MILLION DOLLAR CROCODILE (百万巨鳄) (2012)




SYNOPSIS: Bald Liu, owner of a rundown crocodile park, has arranged to sell the reptiles to a crooked businessman, Zhao. Among the crocodiles is a huge, 8 meter-long female, nicknamed Mao, who weighs 2 tons. In fact, Zhao, who has wanted to buy Mao ever since Liu trumped him at a black market in Guangdong province 11 years earlier, intends to kill the reptiles to supply his illegal wild-game restaurant. Mao escapes being slaughtered and chases after a woman, Wen Yan, who has just returned from eight years working in Italy and has had a row with her two-timing fiancé. While defending herself, Wen Yan has her bag - which contains her €100,000 savings swallowed by Mao. She alerts a junior local policeman, Zhun, who initially doesn't believe her. Eventually, however, he takes her back to his home and tells her to look after his young son, who's always skipping school to go to the crocodile park. When Bald Liu tells Zhun that Mao is heading along a traditional breeding path to lay her eggs, Zhun realizes his house is in the way and rushes to rescue them. Wen Yan is still desperate to trap the crocodile and retrieve her life savings before they're digested, and in the meantime Zhao has also learned about the money inside the reptile. Next day, all parties and a police force, search for the "million yuan" crocodile, which is now heading for Hangzhou's West Lake beauty spot.

MOVIE REVIEW:

“Million Dollar Crocodile” is sort of a cinematic milestone for the emerging China’s film market. Widely touted by industry watchers as the first monster movie from the mainland, the flick helmed by Lin Lisheng whose day job is lecturing at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy is in short a silly, fun romp that is best enjoyed in the company of family members and friends.

To be frank, those accustomed to Hollywood’s monster flicks might find “Million Dollar Crocodile” a tad too mild for their liking. Obviously made to please the notorious stringent China censors, the gore, violence is almost unnoticeable and the scares even lesser. However, Lin Lisheng manages to keep things moving briskly and simultaneously throwing in lots of campy humor along the way to entertain the audience.

The story co-written by Lin is strictly a digestible, widely-appeal affair and unlike Korea’s megahit “The Host”, this is not one movie that are filled with political subtext despite the reptile being nicknamed “Ah Mao”. The closest you get is a hint at the ridiculous demand for wildlife species on the dining table, which of course is common in the Mainland.

The most recognizable face right here is none other than Taiwanese Barbie Hsu. Hsu plays a woman, Wen Yan whom has just returned to China with her 100,000 Euros after spending years working in Italy. But an unfortunate encounter with the gigantic 24 foot “Ah Mao” result in her money being swallowed by the reptile. Teaming up with the local cop, Wong (Guo Tao) and his young son, Yan is bent on retrieving her hard-earned money from “Ah Mao”. But a bunch of crooks led by Zhao (Lam Suet), a ruthless restaurant owner who has earlier failed to slaughter the captured “Ah Mao” decides to go after the cash as well.

The main cast on the whole is feasible enough for this caper; Hsu is slightly irritating with her shouting at the start while Guo Tao is likeable as the underdog. Little known Mainland actor Shi Shaoqi as Bald Liu on the other hand is excellent as the tormented crocodile hunter. But it’s the numerous supporting characters that look and behave liked they graduated from Stephen Chow School of Comedy that generate most of the laughs for example a cross-eye tea-picker lady and Zhao’s gang of nitwit accomplices. It’s always comforting to have Johnnie To’s regular Lam Suet around and even Xiong Xin Xin (from “Once Upon A Time In China III”) dials in a delicious cameo.

The production on the whole is decent enough and that include the CGI crocodile, which is done by a Mainland effects house. On closeup, the details of “Ah Mao” are breath-taking but the visual effects fare weaker during the fast-moving sequences. Our main star, “Ah Mao” is portrayed as a humanized reptile as compared to her counterparts in “Primeval” and “Lake Placid” and that explains the rather emotional climax.

The not so subtle closing credits hint for a sequel and to be fair, for the first monster rampage movie coming out from a market that is well-known for it’s usual arty flicks and historical epics, it’s a recommended movie (note the auspicious title) to be watched on the small screen this Lunar New Year.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Visual and audio is passable for this DVD. Of course, a 5.1 surround track would fare better for this genre.  

MOVIE RATING:



DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee



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 ABOUT THE MOVIE

Genre: Thriller/Comedy
Starring: Barbie Hsu, Guo Tao, Lam Suet, Xiong Xin Xin, Ding Jia Li, Shi Shaoqi, Pu Bajia
Director: Lin Lisheng
Rating: PG13 (Some Intense Sequences)
Year Made: 2012

 SPECIAL FEATURES

- NIL

 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Languages: Mandarin
Subtitles: English/Chinese/Malay
Aspect Ratio: -
Sound: -
Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins
Region Code: 3