Hollywood Adventures

I caught this on the plane from Dubai to LA. Not sure if I was just sleep-deprived and delirious or just needed to watch something light-hearted after having my spirit demolished after watching Sicario, but Hollywood Adventures unexpectedly ended up being one of the best movies I've seen in a while.

The visual gags made me laugh, the tongue-in-cheek humor kept a smile on my face, and the likability of the main actors kept me engaged. Zhao Wei is charismatic and plays her character with a dynamic personality, while Huang Xiaoming looks like he's having a lot of fun while playing the straight man. Dawei as the wise-cracking sidekick and his self-aware jokes about movies (including the one he's in) were icing on the cake. Props to producer Justin Lin for helping to get this movie, a collaboration between US and Chinese cinema, made- he's also probably responsible for improving the car scenes, given his experience on the Fast and the Furious movies.

Don't expect Hollywood Adventures to be The Godfather, but if you're in the mood for a ridiculous, entertaining movie, expect to be pleasantly surprised.