enrolled in a high school in the US state of Illinois in 2013. Currently a film student at the Art Centre College of Design in California, she appears in films and drama series during study breaks.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/11/25/a73e4410-0c23-11ea-afcd-7b308be3ba45_1320x770_182248.jpg
Xu Jiao and Xie Binbin in a still from Miss Forever.

Her latest work, Miss Forever, is a campus romance film directed by Lu Gengxu. Lu is a singer-songwriter and member of Chinese folk band Shui Mu Nian Hua. In 2001, the band released Miss Forever, a love song that was a big hit, and one which earned Lu numerous best newcomer prizes at awards shows in China.
The film, which is based on the popular song, portrays a campus romance between architecture student Ou Yang (played by Xie Binbin) and Fang Yao (Xu). The film has autobiographical elements; Lu is an architecture graduate from Tsinghua University in Beijing. Xu says she loves the theme song for its catchy tune and touching lyrics.
“I was only four years old when the song came out. I couldn’t experience the enthusiasm people felt for campus folk songs then. Portraying a story about love and growing up, the song Miss Forever struck a chord with many people. Lu put his personal experience into the film, infusing the story with sincerity.”

I am studying directing at the Art Centre College of Design [in California]. … I hope I can have the chance to make a feature-length film in future
Xu Jiao
Xu sees her character as the muse for the protagonist’s songwriting. “Fang Yao’s views on love are vague. She is not sure about her feelings for Ou. She clings to the unforgettable [memories] of her first love with her ex-boyfriend … She doesn’t know how to handle Ou’s sincere courtship. Such feelings will strike a chord with people,” says Xu.
She says the most memorable scene in the movie is her kiss with Xie. “It’s my first kiss on screen. It was the last shot before we wrapped up the shoot. By that time, I was already very familiar with Xie. We were like brothers.
“We couldn’t help but burst out laughing when we faced the camera looking at each other. Lu had to wait for our laughing fit to pass before resuming shooting.”

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/11/25/6e205f6e-0c24-11ea-afcd-7b308be3ba45_972x_182248.jpg
Xu Jiao and Andy Lau in a still from Future X-Cops. “He is a very protective gentleman,” Xu says.

Besides starring in romances, Xu likes to take on challenging roles to polish her acting chops. In horror film The Strange House (2015), she plays a haunted paranoiac who is embroiled in a seance in an old house. For the Chinese-Korean co-production Mr. Go (2013), in which she plays a circus girl who has to train a gorilla to play baseball, she stayed in South Korea for eight months to learn Korean.
Andy Lau Tak-wah is another actor she reveres; Lau plays her father in Future X-Cops (2010). “He is a very protective gentleman. When doing promotion for Future X-Cops, he helped me answer difficult questions [from the media]. When doing road shows at cinemas, if his security [entourage] pushed people, he would stop them instantly.”
Like Chow, who turned to directing after a long acting career, Xu’s dream is to become a director. “I am studying directing at the Art Centre College of Design. … I hope I can have the chance to make a feature-length film in future,” she says.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/11/25/166b4e8e-0c22-11ea-afcd-7b308be3ba45_972x_182248.jpg
Xu Jiao in a recent publicity shot.

“[I want to make] biographical films, which require lots of research and preparation time. I also want to make realist films like last year’s Dying to Survive , which is based on real-life events and reflects actual social problems.”
In 2018, Xu helped produce a sci-fi short film, AI-Pocalypse, for a film classmate at Art Centre College of Design. Besides co-writing the script and acting in it, she designed the make-up and wardrobe for the short film.
“He invited me to star in the film he directed. I was intrigued by the script, which merged sci-fi with China’s Taoist culture. We then worked on doing research and [refining the script] together. [Later], he ran into finance problems. I decided to subsidise him to finish the movie, as I didn’t want to abort such a good project,” she says.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/11/25/4a44447c-0c22-11ea-afcd-7b308be3ba45_972x_182248.jpg
Xu Jiao. Her latest film, Miss Forever, opens this week in China.

“I played an AI robot which can foresee the future and gain super powers after entering a four-dimensional space. So as not to destroy the balance in the universe, she eventually chooses to destroy herself. Playing her, I have to observe humankind and ponder humanity from the perspective [of AI]. This is a very special experience.”
Of all her roles, playing Chow’s son in CJ7 remains her most challenging, she says. “It’s not easy for a girl to play a boy,” Xu recalls. “I didn’t get any professional training in acting [before taking on the role]. Chow’s guidance and my instincts were the only things that I could fall back on.”
She adds: “When making CJ7, Chow took very good care of me. He pursued perfection for each shot. I am grateful to him for picking me out of [lots of child actors] for the role, putting me on the road to becoming an actor.”
Miss Forever opens in Chinese cinemas on November 29.

I never put this together before. And to think she's been in Pasadena...