Perhaps it’s true that there are no more original ideas in the world. But Stephen Chow has proven, and still proves, that recycled ideas can still be effective if used creatively with a stamp of one’s own. Every one of Chow’s comedies definitely has his indelible stamp on it, even when he’s spoofing other films or paying direct tribute to his favourite movies.

His last film, Kung Fu Hustle, was an homage to three generations of martial arts movies. His latest, CJ7, is his loving tribute to Hollywood’s Cinema Of Spectacle, particularly the sci-fi genre. You’ll find a lot that’s familiar in the film, and that’s not a particularly bad thing because a Stephen Chow movie is almost like a movie-buff’s trivia game. CJ7 is clearly made in the mould of films like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Batteries Not Included, and other such films. There’s an obvious nod to the era of those films in the the movie’s score which sounds very 80s...

...Despite its shortcomings, CJ7 is still a very entertaining, hilarious movie. But then again, it has come to the point where every Stephen Chow movie is an event. And who would have thought that Boney M.’s Sunny could be so fitting for a sci-fi comedy?

Stephen Chow is back. Well, partly. The Chow that most Hong Kong audiences know and love is the lovable wiseacre from such classic films as From Beijing with Love and Fight Back to School, and that Chow hasn't made a film in a long time. Over the last ten years, Chow has been a filmmaker rather than a comedian - not a bad trade-off considering that Chow has always been the star of his films, plus his trademark brand of visual comedy was always present. CJ7 gives audiences the latter, delivering hilarious anime-inspired comedy and a decent helping of sarcastic irreverence that should be familiar to the Chow faithful. What it doesn't deliver is Stephen Chow as the star, and fair or not, that registers as a disappointment. Luckily, child actor Xu Jiao is quite funny, and CJ7 still has the ability to entertain and even touch audiences. However, Western fans whose Stephen Chow experience begins with Shaolin Soccer and ends with Kung Fu Hustle may not care for CJ7 at all. It's easy to understand why.

It didn't have the "wow" factor as did Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle. but it's an enjoyable film. Sure, it's cheesy, but it works because it's not ashamed of its own cheesiness, and it's touching as well, with the overall weirdness of it all keeping the film from being schmaltzy.