Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

CJ7 Blu-ray Movie Review

This delightful Sci-Fi family comedy/drama is worth owning.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 12, 2008

Every student has their own true love.

If you thought foreign cinema was unapproachable for general audiences, consisting primarily of highbrow art house films and Hong Kong action extravaganzas, think again. CJ7 is one of the finer family films to come along in quite some time, a genuinely heartfelt and touching picture about the importance of family, virtue, integrity, trying hard in all you do, and standing tall to be recognized for who you are, not what you have. It's a rare combination in film where one finds a refreshingly honest, simple picture that will make you laugh, make you cry, warm your heart, and show you what being a good person is all about. With genuine performances, a witty script, fantastic direction, great music, awesome visuals, and memorable characters, CJ7 is a remarkable film that should vie for best foreign picture of the year.

So, Dicky, you're actually a girl?

Dicky (Jiao Xu), the son of a poor construction worker named Ti (Stephen Chow, Kung Fu Hustle), is a typical kid who wants more than he has, always on the lookout for the latest and greatest to keep up with the other kids at school and fit in with the coolest, richest kids around. Unfortunately for Dicky, he attends an elite school where his tattered shoes and unkempt appearance keep him from making many friends, and he is constantly ridiculed for being the poorest kid in school. Ti only wants the best for his son and works double shifts to afford the tuition, making everyday items like an old, worn out fan or a fresh apple for desert luxury items. When Ti cannot afford to buy Dicky a CJ1, a robotic dog that is the most popular toy in school (even the U.S. President's daughter has one, we're told), Ti searches the local dump in search of something to give Dicky instead. He returns home with a bouncy green ball that, much to Dicky's surprise, comes to life as an adorable green bodied, furry-headed alien that instantly becomes Dicky's best friend -- and the answer to his dreams. Or is it?

CJ7 is a movie about living your dreams, but it is also about learning that it's not always what we dream of that makes the best reality of all. With CJ7, Dicky finds happiness. It offers him a reprieve from the doldrums of poverty, the difficulty of making the grade to please his father, and the ridicule of his peers. Many of CJ7's capabilities exist only in Dicky's dreams. He comes to realize that it's not some external force that can make him the smartest kid in the class, the best athlete on the playing field, or the one who is the center of attention and envy of his peers. CJ7 is a movie about finding yourself, your place in life, and unearthing your talents and emotions, and that sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration, a push in the right direction, or a bit of interstellar magic to make it happen. A wholly magical and touching movie, CJ7 does everything right on-screen to deliver its message off-screen and in our hearts where we not only fall in love with the characters, but more importantly, with the strong, positive message of self-worth, love, and true happiness the movie offers.

Fortunately, the movie's message is not lost in a poorly made film. CJ7 is a brilliantly made film directed by co-star Stephen Chow. The direction is straightforward but nevertheless eye-catching and different. Odd angles are present but not overly pronounced, and each scene is meticulously framed to showcase not only every character and locale, but every emotion as well. The story is told through the camerawork as much as it is through dialogue. Likewise, special effects are abundant but never flashy. They're all seamless, from the over-exaggerated scene where Dicky appears to be flung several hundred feet by a bully, to the charming CGI that embodies CJ7. CJ7's design is simple, but therein lies its elegance and charm. We're never distracted by a computer image that is too fancy and ornate. It's as much a living, breathing character as Dicky or Ti, and the approach works. Jiao Xu, who portrays Dicky, is absolutely fabulous. She has a grasp on acting and emotion that far surpasses many of her contemporaries, both those her age and veteran "stars" who earn their roles through looks rather than ability. Xu is a natural, and one particularly emotional scene near the end of the film is acted so flawlessly one cannot help but feel what her character is feeling. From over-the-top moments to side-splitting comedic moments to heartfelt and emotionally draining drama, Xu nails the performance and her's is now one of my all-time favorite performances by a child actor. Likewise, Stephen Chow is brilliant both behind and in front of the camera. This was my first exposure to one of his projects, but I'll be checking out the aforementioned Kung Fu Hustle before long. CJ7 is about as good as they come in the family comedy/drama genre, and is a film that should enjoy universal appeal.

CJ7 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

CJ7 is another quality release from Sony. Presented in 1080p and in the film's original 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the disc is often visually stunning. A fabulous transfer from beginning to end, CJ7 looks great in its many settings, including the brightly lit exterior of the school, the poorly lit interior of Ti and Dicky's apartment, and the few nighttime exterior scenes in the film. The image never fails to be deep and richly detailed. Colors are magnificent, and CJ7 often revels in a myriad of natural hues that results in an eye-popping, three dimensional image. The transfer has a very natural appearance with great detail visible in clothing, faces, objects, and places. The construction site reveals every nuance, from the soot and debris to the sweat on the worker's faces. Look at the tree CJ7 hides behind in chapter nine. Its texture and grooves in the bark are strikingly real. Also, the straw hat Ti wears in chapter 13 features a rich texture. Likewise, the various interior shots of their apartment are marvelous. Those are some of the darkest shots of the movie, and while backgrounds are somewhat soft, there is a rich, realistic feel to the lived-in, grimy apartment that comes to life on Blu-ray. Objects are generally sharp and crisp with no soft edges in foreground objects. The various outdoor shots, notably during the montage at school featuring Dicky's super shoes, is a marvel to behold as we're literally "taken to new heights." The movie shows some wondrous scenery that sparkles in high definition. There is a fine layer of grain over the image, one that is sometimes hard to see, and its presence aids rather than hinders the oftentimes breathtaking imagery of CJ7. Finally, the disc offers natural flesh tones and good black levels. CJ7 is a fine family film, and the 1080p image on display will wow your family.

CJ7 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

CJ7 lands on Blu-ray with several Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless audio options. The film is available in its original Chinese soundtrack, and there is also a very well done English dub presented in lossless surround sound. Frankly, I found the dub to be one of the best I've heard yet, right up there with Das Boot. English subtitles are available, although they don't always match the English dub. Regardless of which lossless soundtrack you listen to, you'll be in for a treat as the disc features great surround use, well-prioritized dialogue, some great lows, and a generally pleasing and room-filling listening experience. The construction scenes feature excellent use of both the surround speakers and the subwoofer as machinery and workers pound and hammer the building together. Chapter four also features fantastic bass as the UFO takes off from the dump, right in front of Ti's eyes. The soundtrack is an all-immersive one, featuring loud and clear music that plays in every speaker, filling your listening room with sonic bliss. The dance music heard in chapter seven, like the score, fills every speaker with a powerful and completely perfect listen. Sound effects are rendered nicely, too. Dialogue is crisp in both the original Chinese and the dubbed English version with no distracting volume issues. Dicky's screams are high pitched and ear-shattering yet clear with no distortion. The high end throughout the movie sounds as marvelous as the midrange and the lows, and they all work in harmony to make one of the better soundtracks I've heard.

CJ7 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

CJ7 arrives on Blu-ray for the U.S. market featuring a wealth of supplemental features, unlike the bare-bones import version. A commentary track with actor/director Stephen Chow, "Fatso" Chung, Shing-Cheung Lee, and writer Kan-Cheung Tsang and Lam Fong leads off the supplements. It takes about seven minutes to introduce everyone. The track delves into basic commentary track territory, such as the casting process, cut scenes, stories from the set, the talent of the cast, and more. The track is in Chinese with English subtitles. 'CJ7:' Mission Control is a game where we must navigate the Shenzhou 7 into orbit. Players must choose how much fuel with which to fill the rocket and decide on the proper launch angle. That's it. It's a simple game that only differs each time you play by changing the positioning of the launch window.

The Story of 'CJ7' (480p, 13:41) is a fairly standard making-of piece that intertwines behind-the-scenes footage with clips from the film. It begins with a some pre-production work and a discussion about the origins of the story with Stephen Chow and the writers, and moves into the search for an actor to portray Dicky (and the casting of a girl to play a boy) and the rest of the child actors. An interesting but ultimately forgettable piece, it's a nice companion to the movie and worth checking out of you liked the film. 'CJ7' TV Special (480p, 22:05) is another making-of feature that covers much of the same material we've already learned. It delves into the creation of the title character for much of the piece but also looks at filming particular scenes, such as the "Stephen Up High," the shot of the actor/director eating lunch high atop a construction site. Like the last feature, this one is worth a look of you have extra time on your hands.

Next is Anatomy of a Scene (480p, 6:40). This feature concentrates on the filming of a scene between CJ7 and Dicky in a bathroom. How to Bully a Bully (480p, 4:11) is an English-language feature to help you fight back against bullies. How to Make a Lollipop (480p, 1:29), again in English, shows you how to make a fake lollipop out of clay. 'CJ7' Profiles (480p, 6:58) shows select clips from some of the film's characters and what makes them tick. Next up are a series of 1080p trailers for CJ7, Persepolis, Men In Black, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Spider-Man 3, The Water Horse, Surf's Up, Monster House, Open Season, Married Life, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Sony's Blu-ray promotional montage. CJ7 is also BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) compatible and clicking on the icon takes viewers to Sony's page that, at time of writing, features no additional movie-related features.

CJ7 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

CJ7 is a wonderful family film, sincere and simple in its approach, but one that tackles some important issues in an entertaining and heartwarming manner. With its appealing visual style, fantastic acting, solid direction, memorable characters, great writing, and graceful special effects, there is something for everyone to enjoy in CJ7. This release is another winer from Sony. The quality of the release, not to mention the theme of the film, is reminiscent of The Water Horse. CJ7 offers great video and audio qualities as well as a nice selection of bonus materials. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better and more heartwarming title than CJ7. Both this movie and The Water Horse go well together, and CJ7 would look great on your shelf next to that family favorite. Highly recommended!