Opening Day: 29 September 2005

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Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Kong is an unhappy child, ever since his mother’s suicide three years ago, which he blames on his father and stepmother for.

He yearns for freedom as much as he yearns for love and he believes that he can finally find peace and happiness, should be able to outgrow his treacherous father.

One unspectacular evening Kong decides to run away from home after another customary tiff with his stepmother. He chances upon an eerie old man, who claims he has a potion that can speed up the life process. As much as he would like to believe it, this is all baloney to him. So when he accidentally taints his blood with the potion, he hardly expects his fate is about to change forever...

Movie Review:

It seems to be many scriptwriters’ dream that any child could transform into a full-grown adult the next morning. How else could you explain why filmmakers kept producing movies similar to Tom Hank’s “Big” and Jennifer Garner’s “13 going on 30”? At a glance, Wait Till You’er Older looks like a Hong Kong’s remake of those “grow up quick” movies. Yes, it is. But with Teddy Chan at the director’s chair, audience could anticipate better profundity from its plot.

After helming many ultra-cool, big-budget actioner like Downtown Torpedoes, Purple Storm and Accidental Spy, Teddy Chan returns with this humble budget (approximately S$6 million) heartwarming narrative family drama. Expects fast-paced characters development, a surprising finale and soothing cinematography - trademarks of any Teddy Chan’s works.

For a movie that depicts the rapid transition of a 12 years old kid to an 80 years old haggard, it is definitely a daunting task to hunt for a protagonist capable of stretching his performance to the vast age range. Teddy Chan had entrusted the role to Golden Horse winner for Best Actor,
Andy Lau.

The over 100 movies age-resistance star has been undeniable for his performance in A World without Thieves, House of Flying Daggers, Jiang Hu etc. However, Andy Lau seem misfit in this child-like role, all thanks to his nature-born mature looks. A manly face with messy facial hair has further hinders his otherwise convincing kiddy-behaviour. It is his interpretation of the old haggard man near the end of the movie that is more comfortable with the audience. But then again, most audience would be awed by the mastery of the make-up artist Mark Garbarino, the man responsible for the looks of Nutty Professor, that Andy Lau's acting goes unnoticed.

While the leading man battle to please, the supporting casts like Felix Wong and Lam Ka Tong easily entice audience with roles that they have been repeatedly doing on TV – middle age man suffering from lock horns romance.

Felix Wong and Lam Ka Tong are no strangers to fans of Hong Kong’s TV serials. Though their screen time were pathetic, Felix Wong still blend seamlessly and Lam Ka Tong continue to entertain. These two TV anchormen have proven once again that they will still raked in high viewership.

As for the female casts like Cheerie Yin, Nicola Cheung and Li Bing Bing, it is atypical in Hong Kong’s movies nowadays for the pulchritudinous to settle as a “flower vase” on display. Though Karen Mok has assumed a moxie role of a mother and wife, there’s nothing extra-ordinary about her acting.

It is a pity that the runtime is too short for the performers to connect with the audience. The short runtime is also not enough to convince audience of certain sub-plots, like the friendship among the student’s basketball players, and the romance between Ms Lee (Cherrie Yin) and the grown up Kong (Andy Lau). Nevertheless, the message of “you only live once” is enough to move anyone to tears. The conclusion is sad, but beautiful. The lessons gathered from the movie are sincere but agonizing. This may not be among the hot favourites to most movie critics, still it deserve a place in anyone’s heart.

Movie Rating:

(A beautifully crafted fairy tale that reminds us on the meaning of living)

Review by Leosen Teo