Crazy Rich Asians Review (2018)

Crazy Rich Asians

  It's been 25 years since Hollywood has released a film with an all Asian cast and the significance of that has not been lost on me. I think it's absolutely wonderful that we are getting films with diverse representation across all races and people are proving that these types of films will make big money. That said, I must be objective in my review, and while there were things I did like about Crazy Rich Asians, I wouldn't say it holds up to all the hype.
  What I did enjoy about this film, is how big and bold everything was. The production value, the sets, the music, the costumes, the settings, and colors. Everything looked absolutely gorgeous and dazzling. This film definetly has charm, mostly stemming from the performances of its dashing leads and the cultural references that Asian Americans will identify with.
  It shoots for commericial appeal, which is good in the sense that a wider audience will find it enjoyable, but that also means usually (and in the case of this film) that it has to be dumbed down in order to be more palatable to your casual moviegoer.
  While it does offer a unique perspective from your typical rom-com, it follows all of the same beats, just on a bigger drum. What it doesn't offer is a lot of depth in terms of character or subplot. In fact, there was only one subplot, which didn't really relate to plot A, and actually seemed like the more interesting story of the two. Because of this, the film suffers from feeling overlong. There were several scenes that could have been taken out and the story would have lost nothing, but they weren't. Another flaw was the comedy. While it hit on occasion, it mostly fell flat with me. This is obviously my personal preference as everyone will find different things humorous, but had this film been funnier it might've gotten a higher score.
  Overall, Crazy Rich Asians is likeable and "cute", but it never quite reaches its full potential. That said, I hope it opens the door for better films with all Asian casts and that people will continue to support those when they come out. 6 out of 10 stars. (Worth Ticket Price)