Last November’s trailer for director Stephen Chow’s $20 million extraterrestrial critter film CJ7 succeeded in drawing comparisons to E.T., and smartly kept its titularcritter tucked inside a UFO while a hyperactive kid acted a fool. Today, JoBlo got a hold of the first alien “pet” pics from the subtitled kids’ film set for release on March 8 in North America. My first impression is that it looks like a Maltese show dog bred with a fancy Chia Pet, but who knows, maybe that’s what was seen flying over Texas. Here’s the plot synopsis…
Ti (Stephen Chow) is a poor laborer father who works all day, everyday at a construction site to make sure his son Dicky Chow (Xu Jian) can attend an elite private school. Ti can’t afford to buy Dicky any expensive toys and goes to the best place he knows to get new stuff for Dicky – the junk yard! While out “shopping” for a new toy for his son, Ti finds a mysterious orb and brings it home for Dicky to play with. To his surprise and disbelief, the orb reveals itself to Dicky as a bizarre “pet” with extraordinary powers. Armed with his “CJ7″ Dicky seizes this chance to overcome his poor background and shabby clothes and impress his fellow schoolmates for the first time in his life. But CJ7 has other ideas and when Dicky brings it to class chaos ensue.
The film is reportedly the first time a Chinese production will feature a fully rendered digital character and Chow, who also directed Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, says the special effects are “up to international standards that will withstand comparison.” How meta would it be if the poor laborer father and half of China ended up making CJ7 toys as the sugar-addict son went on zany adventures across the universe? On the acting front, Chow is still rumored for the part of Kato in Seth Rogen’s 2009 flick The Green Hornet, and recently offered a part to Will Smith in his proposed $100 million adaptation of the Chinese fantasy book The Journey to the West.
More pics after the jump.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
That little guy looks AWESOME.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:08 am
i think this movie will rock. chow has a great sense of humour and knows how to exploit a movie cliché to it’s ultimate comic conclusion. most of the time.
his films get better with each one. i’m looking forward to it.
chow would also make a great kato. especially sending up bruce lee. it’ll definitely make him more famous in the main stream.
January 16th, 2008 at 2:36 am
I don’t know if you mean mainland China or Hong Kong, but the Tsui Hark produced film “Old Master Q” from 2001 featured fully rendered cg characters with live actors.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:27 am
WTF! I thought Water Horse was the new ET??! We’ve been lied to!
January 16th, 2008 at 11:21 am
@Jerry,
Water Horse was the new Mac&Me.
January 16th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
hahaha, that alien is adorable :3
January 25th, 2008 at 9:53 am
he looks like hes seen a fusball
January 29th, 2008 at 2:45 am
I wan to have tat doggie as my toy/pet.. got sell this as a toy anywhere??
February 4th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Poor movie !! Emotional? Has he given any views to the snow storm in China today?
February 13th, 2008 at 2:32 am
i’ve watched this movie…and ya guys wanna know something..??
its RAWKS!!! seriously!! its hillarious!! and fun!!! instead of the moral value stephen have putted inside of this movie…
vv_view just being totally envy… Hey..if you’re that good..how bout creating your OWN movie..? ahahahahaa…
February 13th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
woow…. awesome…
my prediction about the film was WRONG…
i can’t imagine the story.. it’s amazing…
funny…sad…simply
February 17th, 2008 at 3:23 am
this movie was great.. i saw a movie that is out in australia before the us for once.. YAY.. this movie was the best movie i’ve ever seen.. the little alien is so cute.. and the movie is so sad and funny…
February 29th, 2008 at 6:52 am
this movie is sooooooooooooooooo funny.
and maybe dis is the best stepen chow movie!!!
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:13 pm
ha hhha hha is cute,i am from indonesia. the alien look cute
and stepen chow is handsomemmm