
Before I review the latest movie, 
I thought it would be good that I review the old one ... 
anyway, it will be terse because I have watched it too long ago ... * naughty grin *



I Not Stupid (2002) (Singapore)

Director: Jack Neo
Cast: Po Ju Huang, Shawn Lee, Joshua Ang, Jack Neo, Xiang Yun

The official website ...
see
http://www.inotstupid.com.sg/inotstupid1/index.htm

My thoughts ...
-- If I recall correctly, it is the second highest grossing Singapore film locally ... in fact, it was so popular that a TV series and a comic was made out of it ... 

-- Most remarkable is its 2 levels of interpretation and its various thought provoking messages (despite being a comedy)

(i) For non locals, it might be just another film about 3 kids and their family, and how they have to survive the educational system ... BUT for Singaporeans, there is another layer of interpretation, the parents do resemble the government in their styles/tactics/delivery; in fact, the parents of the wealthy kid is always dressed in WHITE (what an uncanny hint) ... hee hee ... and to be honest, the government has taken it very gracefully, and even reflect on the issues that were raised in the film ... 

(ii) It does address a lot of issues in Singapore

e.g., at the individual level ... what is right and what is wrong; what should we do; who should we follow; the choices in life; etc ... 
e..g, at the family and friends level ... what are the expectations and/or communications between parents and children; what are true friends ...
e.g., at the societal level ... what is social responsibility; "kiasu-ism" (the local term for "scared to lose"); Singapore's emphasis on English; cultural differences between the East and the West; tradition versus modernization, etc ... 

e.g., educational matters ... the tough system; the streaming at an early age; the emphasis on English, Mathematics and the Sciences (as opposed to the arts) ...
e.g., career matters ... the issues of expatriates and foreign talents; work or family; etc ...
e.g., political matters ... about freedom of speech, about control, about elections, about strategies, etc ...

-- The song by the girl also sounded at the right time with very meaningful lyrics ...

-- Typical of his movies, the messages are usually good ... and so things have to end on a positive note ... 


Conclusion:
Recommended ... even though I have to qualify that Singaporeans will likely love it much more (and see more to the story) than foreigners ... BUT, just to assure you, it has done reasonably well in the Asian market ... most probably because most Asian can identify with the way Asian families and parents are ...

Note: The DVD is available.