Review: "CJ7" (2008)

This is a refreshing little gem of a flick that melds Stephen Chow’s knack for slapstick comedy with an ET-like story about a poor Chinese boy and an alien. The result is a quirky, delightful family film with plenty of heart and lessons to be learned.

The story revolves around Dicky Chow, a very poor boy whose father Ti, a construction worker, toils day and night so that his son can attend an elite private school. Dicky is bullied at school by rich kids and haughty teachers alike for his smudge marked face, tattered clothes and stubborn pride.

While the school bullies flaunt their high-tech toys, Dicky’s father combs through the local garbage dump at night gathering discarded “treasures” for his son. One night he unknowingly disturbs an alien spaceship that flies away, leaving behind a small, shiny green orb. He brings it home for Dicky to play with and soon enough the toy transforms into a cute, furry dog-like alien that Dicky names “CJ7” (after a toy called CJ1 that is popular among the school kids).

There ensue some very funny moments as Dicky fantasizes about harnessing CJ7’s superpowers to excel in schoolwork and sports class. Although he soon realizes that CJ7 does not possess the powers he imagines, his schoolmates are quite impressed by the toy and his stock is on the rise until his father is involved in an accident at work.

What keeps this movie grounded is the warm rapport between Dicky and Ti despite their bleak circumstances and the talented cast of child actors. Jiao Xu, the actress (!) who plays Dicky, is fantastic. She gives a well-rounded and nuanced performance, portraying Dicky as both rebellious yet optimistic.

Although CJ7 offers an assortment of messages for children, it does so in a light-hearted, hopeful manner. On the one hand, it demonstrates that there is no shame in poverty and that integrity and family bonds are more important than material possessions and class status. While this message seems uniquely tailored to modern China as it struggles with the growing divide between rich and poor, the lessons are equally relevant to anyone feeling numbed by an increasingly consumerist culture. On another level, it also illustrates the dark side of the adage “be careful what you wish for”.