Shanghai Kiss

Shanghai Kiss_720p(480P)

source: Shanghai Kiss

The movie was okay. I give it 5/10 because it had a story and it said it, but the the main dude was really monotone and lacked compassion and his relationship with the American chick(hayden panttiere) was also lacking something and was just very strange...the fact that she was younger than him was also sorta creepy. He slept with lots of people but not her even though she was the girl of his dreams... yet she was like 16 so it was just weird. Overall it was just a strange movie.. had about the depth of a spoon. Its an okay movie to watch while you're knitting or sewing, that's what I did.

I did not know about this film before I rented it on a whim. It was very entertaining and the acting was great. I especially liked the male lead, Ken Leung. I have only seen him acting as a bad guy in action films. He carried this movie as a leading man (a woman's opinion). I will look for him in movies in the future no matter the genre. Hopefully more Asian's will be seen in mainstream movies. I thought the commentary on the DVD was interesting. It opened up my mind on the meaning behind some of the scenes that I had not considered. I especially enjoy films that keep me thinking about them after they are over. I would watch this movie again just to take it to another level.

I'm somewhat surprised to see such high praise for this film in other reviews here. In a nutshell, while I feel that the movie is decent, it didn't blow me away and it's not something I'll really recommend to friends. I took a certain delight in many of the scenes in the movie: the opening scene where the title character fights through Asian stereotypes while trying to audition for a commercial, the awe and wonder he feels seeing Shanghai for the first time, and his helplessness with the Chinese language as he tries to get back to his hotel. There are a few good laughs in the movie, and sure enough an emotional edge to it which some people will relate to -- in a way, you can call the title character an Asian American "Holden Caufield," if you will, as we watch him feeling empty and going through the motions, struggling with a difficult emotional past and present. However, I felt no love at all for Hayden's character or frankly any interest in their relationship. She sure is nice to look at, but the whole premise of a hot blonde sixteen year old Beverly Hills chick flirting with a much older Asian man on the bus seemed a wee bit implausible, if not outright painful once you throw in her baby talking and bizarre instantaneous attachment and clinginess. Overall, the laughs were a bit too few and far between and the story was a bit lackluster, feeling to me like an awkward and somewhat mediocre mixture of "Garden State" and "Lost in Translation." As an Asian American, I really wanted to love the film -- but I just didn't find it entertaining or profound.

I believe this is one of the best movie in 2007 on Modern Day Asian American Lives. This is one movie that I loved to watch with my wife. This is got no condescending tone about Asian Americans like many other US movies. The movie was modern, witty and incisive. I enjoyed watching it! I have been to Shanghai and it is very modern in the center piece of the town. Many people do move there from all around the world. The girl singing to a guy on the bus seems unreal to me. But I guess that is one way to add drama. I believe this is one of the best movie in 2007 on Modern Day Asian American Lives. I just read how all the people in the film had worked for almost nothing to support a movie like this. The making of the movie itself is truly amazing. I would recommend this movie to all my friends.

Regardless of some of the stereotypical female characters, unrealistic situations (i.e. white girl picking up Asian guy on a bus), this movie explores some very real issues and important themes. One of the reasons i think this movie has been taking a lot of flak for its characters development is its the first of its kind to have a Asian American MALE LEAD who DOESN"T fit the stereotypical molds. So obviously, lots of things are unrealistic. But lets examine why they seem unrealistic and seemingly improbable. It is because its never been portrayed. Media defines culture. Music, movies, literature, art, these things are what defines culture, so obviously anything that happens in the world that can be attributed to any of the aforementioned mediums has credibility and realism, and anything that does not seem improbable. But we have to remember, HUMAN BEINGS write literature, create art, make music and direct movies. WE are in control of what defines us, and i think this movie does a great job in creating a NEW definition of what normal Asian Americans can be like, again it is a movie, so its hypothetical. Does anyone not watch spider man? Again the point is not about whether its realistic, because it is, i've seen it and i've been where this character's been, the emotions that are portrayed are very real, and if your not Asian American, or are not 1.5 generational Asian American, then you simply do not experience this cultural identity confusion and you probably will not understand this movie. But for those who fit the description and can identify with ken leung's character, this movie contains very real emotions, and of course we should be the ones that like this movie. it is kind of a movie about Asian Americans.

I think this is a break through for Asian American to take on a leading role for once. I'm not saying it will happen soon but its an opportunity thats all. About this movie, I enjoyed it although i don't watch drama movie as much but its pretty interesting. The situation "Ken Leung" played is sorta true about Asian American now a days. Most Asian American really don't dig back to their roots meaning some just cant speak there own language but they understand it. I think this movie gives Asian American another perspective on learning about there culture. The over all on this movie I give it a 9-10 because its something i would watch about 2-4 times.

might have spoilers!!! I m still confused why this movie received such a high rating on IMDb. It is poorly directed(so what if its his first), has average actors and a shitty story line. This is an attempt by an inferiority complex-ed Chinese guy to lash out at the "snobbish" Americans. Ken leung is rather pathetic, he manages to "score" white chicks with stupid lines and then gets to act all superior towards them. And whats with the stories of childhood harassment(we are discussing a 7 yrs old's *...??) Hayden is rather irritating at times and obviously retarded cause she picks up bored looking Chinese men from a bus.Then tries desperately to act like a 16 yr old, with her weird antics. and kelly hu, although hot, is useless, whats with all the crap about Chinese way of life and low wages.?? Give me a break. Please avoid this by all means.

Much has been made by other reviewers about how "Shanghai Kiss" breaks away from the unflattering stereotypes that dog Asian men in American popular culture. And to be sure, I'm glad to see these folks playing roles other than martial artist or math geek. But in its relentless quest to show that, yes, an Asian guy can indeed sleep with white chicks, this movie gives us an entirely unsympathetic main character and throws him into completely implausible situations. Nowhere do we see why it is that Ken Leung's character is such a babe magnet. Instead, we get someone who is shallow, egotistical, moody, immature, and just plain annoying. And he's not even especially handsome, either (though he does have a sort of boyish cuteness). In short, there's nothing particularly desirable or appealing about this guy. Yet, inexplicably, the ladies just can't get enough of him. And as if the fact that the protagonist is totally irritating isn't enough to detract from our enjoyment of the movie, there's also the rank implausibility of the storyline. I mean, how often do attractive women (of any race) blatantly throw themselves at random strangers (again, of any race) on public buses? Or, when someone just steps off a trans-Pacific airline flight, how likely is it that they are immediately going to go someplace where -- you guessed it -- women are eagerly waiting to pleasure him? To me, the whole thing smacked of the film makers shouting out as loudly as they can, "Hey, look at this! Asian guys can get some action in bed!" Well, OK, that's swell, I guess. But somehow, I don't think that making our "hero" out to be as unappealing and unsympathetic as possible, while putting him into completely implausible and unbelievable situations, advances the cause of Asian male de-stereotyping. Full disclosure: I hit my limit and stopped watching the movie about a half-hour into it (right after the main character arrived in Shanghai). So that's why I'm giving it two stars, because maybe it got better after that. But as for me, I'm afraid I'll just have to keep hoping that maybe someday I'll find a non-stereotypical Asian guy in the movies who's actually worth spending some time with.