Home MUSIC & DVDs Crazy Rich Asians: FILM REVIEW
Crazy Rich Asians: FILM REVIEW PDF Print E-mail
Written by Kam Williams   
Tuesday, 04 September 2018 22:53



Heir Takes Fiancee' Home to Meet Picky Mom in Delightful Romantic Dramedy


Even though Nick (Henry Golding) and Rachel (Constance Wu) have been dating for a few years, they don't know much about each other's background. That's because they live in New York City where he's never bothered to reveal that he's from one the wealthiest families in Singapore, and she's never talked about her humble roots, having been raised by a single-mom immigrant (Kheng Hua Tan) to the U.S. from China.

The difference in social status never affected their relationship, since Nick's so unassuming, and ambitious Rachel beat the odds by getting a great education en route to becoming an economics professor at NYU. In fact, they've gotten along so well that he's seriously considering proposing. He's even picked out a diamond ring.

However, he'd first like to take her home to meet the folks, especially his domineering mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). An opportunity arises when Nick is invited to Singapore for the impending wedding of his best friend, Colin (Chris Pang).

Rachel agrees to go and upon arriving finally learns that her beau is one of the island's most eligible bachelors. However, not only does she soon find herself unfairly accused of being a gold digger, but she's warned "You will never be enough!" by his disapproving mom.

Will class differences doom this fairy tale romance? Or will Rachel win over Nick's relatives and friends during her brief stay? That is the burning question fueling the fires of Crazy Rich Asians, a delightful dramedy directed by Jon M. Chu (Now You See Me 2).

Based on Kevin Kwan's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, the film features a colorful cast of characters played by a talented ensemble of Asian actors. Besides the love story at the heart of the tale, the picture features enough comic relief and intriguing subplots to hold you in its thrall from beginning to end.

It's hard to fathom why it has taken Hollywood a quarter-century to mount another Asian-centric, big budget production like this, given the success of The Joy Luck Club in 1993. And don't let the title fool you. This engaging, cross-cultural saga is a surefire hit with universal appeal!


Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for profanity and suggestive content

In English and Mandarin with subtitles

Running time: 121 minutes

Production Studios: Warner Brothers Pictures / Ivanhoe Pictures / Starlight Culture Entertainment / SK Global Entertainment / Electric Somewhere / Color Force

Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures

Crazy Rich Asians DVD and Blu-ray will be available as of November 20th 2018 on amazon.com, .ca and .co.uk.

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About the author of this review: Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications around the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada, and the Caribbean. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee, and Rotten Tomatoes. He is a contributor to TheLoop21.com, eurweb.com and so on.  He is also a columnist for our webmag www.megadiversities.com.   One of his interviews made the cover of Heart and Soul magazine last fall.  One of Kam Williams' interviews with Spike Lee is included in the 2002 book entitled Spike Lee: Interviews (Conversations with filmmakers).  This book collects the best interviews of Lee.  Some of Kam Williams' articles are translated into Chinese, French and Spanish.  In 2008, he was Voted Most Outstanding Journalist of the Decade by the Disilgold Soul Literary Review.  In addition, he has been honored at the U.N. (for BMORENEWS GLOBAL FORUM ON WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT) on June 15th 2012 by the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations (FSUN). Williams is an erudite Attorney who holds a BA in Black Studies from Cornell University, an MA in English from Brown University, an M.B.A. from The Wharton School, and a J.D. from Boston University. Recently, he was featured on this website: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2015.  Kam Williams is a member of the Bar in NJ, NY, CT, PA, MA & US Supreme Court bars. He lives in Princeton, (New Jersey) with his wife and son. Kam Williams can be reached at   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .