Cutesy stuff from Jacob Cheung (Cageman), his second feature for UFO productions and having recently watched Andy Chin's Victory myself, it's become even more apparent than ever that entire established genre structures can and will be lifted by Hong Kong filmmakers to make their own thing. Even though Whatever Will Be, Will Be is about choir competition, it really is the sports drama structure 1A utilized here. Jacob Cheung isn't stupid to fall into the trap of thoroughly replicating previously done movies though. Goals seemingly are to get the essentials right, provide a nice, family friendly atmosphere and even inject a little (with emphasis on little) character weight so the effort can reach bearable. A mission that Cheung have no problem accomplishing.

It's really easy to look down upon this James Yuen and Aubrey Lam scripted automatic machine of a movie because every minute comes something expected and recognizable. Establishing the choir kids as undisciplined, rude and low on morale brings up the expected thoughts of the unevitable turnaround regarding all those facets later on in the film (usually accompanied by a montage at some point). Right on cue, much of this takes place within Cheung's narrative but there's a crucial turnaround that makes Whatever Will Be, Will Be take on an aura that you would expect from a seasoned character drama director like Cheung.

The kids are really loud, unsympathetic and cruel towards their environment and each other but a crucial dinner scene truly reveals that they are outcasts. Screenwriters Yuen and Lam makes the very true point about getting acceptance at this young age clearly means that you have to adopt cruel behaviour into your life, otherwise you basically have to eat outside the cafeteria. While the kids do realize that behaving towards adults makes them happy, there is a smart sense about them that the adult world easily can disappoint you, so what really is the point of being a good kid? Outside of this, the always patriotic themes about the need of uniting and the need to look at what really matters crop up. I truly do believe that Jacob Cheung, while making nothing close to gems like Cageman or Beyond The Sunset was an ideal choice to make sure Whatever Will Be, Will Be didn't reek.

Despite all these messages and morals are shoved down the viewer's throats and firmly planted so we absolutely don't miss them, it's assuring that Cheung never makes it intrusive and goes enough inspiring places. Secondly, his venture into concentrating on a select few friendships amongst the children gets reasonable care from the viewer, despite everything being far from subtle. It's not winning in a minor way as such but it's bearable when it probably shouldn't have been.

Then there's the adult actors/pop stars Kelly Chen (in her movie debut) and Aaron Kwok who gets awarded the requisite romance and it's really the same bearable workings of Cheung's that crops up here. Slightly unexpected endings to Lee and Lam's arcs, as well as those for the goal of the kids, does add weight but nothing of that kind comes from Chen and Kwok. Instead, they're just a fairly likeable double act (especially Kwok) and in the simple framework that Whatever Will Be, Will Be is, that's sufficient. Richard Ng (sans moustache) also appear.

Enthusiasts of Cageman and The Kid are clearly going to be disappointed and probably feel a little offended that something as lightweight and harmless as Whatever Will Be, Will Be has Jacob Cheung's name on it. I disagree. He is in fact a very suitable choice to bring James Yuen and Aubrey Lam's sincere but familiar structured script to the screen. Much of what's featured should've sunk like a ship but due to enough commitment to make staple aspects work for the moment, Whatever Will Be, Will Be goes places of genre acceptance.

Lee (Chen) manages to get a prestigious job at a strict boarding school teaching performing arts, but finds that the authorities are keeping a close eye on her work with the pupils. Lee is faced with the usual assortment of troubled and misunderstood children and is given the onerous task of preparing them for a school choir competition. Taking these raw materials and turning them into a successful choir proves to be a challenging task though Lee finds the physical education teacher (Kwok) is more than willing to lend assistance. While the choir gradually takes shape, the young teacher is also given the opportunity to appear in a new musical that will catapult her to stardom. Lee now has to choose between her dream to become a dancer and the responsiblity she feels towards the children.

The idea of the inspirational teacher guiding a class of misfits has passed into the realms of cliche. Hollywood has used it for decades and even the new hit French film 'Les Choristes' has taken the same elements and blended them together in a very slightly different way. Using a storyline that almost creates a groan of contempt when the premise is read needs a director and cast to elevate it above expectations. Thankfully, Jacob Cheung is a film-maker who is polished enough to fit the bill and therefore take a tired idea and inject some life into it. As Cheung has shown in his varied career, a well developed set of appealing characters can cover over a multitude of narrative sins and obvious emotional flirtations.

Jacob Cheung's 'The Kid' is an example of how well the director side-steps saccharine-drenched histrionics in a bid to put some genuine pathos into the storyline. While 'Whatever Will Be, Will Be' is not a superlative example of the technique - certainly far less assuredthan 'The Kid' - it is at least able to entertain throughout its duration. Such sub-plots as the bullied young girl Jojo's entry into the choir is a perfect summary of how the film succeeds; with a pair of ludicrous plastic ears taped to her head to elicit sympathy, Jojo enters the film as an obvious plot device, but the skill of the actress playing her means that I actually did feel saddened by her plight. Kelly Chen and Aaron Kwok are also endearing enough in their respective roles to make their friendship a necessary cog in the films workings. Though neither Chen or Kwok have the range to always convince in more complicated parts, here both of them are adept at working with the young cast.

'Whatever Will Be, Will Be' is an unusual film to recommend as it is so anchored to convention that it initially seems to have little to differentiate it from the many other similarly themed films. Jacob Cheung, though, is the kind of director who can turn such unpromising material into something slightly more palatable and 'Whatever Will Be, Will Be' benefits from his attention. Add to Cheung's craft a cast who perform well enough to help even the hard-hearted forgive the blatant stereotypes used and this becomes a more intriguing proposition.