Trailer Watch: ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ Channels Chow
Posted by Rob Hunter (rob@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 6, 2008
I’m not a fan of films from India. Admittedly, I’ve never watched one, so maybe I should rephrase that as I’m just not interested in Bollywood films. They’re too musical, too colorful, they rip off films from elsewhere, and they just never look all that smart. I walk by Indian video shops here in the Bay Area, and silently wish they were Chinese or Korean videos instead. (Not that we don’t have plenty of them as well.) Before today, I had yet to see a trailer or synopsis for an Indian movie that made me even slightly curious. Before today…
But today I watched the trailer below, and while it’s still a very colorful and goofy musical that appears to rip off Stephen Chow, it also looks to be pretty damn entertaining. I may be wrong in the end, but for the first time I’m willing to give it a chance. Check out the trailer for Chandni Chowk to China below, courtesy of Trailer Addict, and let me know what you think.
See the Chow similarities? A goofy lead, hot chicks, lots of CGI, loads of action, and most important, a serious sense of fun. Chandni Chowk to China looks to have a decent-sized budget as well, between the CGI, big production numbers, and impressive visuals. It took until the 1:23 mark before I started to truly get interested… coincidentally, that’s when Deepika Padukone (pictured right) shows up in her dual role as Indian songstress Sakhi and Chinese ass-kicker Meow-Meow. The official plot synopsis is here.
From the hustle-bustle of Chandni Chowk to the hutongs of Beijing, the electric energy of Shanghai and sheer breathtaking Chinese landscapes, Chandni Chowk To China chronicles the lunatic adventures of a hapless simpleton cook from Delhi. As he goes to seek his destiny, he finds himself thrown into a crazy world of megalomaniac villains, femme fatales, crazy inventors, Chinese mysticism and outlandish kung-fu assassins!
Chandni Chowk to China is a co-production between Indian studios and Warner Bros. It opens January 16th, 2009.
What do you think of the trailer? Have you completely lost faith in my taste in movies? Did you ever have faith in my taste in movies? And yes, I also noticed the very visible wires at the 1:54 mark.
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