Hollywood Adventures (2015) Reviews

• Surprisingly Fun and Funny!

  writekelvin2015-07-09

  This might be the model of things to come, where co-productions between China and the USA become more common in the years ahead. With no signs of slowing down, the China movie market is becoming a gold mine with investments soaring and talents merging. As someone who speaks both English and Mandarin, I am surprised how tightly scripted the film was. The movie focused on the three leads and their banter is mostly in Mandarin but their interactions with people in LA were realistically done in doses of Mandarin and English. The plot is reasonable enough, and the subtle aspects of the three characters' lives do come into play with the plot as the film progresses. It is believable enough if one pays attention to what is revealed about the characters. For example, it's not hard to believe a car salesman can handle a car pretty well. The characters are revealed bit by bit as the plot progresses and though some parts are tongue-in-cheek, overall it still makes sense. Justin Lin's plot and pacing sensibilities are evident here, which is no surprise considering how he managed to take the Fast and Furious franchise into blockbuster status. This film is just plain fun. Even if you don't speak Mandarin, just by glancing at the subtitles and watching the characters, it is easy to relate to their predicament. The film is light-hearted, and yet carries an emotional underpinning because the lead character's reason for his journey to the USA is to win back his girlfriend. There are numerous moments of movie references and it has bits of meta-humour, where the the characters in this film are referring to other characters as characters from other movies. Those bits are funny and not overdone. I won't spoil any of it here; you'd have to watch it to find out and it's really kinda funny. This film really has action, comedy and romance combined. I don't agree with any critics who say the film doesn't blend those elements well together. Taken as a whole, the elements are accentuated in various points throughout the plot, but overall held together nicely because we recognize the sensibilities of what a movie is. And thus, in the ending narration, the line between film and real life seem to cheekily blur with some heartfelt emotion. Highly recommended, especially if you get the chance to watch it. Currently no word on distribution in the USA. It was #1 at the box-office when it opened in China. With Justin Lin as producer and an all-American crew supporting the 3 famous Chinese actors, this film comes across with polish and panache.

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• Unexpectedly enjoyable B-movie that never takes itself too seriously

  Counthaku2016-03-11

  I caught this on the plane from Dubai to LA. Not sure if I was just sleep-deprived and delirious or just needed to watch something light-hearted after having my spirit demolished after watching Sicario, but Hollywood Adventures unexpectedly ended up being one of the best movies I've seen in a while. The visual gags made me laugh, the tongue-in-cheek humor kept a smile on my face, and the likability of the main actors kept me engaged. Zhao Wei is charismatic and plays her character with a dynamic personality, while Huang Xiaoming looks like he's having a lot of fun while playing the straight man. Dawei as the wise-cracking sidekick and his self-aware jokes about movies (including the one he's in) were icing on the cake. Props to producer Justin Lin for helping to get this movie, a collaboration between US and Chinese cinema, made- he's also probably responsible for improving the car scenes, given his experience on the Fast and the Furious movies. Don't expect Hollywood Adventures to be The Godfather, but if you're in the mood for a ridiculous, entertaining movie, expect to be pleasantly surprised.

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• Trying to follow Hollywood's American-style spoofing route is totally different. Jokes, jokes, plots and effects are all half-baked.

  yoggwork2019-02-19

  Trying to follow Hollywood's American-style spoofing route is totally different. Jokes, jokes, plots and effects are all half-baked.

• Okay movie with some good scenes

  deloudelouvain2017-04-13

  At first when I saw it was a Chinese movie I feared the worst because I saw already a lot of bad Asian movies. But this one is actually okay. Okay if you're not too picky on unrealistic action scenes and sometimes absurd humor. You won't get bored during this movie because there is always something going on. The story is sometimes a bit far fetched but still enjoyable to watch. Some slow motion shootings are actually very well done and you can see they put some effort in bringing you something else than the average action movie. The majority of the actors speak Mandarin and that's something you have to get used to because to me it all sounds the same and aggressive all the time. But once you get passed that Hollywood Adventures is worth a watch.

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• Funny at times, a Chinese perception of US culture

  safenoe2016-09-16

  I saw this on a flight and I wonder which audience this movie would cater to most, the American audience or the Chinese audience. There were some laugh out loud moments, but some that didn't really have much of a punchline, e.g. the customs agent, China now having an emperor (!) - it just didn't really have a punch I guess. The redneck bar scene was somehow overdone, and surprisingly the best part were the outtakes at the end a la Jackie Chan movies. Still, a reasonable effort and maybe a sequel is being lined up, like New York Adventures or something like that. Would I recommend this movie? Well, I would buy the DVD if it had a director's or writer's commentary, or better still an actor's commentary.

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