Writer: Erny Suzira

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Watch this if you liked: “Goodbye Mr Loser” (2015)

The Good, the Bad and the Second Chance:

China's 2015 sleeper hit "Goodbye Mr Loser" proved to be highly successful when it grossed over USD226 million in mainland China, combined with an overseas box office of USD1.9 million.

The success of the movie inspired Malaysian director Adrian Teh who not only found the story entertaining and refreshing, but also very relatable to almost everyone, everywhere. Thus, this pushed him to create his own version of the sleeper hit with some added local flavour.

To be honest, the story between Teh's version and the original China version which was directed by Yan Fei and Peng Damo, is almost identical in so many aspects, and one would definitely question the necessity of remaking the same story, but director Adrian Teh has a valid reason for remaking this film in Malaysia, and one of it is because the original version never got the chance to meet the Malaysian audience, so many are still unfamiliar with it despite it being a huge title in China.

And as previously mentioned, the director believes that the story and the script of the original movie was so good that many would be able to relate to it, and since the premise of the movie is so simple, it can also easily blend into Malaysian culture with some minor adjustments.

For those yet to see the original version, they will find the movie purely entertaining as it brings back the nostalgic vibe of the 90s era but also provides plenty of modern pop culture references, including director Teh's previous works.

However, for audiences who have already watched the original movie, they would still find the remake entertaining, as some scenes are delivered differently, some extra scenes and information has also been added, and some of the characters are much more believable than the original; for example the heroine played by local model Mei Sim who has a super plain face but possesses a great and attractive aura which makes the audience immediately fall in love with her character.

Like the China version, most of the cast in the movie are newbies in the movie industry, and although some scenes can be a little bit stiff and awkward, most of the time, they have handled and delivered the characters very well.

It's not a matter of which version is better than the other, but it is more on a personal preference level. Some may find the original 2015 film better because it came out first and seems more authentic, but Malaysian and Singaporean audiences may find Teh's version to be a lot better due to the familiar local elements the film delivers.

Overall, the movie does justice in honouring the original "Goodbye Mr Loser".

Trivia:

• The movie features cameos from several familiar faces including Malaysian athletes Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying and also some 'fake' guest stars.



Cinema Online, 23 March 2017