Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Director: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh
Runtime: 120 minutes

Synopsis: Follows Rachel as she travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend's deeply rooted family.

• Performances: 5/10

Why? The only performance I actually felt was up to standards was Constance Wu's. She manages to showcase a whole range of emotions in her portrayal of the lead character, Rachel, whose journey starts with her being happily in love to seeing her confidence get absolutely shattered by the actions of some of her boyfriend's family members. I didn't get that from the rest of the cast, unfortunately, as I thought their performances were either one-dimensional, goofy, or just plain silly.

• Screenplay: 4/10

Why? Other than the fact that it incorporates Singaporean traditions and dishes pretty well, I found the script to be rather lazy and generic. It follows the exact same formula every romantic comedy ever made follows without managing to present something original that sets it apart from the competition. I personally couldn't connect with any character as well since I thought they were all either poorly layered or only present for comedic purposes, which didn't work at all for me. The story does, however, conclude in a satisfying way, but that wasn't nearly enough to save the movie for me. If you're in the mood for a good rom-com where the main character tries to gain the approval of their fiancee's tough family, I'd suggest watching "Meet the Parents".

• Costumes/Makeup: 8/10

Why? By far my favorite aspect of the film. The costumes looked beautiful and colorful and, more than anything else in the movie, highlighted the craziness and richness of the characters. 

• Editing: 4/10

Why? Does the movie need to be 2 hours long? Absolutely not. A storyline involving another couple could've been entirely scratched and the movie would've stayed the same. In addition to that, a lot of scenes didn't feel connected, which is something that could potentially destroy the presentation of the movie's narrative.

• Cinematography: 6/10

Why? Surprisingly okay. It has nothing really special going on except for a couple of pleasing looking shots and a colorful palette that pretty effectively sets up the tone of the film. Not bad considering that the romantic comedy was directed by the man responsible for movies like "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" or "Step Up 3D".

• Score/Soundtrack: 4/10

Why? Predictable, boring, and sometimes painfully lazy. I mean, did they really play The Ride of the Valkyries in a scene involving a helicopter? However, I must admit that I quite enjoyed the film's rendition of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love", which also worked beautifully in the context of the scene it was featured in.

FINAL GRADE: 5/10