Director: Kelvin Tong
Starring: Shaun Chen, Ling Lee, Xavier Teo, Ben Yeung, Alice Lim, David Aw, Benjamin Heng
RunTime: 88 mins
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG
Exactly what was Kelvin Tong thinking when he wrote and directed Men In White.
A 'horror-dy' from one of Singapore’s film director (whose last horror movie had critical acclaim and commercial success), it revolves around five Singaporean ghosts very clueless about their lives (or deaths). The audience is equally clueless as well.
The cast which includes the old Channel U alumnus Shaun Chen, Ben Yeung, Xavier Teo, Benjamin Heng, Singapore Universe’s contestant Ling Lee, Singapore Dreaming’s Alice Lim, and newcomer David Aw, probably did not know what they were in for.
They play a group of ghosts comprising a badminton player, ah lian, housewife, hiphoppers and a frequent kidnapper, constantly grouching about their boring after-lives and tasteless food of oranges and pork bellies. They break out in random dialogues of Singlish, Malaysian-accented Mandarin, American-accented English, Cantonese, Hokkien, and whatsoever song and dance sequences– What diversity Singapore has to offer. But is there a point in any of these?
The best part of the movie is the first 5 minutes, where 933DJ Jiahui showed apt comic timing playing a frightened juvenile. It kind of reminds people of the Scary movie series, though not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. After that, the nonsensical storyline and inability to draw laughs just frustrates. 4D accident jokes, effeminate guy stereotypes and toilet talk - humour or clichés?
Not everybody can do comedies. Sometimes, it should come naturally or it will look like you are trying to hard. A good comedy is class, not crass.
This production would disappoint ardent local movie supporters. But as my friend says, "We need movies like this to allow us to appreciate the other good movies."
Men In White – Barely scary, very dreary
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