Prepare to Go Crazy for Crazy Rich Asians

Anybody who knows about movies knows the unfortunate lack of accurate representation of Asians on the silver screen. Asian characters often play the roles of either sidekicks, nerds, or Kung Fu/Karate master. So it comes as no surprise when movie and book lovers started to talk nonstop about an upcoming Hollywood movie that has none of those stereotypes.

Based on the best-selling book of all time “Crazy Rich Asians” by Kevin Kwan is the first major Hollywood production in 25 years to have an all Asian cast. And guess what? It’s neither a period film nor is it about martial arts! This movie is indeed long overdue and everyone just cannot wait to see it.

The craziness started to unfold when Rachel Chu agreed to go to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s family. The experience surely can be nerve-racking for anyone, but Rachel never thought that the encounter would leave her shook to her core. Little did she know that her handsome boyfriend is the heir apparent of Singapore’s top developer he’s not just rich, he’s crazy rich! Being the girlfriend of Singapore’s top bachelor, Rachel became the target of jealous socialites and overly critical relativesВ (especially his mother).

Crazy Rich Asians is not just like any other chick lits out there. With its satirical approach and its insider story-telling, the movie exposes the life of Asia’s most privileged bunch. But be warned, you may want to prepare your Math skills because there will a lot of computing of everybody’s wealth. The display of incredible grandeur and extravagance is reason enough not to miss the movie.

In addition to that, it is packed with such unique characters that one would be left thinking think that it’s injustice if they don’t get their own spin-offs. The impressive characters are played by equally remarkable international stars. Fresh Off the Boat star Constance Wu played Rachel, an American-born Chinese economics professor at NYU. British-Malayan actor Henry Golding played as her crazy rich but modest boyfriend, Nicholas Young. Michelle Yeoh who is best known for her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon played Eleanor, Nick’s judgmental mother who will stop at nothing to bring Rachel down. Nick’s fashionable cousin, Astrid aka The Goddess, is played by Humans star Gemma Chan. There are more stars to watch out for such as Akwafina (MTV’s Girl Code), Chris Pang (Marco Polo), Sonoya Mizuno (La La Land), Harry Shum Jr. (Glee), Ken Jeong (Community), etc.

The movie does not depict the idea of Asians but showcases their different lives and experiences whether they grew up in Asia or in another country like Wu’s character. Movie-goers will not only leave the theaters laughing but also with an expanded understanding of the various facets of Asians’ lives. Directed by Jon M. Chu (Now You See Me 2), Crazy Rich Asians is scheduled to hit SM Cinemas on August 15.

Works Cited

1. Chu, J. M. (Director). (2018). Crazy Rich Asians [Film]. Warner Bros.
2. Kwan, K. (2013). Crazy Rich Asians. Doubleday.
3. Lee, S. (2017). Asian American Media Activism and the Politics of Representation. Routledge.
4. Lopez, L. (2018, August 14). 'Crazy Rich Asians' aims to showcase diversity, modernity of Asians. ABS-CBN News. https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/08/14/18/crazy-rich-asians-aims-to-showcase-diversity-modernity-of-asians
5. Maddox, B. (2018, August 12). The long and winding road to Crazy Rich Asians. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-long-and-winding-road-to-crazy-rich-asians-20180807-p4zv7z.html
6. Nakamura, R. T., & Martin, C. E. (Eds.). (2015). Race in American Film: Voices and Visions that Shaped a Nation. ABC-CLIO.
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10. Stevens, K. R. (2017). Asian Americans in Popular Culture. ABC-CLIO.