"Pegasus 2"
Five years after novelist-turned-director Han Han's race car comedy "Pegasus" became one of the highest-grossing blockbusters during the Spring Festival in 2019, the filmmaker has returned to the fiercely contended box-office period with its long-awaited sequel. Comedian Shen Teng returns as Zhang Chi, a former racing champion turned down-and-out driving instructor. He receives an unexpected offer from a factory head to organize a racing team and support the factory head's highly talented son for an upcoming high-profile rally. However, Zhang faces numerous challenges, including news that the factory is struggling to make ends meet, unpaid sponsorships, and unfair competition. Han's signature style, combining comedy, inspiring themes, and thrilling car race scenes, is likely to ramp up audiences' laughter and adrenaline at the start of the year of the dragon.
"The Movie Emperor"
After the success of his previous Spring Festival sci-fi comedy "Crazy Alien," which earned 2.21 billion yuan, director Ning Hao returns to the film season with an unexpected self-effacing comedy titled "The Movie Emperor." This film playfully satirizes China's film industry, presenting a meticulously crafted, light-hearted parody of the glamorous vanity so often seen in such circles. The story revolves around a Hong Kong movie megastar, portrayed by Andy Lau. The star is desperate to win the best actor award and teams up with a director, played by Ning himself, to create an arthouse film in the Chinese countryside, immersing himself in rural life. Unlike Ning's previous wild and raucous comedy style, this film adopts a more sophisticated comedic approach reminiscent of high-end arthouse films. The director shared with China.org.cn that the film's purpose goes beyond mere jokes, exploring the theme and importance of cultural and human exchange."YOLO"
"YOLO," which stands for "you only live once," is as you might expect the theme director-slash-actress Jia Ling aims to convey in her new film. The film will attempt to repeat the phenomenal success of her directorial debut "Hi, Mom," which earned a staggering 5.41 billion yuan after its release during 2021's Spring Festival, becoming the third highest-grossing Chinese film ever. This time, Jia returns to China's most prolific film season with a Chinese remake of the critically acclaimed Japanese film "100 Yen Love" (2014). Jia revealed that she lost an incredible 50kg to make the film and has been absent from all promotional events so as to build suspense around her appearance until the last moment before the film hits screens. The story follows an overweight, disheartened woman who has become isolated from society. However, after meeting a boxing coach and pursuing the sport, she starts to regain her passion and finds her way in life."Article 20"
"Article 20" refers to one of China's Criminal Law articles concerning legitimate defense. After the colossal success of "Full River Red," which grossed 4.54 billion yuan last year, director Zhang Yimou returns to screens a year later with a comedy-drama featuring the stellar cast of Lei Jiayin, Zhang Yi, Zhao Liying, and Ma Li. The film looks to explore the theme of justice, bringing together thought-provoking ideas encompassing law, emotion, and drama. The story follows a prosecutor who tackles a challenging and contentious case while also striving to resolve personal issues in his own family life. Audiences can anticipate a heartwarming and relatable film with a down-to-earth and touching narrative that also offers educational insights that closely reflect many of our daily lives."Boonie Bears: Time Twist"
A new film from the beloved children's franchise "Boonie Bears" has become a regular show during the annual Spring Festival. However, this year marks the franchise's 10-year anniversary, and the latest installment, "Boonie Bears: Time Twist" by Lin Huida, looks to be one of the grandest and most nostalgic entries yet, appealing not only to children but also adults. In the film, the creators explore how we make choices in our lives, while also bringing together all the franchise's beloved characters from the past decade. The film follows Vick the logger, who faces a life-altering choice presented by a crazy scientist. Opting for a white-collar job in the city, Vick hopes for a better future, but faces unexpected consequences. He later realizes the importance of reclaiming his true self and thus embarks on an epic adventure battling his dark alter-ego created by the "time devourer" and reuniting with his animal friends, including bear siblings Briar and Bramble. The final battle is a spectacular showdown reminiscent of the ending of "Avengers: Endgame," which left audiences at the film's premiere in awe. The previous nine theatrical releases of the franchise grossed over 5.7 billion yuan in total. Last year's "Boonie Bears: Guarding Code" earned a stunning 1.49 billion yuan alone, making it the highest-grossing installment to date. It remains to be seen whether this year's "Time Twist" will be able to perform even better at the box office."Viva La Vida"
The tearjerking romance "Viva La Vida" serves as the final installment of director Han Yan's loosely connected "Life" trilogy, which includes popular films "Go Away! Mr. Tumor" and "A Little Red Flower." While these three films are not connected in terms of story, they share a common theme of reflecting on life and death. "Viva La Vida," starring Li Gengxi and Peng Yuchang, tells a heartbreaking story about two young lovers who are both suffering from fatal diseases. It is based on a creative nonfiction story entitled "The Most Utilitarian Marriage, The Most Touching Eternal Commitment." The story tells of a young woman, a uremic patient, who enters into a marriage with a fellow patient, a young man with relapsed leukemia. However, this marriage comes with a morbid twist: In their vows, they specify that if he dies, he will donate his kidney to her, and she will take care of his surviving father in return. The process is poignant and bittersweet as the couple transitions from deal signers to actual lovers, forcing them to face difficulties and despair together with love and courage while hoping for a potential miracle. Despite weaker presales compared to other blockbusters, Han's consistent track record of making high-quality films means that "Viva La Vida" could eventually become this season's dark horse as word-of-mouth ratings spread. In addition, its promotion aligns well with the annual St. Valentine's Day on Feb. 14, which falls in the middle of this year's Spring Festival holiday."Ba Jie" and "God of Money"
Children have two alternatives outside of the "Boonie Bears" universe this year, but with the tough competition they face, they are fated to be relatively overlooked and unlikely to perform as well as their counterparts. The two features, both also animated, are loosely based on elements from the Chinese classic fantasy novel "Journey to the West." The first, "Ba Jie," follows the story of Zhu Bajie, an anthropomorphic pig and a disciple of Monk Xuanzang, outlining his origin story and various adventures."God of Money," meanwhile, tells the story of a cat spirit whose origin can be traced back to his involvement in the Monkey King's havoc and rebellion in Heaven's Palace. Having since been saved by the God of Fortune, he returns to Earth in modern times to plant a money tree, wanting to repay the favor. However, he wanders into a pet hospital and is treated as a stray cat, getting waylaid before he can implement his plan.
Source: China.org.cn by Zhang Rui, February 10, 2024
