Shanghai Kiss

hi, looking at the poster makes you think it might be just another teen/high school/college movie about love, friends etc. but this movie did surprise me a lot in terms of plot and made me laugh without using the f word but instead by using clever dialogs and many small scenes.

It is a movie about a troubled Asian American men (Ken) in his late twenties - a wannabe actor, without job, financially still depended on his dad, whom he cant get along with. at the same time, he gets to know a young 16 year old gorgeous (Hayden) high school girl, whom he really likes, but having the age difference in his head, his moral tells him not to take advantage of that situation. His life suddenly changes when inherited a house in shanghai and he decides moving there to find his own identity and to accept the fact he is not only amercan, but also Chinese.

like any other romance movies, the movie also starts off a little bit cheesy in the beginning, where the two main antagonists meet each other in the bus. But behind that, the movie differs a lot from the usual concept of a romance movie. The main plot is basically about a man's journey finding meaning in life, at the same time involved in a love relationship which is socially not acceptable due to the age difference. Besides the thoroughly thought dialogs, the unique plot, what I personally like most is the way Asian American man is portrayed here. He is not some math nerd, some kung fu guy, he is just some normal guy who is fun and troubled at the same time. Like you and me. This movie is definitely suitable of watching with your girlfriend/date, but it can also be enjoyed by watching alone.

i am going to order it as soon as it is available in Germany, and if you find any grammatical mistakes, you can keep it for yourself!

There is something irresistible about Shanghai Kiss. The story is humorous, romantic, and thought-provoking at many different levels. A young Asian-American in search of his identity, played by Ken Leung, befriends a precocious teenager, played by Hayden Panettiere. Ken gave a brilliant performance as the witty, sensitive, and endearing young man. He was so natural that at no point did I doubt that he was that character. Hayden simply lights up the screen. Her eyes sparkle, and when she smiles, it just melts the audience's heart. As the story continues, Ken inherits a house in Shanghai, and meets a woman played by the lovely Kelly Hu. There are other relationships interwoven into the story, such as Ken's troubled relationship with his father, and his friendship with his straight-shooter nerdy buddy played superbly by Joel David Moore. I can barely do justice in describing how interesting the storyline is and how clever and humorous the dialogs are. But one thing I can say is that you would not be able to resist thinking about this film for days afterwards.

Bought and viewed this film. Rate it an 8.

Think Ken so resembles Billy in his speech. Quite the actor and look forward to more of his films.

Was put off to buy with the white girl dominant on the cover. Reviewed more and so happy with the purchase.

Caucasion with a 22.5 difference age Tianjin girl. In Canada more tolerant of others. Quite disturbing to have the white girl dominant on the cover while this is Ken's movie. Hollywood and America have far to go.

Thousand Pieces Of Gold is some other unappreciated gem.

Firstly, I liked this movie. I liked it for the fact that it explored a lot of ideas that I myself have seen and experienced. Yes I'm Asian, but that doesn't make me automatically like this movie. I took a step outside the confines of who played what role and looked at it from a spectator and movie goer experience, and I found that it was a very interesting movie. I think that if you look beyond the Asian element of this movie, it can be applied to anyone. This is a movie about finding oneself and coming to terms with oneself, and I think this movie does it very well.

Acting wise I think that everyone did very well. I've never seen Ken Leung in a non-action movie before so I'm glad that I'm able to see a different, more realistic, side of him.

All in all, this is a good movie to see. I would definitely say rent it if you would like to see it.

Regardless of some of the stereotypical female characters, unrealistic situations (i.e. white girl picking up Asian guy on a bus), this movie explores some very real issues and important themes.

One of the reasons i think this movie has been taking a lot of flak for its characters development is its the first of its kind to have a Asian American MALE LEAD who DOESN"T fit the stereotypical molds. So obviously, lots of things are unrealistic. But lets examine why they seem unrealistic and seemingly improbable. It is because its never been portrayed.

Media defines culture. Music, movies, literature, art, these things are what defines culture, so obviously anything that happens in the world that can be attributed to any of the aforementioned mediums has credibility and realism, and anything that does not seem improbable. But we have to remember, HUMAN BEINGS write literature, create art, make music and direct movies. WE are in control of what defines us, and i think this movie does a great job in creating a NEW definition of what normal Asian Americans can be like, again it is a movie, so its hypothetical. Does anyone not watch spider man? Again the point is not about whether its realistic, because it is, i've seen it and i've been where this character's been, the emotions that are portrayed are very real, and if your not Asian American, or are not 1.5 generational Asian American, then you simply do not experience this cultural identity confusion and you probably will not understand this movie. But for those who fit the description and can identify with ken leung's character, this movie contains very real emotions, and of course we should be the ones that like this movie. it is kind of a movie about Asian Americans.