Aaron and I finally got the chance to see “Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End.” It was a rather trying experience getting into the theater. We attempted to book seats at two different cinemas in Hong Kong Central but none were available. We ended up at Cyberport, which is on the south side of Hong Kong island. There were seats to be had but the theater was nearly full when the credits rolled. All the while I was wondering why the cinemas were so full. They hadn’t been like this for the other “box office hits” that we’ve recently seen.
Before I move onto the theme of this blog, Chinese Stars, I must first admit that the third “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie was by far the best pirate movie I’ve ever seen. It was everything a pirate movie should be.
So as Aaron and I were watching the pre-movie commercials (which only last a few min in comparison to 15 min in the States) a very involved VISA ad caught our eye. Starring Jackie Chan, Hong Kong native, the commercial was also set in Hong Kong. In his own comedic way, Jackie Chan bought athletic gear left and right to try and compete for a spot in the Olympic Games (which is a huge source of hype in these parts).
It didn’t take long for another Chinese star to take the screen. At the opening appearance of Chow-Yun Fat, someone cheered out “Chow-Yun Fat!” This was all very shocking because Chinese people don’t lose composure in this manner. But for such a super-star like Chow-Yun Fat I guess there are exceptions.
China doesn’t have many “Hollywood” names. Hong Kong at least has Jackie Chan and yes, Chow-Yun Fat. But Chow-Yun Fat didn’t grow up in the city. He was raised in a house without electricity on the southern side of Lamma Island. Yes, our fair island is home to a most beloved Chinese star. Chow Yun-Fat grew up working in the family fields and selling dim-sum and vegetables in the mornings with his mother. Before he turned 20 he responded to a talent search ad. Twenty-some years later he would star in “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”.
I wonder, along with other wondering and hopeful Chinese, if Chow-Yun Fat and Jackie Chan are the beginning of a trend in Chinese culture.
§Commentary
“The best pirate movie I’ve ever seen.” Here. Here. Those with whom I watched it, couldn’t follow the plot. If you’re trying to follow the plot, you’re missing the point.
This movie was unordinary. Jokes were common to all movies, but pirate idea was excellent. 9 barons are a joke as for me