Synopsis: Wang Yi Zhi has always been in love with Xin Xin. Even from their childhood days in the orphanage, the two have always held a special connection. When Wang finds out that Xin Xin is now dating a geeky computer engineer, who is secretly a superhero, he sets out to train as a boxer before he professes his love to her. But when Xin Xin gets kidnapped by a crazed super-villain, Wang Yi Zhi must prove his love and his fighting skills in order to win back the girl of his dreams. (102 Mins)

 

Views: Originally slated for a release back in 2014, Taiwanese rom-com-superhero-drama A Choo was to be shelved indefinitely after its leading star, Kai Ko, was arrested on drugs charges with the one and only Jaycee Chan. Kai's career took a heavy blow after that, and to make matters worse, writer Giddens Ko got caught-up in his own scandal after he was discovered cheating on his girlfriend of 9 years. It seemed like A Choo would never see the light of day, but now – 6 years later – we finally get the chance to see it...

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Based on Giddens Ko's novel of the same name, A Choo is ultimately a love story, set in a world where superheroes exist. It's not a superhero movie like what we see in the MCU or otherwise, even though that's how Netflix seem to be selling it with their teaser. In fact, this rom-com fantasy is a blend of many things that hark back to the genre-blending days of 80's and 90's Hong Kong (and even Taiwanese) cinema. Opening with a pretty cool animation (done comic-book style to fit the tone), we are introduced to our 3 main characters as kids – with the young Wang Yi Zhi proving to be particularly cute in his role. His charm and puppy-love towards Xin Xin is borderline infatuation, something of which he never seems to grow out off!

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While escaping some of the orphanage bullies, the young trio of friends come across an old cabin in the woods amidst a lightning storm. Its here that they see a man on the porch, who seems to be pulling the lightning-strikes towards him. Upon seeing the kids, the man runs back into his house, slamming the door behind him. It doesn't take the kids long to confirm that this man is missing superhero, Flash – played by the wonderful Louis Koo. In their late teen years, Xin Xin leaves the orphanage. The boys have now grown-up to be the handsome Kai Ko and Talu Wang (from The Rookies). Both are smitten with her and upset to see their first love go, but it doesn't take them long to head to the city and pay Xin Xin a visit, much to her surprise. It's here that the young teacher gets caught-up in a violent gun-fight between a gang of robbers and the police. As the boys watch helplessly, with Xin Xin now a hostage, beloved superhero Sonic (played by Liu Kuan Ting) comes to the rescue – delivering the first real piece of superhero action which is great fun. After taking the last gunman down, Sonic sweeps in to catch Xin Xin in mid-fall, leaving them in somewhat of a romantic entanglement, that doesn't please the poor Wang...

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As time passes, Wang takes to the ring, becoming a human punchbag for the gym boxers – something that leads to a odd-choice of career. Talu has joined the police-academy, taking both friends down a completely different path in life. Xin Xin invites them both to dinner one night, with the intention of introducing her new boyfriend – a geeky, computer engineer who is actually the superhero, Sonic. Of course, the boys aren't too slow in figuring this out, and this reveal now encourages the heart-broken Wang to up his game by any means necessary, in a bid to prove his love. His first stop is begging retired superhero Flash (Koo), to train him as a fighter, and at the same time, help him develop some super-powers. From here, we get to see the extreme (and perhaps unnatural) lengths, the handsome Wang will go to just to win back the girl of his dreams.

 

In the background, super villain Cube (played with great campiness by Vanness Wu), is keeping an eye on his enemies and soon finds out the true identity of Sonic. His discovery also reveals Sonics relationship with Xin Xin, and before we know it, the poor girl is once again taken hostage – along with the children of the orphanage. She will only be freed in exchange for the Matrix, a powerful weapon that would allow Cube to rule the world. It's here, in this final act, that things suddenly turn dark, with some nice action-scenes when Kai and Talu launch a rescue mission. We also get treated to some more super-powered antics, and while the CGI may not be of MCU quality, it all still proves to be quite entertaining...

 

A Choo is a bit of a mixed bag, although not in a negative sense. It's blend of heavy drama and romance, with its cartoon-like comedy and super-action may not appeal to everyone. And while it could certainly have ironed out a few of the noticeable flaws, the film still proves to be a charming and highly entertaining watch. With a steady pace and beautiful cinematography, A Choo charms with its romance and cuteness, while offering enough laughs that often seem like cut-scenes from the awesome, One Punch Man. They may seem out-of-place, but I enjoyed them. The action, from choreographer Zhang Peng, isn't anything we haven't seen before, but still entertains. I just wish we had gotten more superhero action, as what was on offer was brilliant – but it almost felt like we were being teased with these exciting characters. Peng has been involved with some crackers such as 47 Ronin, The Wrath Of Vajra, Ninja Assassin, and even doubled Jackie Chan on Rush Hour 3. In fact, the man has even dipped his toes in the superhero genre long before this, working on hits such as Kick-Ass, Scott Pilgrim, Hellboy 2, Wonder Woman, and even the MCU's brilliant, Ant-Man. Let's hope that someday, we get to see a full-blown adventure film of Sonic, Flash and even Cube from the team involved here. I think they deserve it!

 

Overall: While it has its flaws, A Choo proves to be an entertaining watch and has enough going on for fans that makes it worthwhile!