Shows signs that Chow is trying to put more thought and heart into his films, with uneven success.

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CJ7 (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:76
Fresh:37
Rotten:39
Average Rating:5.3/10
Consensus: Eccentric and sweet, Stephen Chow's latest is charming, but too strangely and slackly plotted to work as a whole.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for language, thematic material, some rude humor and brief smoking
Runtime: 88 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Mar 7, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: Chinese writer-director-comedian Stephen Chow (SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE) takes a break from his usual action-comedy adventures for an E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL-inspired tale of family bonds... Chinese writer-director-comedian Stephen Chow (SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE) takes a break from his usual action-comedy adventures for an E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL-inspired tale of family bonds and personal integrity. Chow stars as Ti, a down-on-his luck widower who must funnel all of his wages into the private school education of his nine-year-old son, Dicky (Xu Jiao). The two are reduced to living in an abandoned building and scrounging for necessities, as well as playing nightly games of "clobber the cockroaches." Ti tries to appease Dicky's desire for a trendy new toy by bringing home a mysterious green orb found at a garbage dump. Dicky is soon shocked when the orb transforms into a perky doglike alien being, dubbed "CJ7." When Dicky witnesses CJ7's otherworldly powers he imagines CJ7 to be the answer to all of his school troubles: passing tests, excelling in gym class, and overcoming the school bully. But CJ7 is not as all-powerful as Dicky believes, and when tragedy strikes the family both Dicky and CJ7 must overcome doubt to reveal their true inner strength. Both CJ7's creature animation and a side order of Chow's kung fu kinetics provide plenty of laughs for kids. At the same the film's adult themes of social inequality, honesty, and self-sacrifice will give kids and parents plenty to discuss once the film is over. Frequently silly but genuinely heartfelt, CJ7 features enough of Chow's trademark twists to make for a unique family entertainment experience. [More]
Starring: Stephen Chow, Xu Jiao, Kitty Zhang, Lam Tze Chung
Starring: Stephen Chow, Xu Jiao, Kitty Zhang, Lam Tze Chung
Director: Stephen Chow
Director: Stephen Chow
Screenwriter: Stephen Chow, Vincent Kok
Producer: Stephen Chow, Chui Po-chu, Han Sanping, Vincent Kok
Composer: Raymond Wong
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
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Reviews for CJ7
Chow's latest might sell a lot of toys; still, it can't sell tears and the great gooey third act burns out like a meteor.
What could possibly have possessed Stephen Chow, the mad scientist of slapstick chopsocky who made Kung Fu Hustle, to follow up that psychedelic pinwheel of a movie by entangling himself in CJ7?
It is safe to say that no one makes movies quite like Hong Kong's clown impresario Stephen Chow.
If CJ7 is a slapstick action picture that doffs its cap to children's delight in casual brutality, it's also a sweet-tempered and oddly beautiful piece of schmaltz that sends up its own populist family values without ever betraying them.
While the characters bring energy and enthusiasm with potty humor and exaggerated jesting, the plot crosses into the cliché and an alien Lassie comes forth that leaves us with a Hollywood ending.
Chow himself is extremely winning whenever he is on screen, but this is first and foremost a kids' film, not a vehicle for the one of the best comics currently working in movies.
Chow’s thesis is more profound than There Will Be Blood's, and it’s expressed through a more sophisticated narrative.
A hyperactive, wishful-thinking special effects fantasy suitable for family outings.
Chow's comic fantasy is a sop to kiddie sentimentality that barely skirts rancid cutesiness by sheer virtue of its strange details.
Kids will probably appreciate it more than their parents, but those with a twisted sense of humor should get a few laughs out of Chow's oddest film yet.
Even fans of Stephen Chow should probably skip his latest, kid-friendly flick. It’s only sporadically funny, and often grating, and at some point you realize that you’ve been suckered into watching an extended advertisement for a toy.
The tragic events and their oddly cavalier presentation make CJ7 one of the most emotionally-scarring kid flicks since 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
A giddy, childlike enthusiasm dominates every frame of Stephen Chow's film, but unfortunately it's only mildly amusing: Like a hyperactive tyke, CJ7 has a rambunctious energy that ultimately wears you out.
Latest News for CJ7
August 11, 2008:
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This week we bring you an exclusive look from the DVD release of Smart People, starring Dennis Quaid and Ellen Page as a father and daughter whose intellect outweighs their... More...
March 06, 2008:
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This week at the movies, we've got prehistoric passion (10,000 B.C., starring Steven Strait and Camilla Belle), travel travails (College Road Trip, starring Maritn Lawrence and... More...
March 04, 2008:
Stephen Chow Presents Exclusive CJ7 Clip to RT Readers!
CJ7, Stephen Chow's sci-fi-comedy hybrid is coming out this Friday. We've got an exclusive clip for you here, which starts with an introduction recorded by Chow just for Rotten... More...
February 17, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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