Crazy Rich Asians - A RMNT Review

Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy that’s based on the novel of the same name, with Jon M. Chu directing, and is also the first Hollywood feature film to have an all Asian cast since 1993’s The Joy Luck Club. Personally, I love a fun rom-com as much as the next person, but let’s be honest, they’ve been pretty damn repetitive when it comes to their clichés and mostly relying on its star power to get audiences to see them. However, from time to time, we get a few good ones out of the many that come off as either pretty dumb or just flat-out bad. I love romance and believe in it as well, since after all, they are the main element of the genre, but you have to remember that there’s still the matter of the main plot, other characters and of course, the presentation. After seeing the trailer a couple of months back, a couple of things caught my eye was not just the all Asian cast, but also the production design, leaving me feeling uncertain of how the film’s plot would execute. So after seeing it, has this film broke the mold in the romantic comedy genre or was getting a bunch of Asian actors an excuse to try to be somewhat different than the rest?

The film centers on Chinese-American economics professor Rachel Wu and her relationship with Nick Young, who asks her in accompanying him to Singapore to attend the wedding of his best friend as he’s the best man, leading her to learn that Nick comes from a very rich family, and I’m not talking about “I have a small fortune” rich, I’m talking extremely wealthy in the levels of that of high class royalty!! This is where the plot puts Rachel in the classic fish out of water perspective as she enters the large glamorous world of high society when she meets Nick’s family at Singapore, including how Rachel processes in exploring this part of Nick's world without getting embarrassed or putting herself in an awkward position, including dealing with Nick's domineering mother. But surprisingly, from the way it tells the story, everything feels very fresh, despite seeing a couple of familiar clichés. Unlike most romantic comedies, this one is full charm and smart in an engaging way to the point where it treats the audience intelligently with proper respect. Heck, even the humor hit many bullseyes when it came to the timing and packed with sharp wit! The film also has a subplot centered on Nick's cousin Astrid and the way it concluded was done very well with genuine honesty and believability, without it being either a distraction or an minor inconvenience. But the best part of all is indeed the third act, which is the dreaded part of any romantic comedy as they almost always end in the most predictable and lazy way. You know what I'm talking about. But here though, this was unlike any ending of a rom-com as you feel the strong emotion during it, which was quite unexpected, and for that, I'm glad that the writers gave it a very satisfying conclusion that broke the romantic comedy mold! I'm truly astounded at how very engaging, smart, and even fun it can be! So kudos to Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim for the brilliant screenwriting!

No lie, each character in the film is memorable and are all portrayed well thanks to the very talented cast! Rachel Wu and Nick Young might very well be my favorite movie couple of the year for the strong chemistry that the two have and how genuine they are with each other. Constance Wu as Rachel may also be my favorite character in the film for how smart she is, how caring to others and how she embraces herself for who she is as a person. Henry Golding (in his acting debut and I'm still surprised about that) is very charming and likable as Nick as you can see how much Rachel means to him for being who she is and how happy he is to be around her, even after learning of his rich background. Michelle Yeoh owns the role as Nick's mother and serves as an obstacle to Rachel, and while we've seen this type scenario in other films, the way it's done here has a more unique approach, especially during the third act, but the way it resolves was done very brilliantly without it being insulting or lazy. But the real scene-stealer of the film is Awkwafina as Rachel's college best friend Peik Lin and is an absolute riot for her lines of dialogue, her energy, and interactions with Rachel and others! In other films, she'd be a huge annoyance, but thanks to her performance and the writing, she's just fantastic and actually is significant in the film as she helps her best friend understand the high class community and supporting her relationship with Nick. As for the rest of the characters, they're all performed amazingly by the rest of the cast, whether they're supportive or minor, they're all wonderfully memorable in their own right and have many great moments to boot! I never thought I'd be enjoying the entire cast of a romantic comedy, so I'm highly glad the director and casting director picked the right people for the right role!

Out of all the romantic comedies I’ve seen, this one is probably the most gorgeously shot! With the film set in Singapore, the crew knew to take advantage of the country’s sightings and atmosphere, including the stunning architecture, the massive family mansion where Rachel attends to meet Nick's family, and the main event itself, the most beautiful and magical wedding I've ever seen and features the most jaw-droppingly beautiful wedding dress! The atmosphere, the visuals, the emotional buildup, it's all too much! This is a wedding that's worth waiting for during the film! There's just a lot of eye-catching glimpses that you can't help but admire the work the crew has gone into, making this a very good-looking film in terms of the cinematography, production design and even the costuming! So very nice work!

I never thought I'd see a film from Jon M. Chu that would end up being one of the best films I've seen this year as well being the best romantic comedy of the year for its smart and engaging premise packed with solid humor and emotion, a likable cast of characters portrayed by an amazing cast, and truly impressive production design! I highly applaud to the director, the writers, the cast, the crew for their role in changing the romantic comedy game and truly look forward for the sequel that's currently in development! Let's hope that it also breaks the mold of romantic comedy sequels!

Story: 4.5 / 5

Characters: 4.5 / 5

Production: 4.5 / 5

Final rating: 4.5 / 5