Ah Beng: 3 Wishes: simply fall short

I went into the cinema with great hopes. You see, I listen to MyFM nearly every morning. I enjoyed the AhBeng skit everyday by Jack Lim and his gang. And when Ah Beng debut in silver screen in WooHoo, it actually worked so well, and it was really funny. I even enjoyed the AhBeng sitcom over Astro. So when Ah Beng got his own movie, I was excited.

Ah Beng the Movie: 3 Wishes is what the title suggest. I have 3 wishes as well.

Wish 1. I wish the story would not be so cheesy. The story (spoiler) is simple. Ah Beng's father, gave God of Fortune some offering, and in return was granted 3 wishes. Being the first wish, he wish to see his son when he grew up, which in turn is the whole premise of the whole adventure of Ah Beng and his gang. Trying to save Salt fish Lian who suffers from serious illness, they enter a talent show to win money for her treatment.

Story did seems to work on paper, but that is the problem. It did not work on screen. Father went to future and discover the son is a loser. Not new. Guilty about his action which led to his wife poor outcome. Not new either. Friend dying from leukemia... tat is so cheesy, from some Korean drama. And tat is the type of script I would write...hmmm... which I did write for Christmas play may years back.

Wish 2: I wish the jokes were funnier. There was some genuine jokes scattered around. But that is just about it. Too few good jokes. Some of the humour came across forced. Made on a lower budget, Nasi Lemak is way much more funnier, because it dare to laugh at movie themselves. The saving grace is the acting from the cast is rather good, given the many times they worked together both in the big and small screen, including the radio. The script is the problem, there was so many empty moments whereby one can hear the cockroach stroll in the cinema. That I also blame the editing where by the empty moments were without any action nor music.

Wish 3: I simply wish the show could be better. This is not an excuse. We know that the director was changed from the last few movies from Astro/ MyFM. But given the really neatly done WooHoo, moving Big Day, this really pale in comparison. And given that the last 2 local movie I had watched, the funny Nasi Lemak 2.0 and artistic Relationship Status which I expect was done on a lower budget, this really disappoint in a way.

Too many unnecessary things in the movie. Even the car chase which the movie boast of, is totally unneeded and did not do anything to the storyline. Just be true to the movie, no need to attempt so many things, and probably it could be better.

ratings: 2 half poink!

comments: I was really expecting a lot. At the end, it ended up like a really long TakNak (no smoking) campaign ad. Since this is the CNY season, I guess we should be forgiving lot and still go and support this local effort