| Chinese Odyssey 2002 is a visual masterpiece filled with great comedy and characters that are all quirky, amusing, and charming. The performances are also typically right on for this light-hearted satire. However, it's not without it's share of problems. The pacing is off at times, it teases the audience with the prospect of fights (even including one which is pretty decent, both in length and in quality) but, excepting that scene, never delivers. These could be seen as, like much of the rest of the film, part of it’s joke on traditional Chinese film genres, but if so, it’s far more detrimental to the spirit of the film than a successful mockery. In spite of this, it’s a visual treat with humor that transcends cultural borders.
Living isolated within the palace walls leads the emperor (Chang Chen) and his sister (Faye Wong) to dream of a life in the outside world that is free from their mother’s strict formalities. One day, they plan to make their dream a reality; they will both escape, separately, and then meet up once again in a town far away from their home. The emperor is stopped by a group of warriors, similar to the secret police, while his sister succeeds in the escape. Meanwhile, Dragon (Tony Leung), infamous for his bully-like personality in his town, fights as a kind of mercenary, complete with faked battle scars. He comes upon his old teacher who humiliates and punishes Dragon. The scene could have been a cheesy throwaway, but because both of the actors involved make their characters almost serious in their absurd actions, it’s wonderfully hilarious. Dragon returns to his town where his sister, Phoenix (Vicki Zhao), laments over her inability to find a lover. Dragon’s love for Phoenix leads him to try desperately to find her a match. He uses an old, “tried-and-true” method to find a suitor, but all those in town simply want to marry her to get rid of Dragon. He gives up on them until one day he sees the emperor’s sister in a restaurant. She’s dressed much like a man and, mistaking her for one, Dragon determines to match her with Phoenix. Phoenix almost immediately becomes infatuated with the princess, but the princess is in love with Dragon. Dragon doesn’t quite know what to make of the whole circumstance, though later he does mention that the princess made him feel like a queer for his thoughts. Phoenix decides to return home and Dragon goes after her in a vain attempt to gain a husband for his sister. While they’re gone, the emperor comes to the town in search of his sister. He saves Phoenix from violence and they soon fall madly in love. When the princess and Dragon, now a couple thanks to the determination of the princess’ sex, return, Dragon is overwhelmed with guilt for stealing his sister’s true love. She explains her relationship with the emperor, and those problems are fixed. However, both couples face an enormous hurdle when the emperor’s mother, who disapproves of mere social acquaintance with those not of royal blood, arrives. A story that feels almost like a comedy by Shakespeare or Wilde set in ancient China, Chinese Odyssey 2002 is as classic a comedy as anything they wrote.
Jeffrey Lau creates a beautiful world in which this absurdist comedy takes place. Vibrant colors meet parched skies and fields. Movements both of and within the frame are captivating, especially the godlike flying of blossoms present in many scenes. Visually, this feels much more like an epic action film or drama than a comedy. While the breathtaking cinematography feels at times out of place, it is arguably the film’s strongest point.
The acting is good, if nothing spectacular. The characters are often absurd takes on the stereotypical figures from Hong Kong period films, but you wouldn’t know it from the acting. The actors all take their characters seriously, which makes many of the situational humor of the film all the better. Tony Leung does by far the best job of any in the cast. As Dragon he brings fierceness and, most importantly, a child-like spirit to the role that makes him the character easiest to identify with. Faye Wong gives her character some depth, but overall isn’t astounding as she seems in her manly role. Zhao Wei is almost intolerably cute (damn Stephen Chow for making her so bizarre and ugly in Shaolin Soccer) as Phoenix, but her voice was fairly obviously dubbed by a native speaker of Cantonese (Wei is from Taiwan). Still, she embodies the character well, not to mention the fact that any male watching won’t be able to take his eyes off of her.
The few negative comments the film receives either criticize its pacing or were disappointed by the humor. The pacing, while a valid complaint is really only off for the first thirty minutes or so. The rest is a little awkward, but nothing too atrocious. Humor-wise, this is not your standard Chinese comedy. Very little about the characters is over the top or slapstick; the most satisfyingly funny moments are usually inferred rather than introduced with fireworks. In the end, when the humor gives way to the sorrow and longing of the characters, it's a successful transition that helps the film to succeed on a non-comedic level as well. Chinese Odyssey 2002 isn't a crucial film to watch, but it will satisfy nearly any viewer. |
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