Movie Review: Chang Can Dunk (but Wont) On ‘Chang Can Dunk
In a recent interview with GQ, Hong Kong star Donnie Yen revealed that “John Wick. In the upcoming action movie Chapter 4, Kane's character was initially given a more common Chinese name. This choice upset Yen, who successfully lobbied to change the character's name. "Why does he always call him Shang or Chang?" he said in an interview. "Why do you have to be so general?"
Oh, years ago, after coming to terms with my tedious and often monosyllabic last name, I read that story without amusement. And I've thought more than once about Chang Can Dunk , the adorable and completely generic Disney+ movie about a 5-foot-1 Chinese-American teenager who tries to do something on YouTube with his high school nerds and to compete with commentators. and the basics. physiology shows that it cannot. .
Here, of course, the general has a greater goal. Recycling has long been a favorite pastime in Hollywood, a favorite shortcut to telling stories that seem more comprehensive. After all, the logic goes. long-marginalized Asian-American viewers can see a version of themselves in the nuanced traditional sports drama they've always rejected. correct progression?
A little bit. While it can be tiresome to see old stories repackaged in new colors, this practice can yield some enlightening cultural benefits. Jingyi Shao's script (which he also directs quite brilliantly) can be considered a relief and over-influenced, but 16-year-old Zhang (Bloom Lee) is largely hard to categorize. He is smart and friendly, athletic and musical; He can be awkward, clumsy, charming, arrogant, shy and outspoken. No one calls it racial abuse (or cares to call it anything other than Chang—his last name has become a nickname), but stereotypical assumptions about Asian masculinity are in the air you breathe.
The film's most awkwardly dramatic scene, in which Chang confronts his single, working mother (Mardi Ma), is also the film's most believable, rooted in Chang's frustration at not being able to say or do anything without earning her support. shame And the verdict. Like many Asian-American parents, Chang and her mother are not separated by generations but by a cultural chasm, leaving Maria with the film's best and funniest line; "Why without you?"
what really But utility isn't everything, and Chang Kang Dunk understands that pursuing fun and seemingly trivial goals can be meaningful in themselves, especially when the support of friends and family is done with love.
"Change can sink"
3 stars (out of 4)
Rated: PG (for language and some thematic elements)
Duration: 1:47
How to watch: Disney+
