Review: Chang Can Dunk (but Wont) On ‘Chang Can Dunk
In a recent interview with GQ, Hong Kong star Donnie Cain revealed that his character in the upcoming action film John Wick: Chapter 4 was originally given a common Chinese name. The choice angered Yen, who successfully lobbied for the character's name to be changed. "Why does it always have to be called Shang or Chang?" He said in an interview. "Why do you have to be general?"
Oh! After making peace with the boring and overused monosyllabic name years ago, I read this story with no amusement. And I've thought more than once of Chang Khan Dunk, a pathetic and completely generic Disney+ movie in which a 5-foot-tall Chinese-American teenager takes on his high school rival, YouTube commenters, and tries to do the same thing. to basic physiologies. . He can't
Here, of course, generalization serves a greater purpose. Recycling, a long-time favorite pastime in Hollywood, has also become a preferred way of moving into more engaging stories. Finally, logically, even long-marginalized Asian-American audiences can see their own version of themselves in a mainstream and inspiring sports drama. Progress, right?
Very similar. While it can be tiring to see old stories repackaged in new colors, the practice can and does have cultural value. Jingyi Shao's screenplay (which he also directed brilliantly) may be cheesy and over-the-top, but 16-year-old Chang (Bloom Lee) is delightful. She is smart and strong, athletic and musical; He can be silly, cunning, charming, arrogant, shy and outspoken. No one calls it a racial slur (or wants to call it anything other than his last name, which has become his nickname, Chang), but stereotypes about Asian masculinity hang in the air he breathes.
These assumptions are part of what leads him to make a foolish bet with fellow basketball star Matt (Chaz Liefeld): During reunion week, Chang promises to fail in front of the school. Christy (Zoe Rene), another marching band drummer, briefly falls in love, and Deandre (Dexter Darden), a "two-time Estonian League MVP" turned Verizon salesman, becomes Chang's coach. They follow crazy training regimens and brilliant training montages: Chang doesn't have to act like Michael B. Jordan in "Creed III" and shoot airplanes, though over time he turns into a protein shaker, bench-pressing, can-jumping. Shocking monster.
With the help of his tech-savvy best friend Bo (Ben Wang), he becomes a social media star by turning a weak story into viral fame and an insatiable ego warning. Chang's downward spiral, punctuated by brief appearances by various NBA and ESPN stars, is a bit slow, and while redemption is predictable on paper, it's surprisingly unsatisfying (by any measure). In the meantime, at least the cast keeps things alive: Renee, Wang, and especially Darden round out the supporting cast, and Li Chang is a confident actor who doesn't over-popularize.
The film's more awkwardly dramatic scenes, in which Chang interjects his hard-working single mother (Mardie Ma), are also more compelling because they are rooted in Chang's frustration that he can't say or do anything without incurring a brooding embarrassment. And judgment, like many Asian-American parent-son duos, Chang and his mother straddle not just a generational but a cultural divide, Masa says in the film's best and funniest line, "Why do I go scuba diving?" What are you doing with that choke?!”
Of course what. But utility isn't everything, and Chang Kan Dunk realizes that pursuing exciting and unlikely goals can be meaningful in itself, especially with the loving support of friends and family. Although his true lesson is one that some of us have long held dear, he knows that there is a time to shine and a time to retreat.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
