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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MoonSong" data-source="post: 8599875" data-attributes="member: 6689464">[SPOILER='Out of context, First impressions in order']Ok. First impressions in order. I'll add to this as I watch.Not a fan of first person narrative and post-modern fiction in movies. It gives me flashbacks of Lizzie McGuire and Clarissa Explains it all.Mei Lee is an overachiever and hypocritical to herself. I'm liking her character arc as it is being set up. .How can she be forced to act like an adult and at the same time so infantilized at the same time?Of course Mei Lee's Mom is a Tiger Mom... and she is over the top. It seems the inciting incident is an innocent act going horribly wrong and overblown by the mother.14.-It seems Mei Lee has been properly educated, I mean conditioned.15.- And we finally the moment we've been waiting for.22.- I hate Tyler already23.- Ok, Mei Lee's mom is acting creepy. Helicopter mom much?25.- Disaster dominoes.27.- The explanation is very D&D-like.  I think I want a red panda sorcerer bloodline29.- Ok, the disaster could have been prevented. Why not explain this to her before the fact instead of awaiting until the last moment?33.- What awful parenting. Mei's mom doesn't dare to look at her?38.- Mei's mom is very prejudiced and old fashioned. Not to mention a hypocrite.40.- And back to being creepy.41.- And a rebellion sparks...43.- Technology is oddly late nineties early oughts. Curious choice, I wouldn't have expected it to be a period piece.47. Did I mention I hate Tyler? If this story follows formula, I expect him to become a love interest?51. I expect some shenanigans and chaos to come. Ominous grandma is ominous when she gives ominous omens.56. The gig is up!57. Hadn't noticed the tamagotchi!59. I expected a more impressive end of second act.61. The conditioning comes back.62. I hope that car is automatic.63. Ohh number four! I hadn't noticed the significance of the number.64. Mom bad, Daddy good. It's been a while since I've seen this dynamic in media.66. I'm half expecting the ritual to fail and half expecting Mei to run away in the middle of it.70. Her mother is angry...72. Reality ensues, and actions have consequences. Easily forgiven in the end.73. Momzilla arrives.74. Is 4Twon the second coming of Nsync? I would have wanted to hear a bit more of the song.75. "I brought you into this world and can take you out of it".78. Intergenerational trauma and the cycle of abuse. For a given definition of abuse. That bump to the head hurt.79. An impromptu henshin sequence. For some reason I find all of Mei's aunts and cousins to be rather indistinguishable from each other.80. Oh now I get to hear the song!82. Now we get to the heartwarming climax. That explains the scar. 86. And Mei's character arc is complete. 87. Oh the tamagotchi is back! again! And it keeps Mom's panda! n_n88 They are stuck with the bill! How funny! Tyler is part of the friend group! Not exactly up to the prediction, but close enough. Credit sequence. On hindsight 4Town sounds more like Westlife.The stinger. Awkward joke, with Dads that somehow doesn't count as a Dad joke.[/SPOILER]Ok, Conclusion, the movie is fine. It has its moments, but it is like the third or fourth recent Disney/Pixar movie which features strong mommy/maternal issues as motifs. I find it conspicuously odd.I don't have any evidence to support it, but I wouldn't be surprised if this movie had some autobiographical elements. Honestly, I can see why some might not like it due to its elements and themes, but I think it may be a mistake to see it as strictly "Chinese". This story is closer to being "universal" with an emphasis on the mother/daughter relationship. I'm not sure if this movie will be popular with children, as it handles themes that speak more to preteens. I hope it finds an audience, because it is fun and just right in depth. Not a masterpiece, but far from being bad.</blockquote>

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