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ET was cool, but he’s got nuthin’ on CJ7.

An outcast kid, Dicky has troubles aplenty. The only poor kid at a posh private school, he has trouble keeping up, keeping clean, and keeping out of hot water. In fact, one might say that he fails miserably at all three. It doesn’t help that the only girl who shows any interest in him is a gargantuan, mountain-sized girl just as picked on as he is.

Ti is Dicky’s dad. He’s got no luck in love, he makes hardly enough money to get by, and since his wife died, he’s the only one looking out for Dicky. But he tries his best, dishing out fatherly advice that begins with the phrase, ‘Even though we’re poor. . .’

Life is not very fun for either of them, but change is in the wind. While rummaging through trash for school supplies, Ti comes across a very peculiar looking toy – a bright green ball with an odd triangular handle. He brings it home to Dicky, and it doesn’t take long for the high-spirited, rambunctious kid to unlock the secret, and set loose CJ7.

He’s cute. He’s both furry and rubbery. He makes adorable faces and chirping noises. Within seconds of his arrival onscreen, I desperately wanted one. And, via the magic of fill in the blank movie plot work, he’s just the thing to help out Ti and Dicky, and set their lives straight.

Written, directed, and starring Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer), CJ7 is an adorable film, funny and campy, with trademark Stephen Chow cartoonish moments and fight scenes. There’s a hilarious nod to Mission Impossible: 2. That in and of itself marks this movie as brilliant. It can wittily reference that god-awful film without mocking it. Silly violence abounds, and the casting of Jiao Xu as Dicky is inspired. This kid is a ham – he overacts with zeal and gusto, and though his character is a bit of a shit, you can’t help but laugh at him. His facial expressions are a riot, and he is paired beautifully with Stephen Chow.

CJ7’s special effects are pretty good; he genuinely looks furry (save when someone is petting him – then he just looks like an awkward, wooden piece of set). Realism isn’t the point with this little guy, and so the animators were able to have a bit of fun with him. I dare anyone to watch this film and not love this little critter.

Bonus features are pretty good. There is a trailer for the film, and for a handful of others. A few featurettes are here, including ‘The Story of CJ7’, which is your standard behind the scenes look, and ‘Anatomy of a Scene’. A few of the bonus features are, obviously, aimed at the younger group. Two featurettes, ‘How to Make a Lolipop’ (arts and crafts style, of course) and ‘How to Bully a Bully’ (I’m sure parents are going to be thrilled with that one). There’s a video roster of characters (which, strangely enough, has English subtitles of the English print). Throw in a lame game and Stephen Chow’s commentary, and you’ve got yourself some bonus features.

I really enjoyed this film. It was silly, fun, had a great (if unoriginal) story, and the cutest creature on film in years. Kid and adult friendly, this is a movie you’ll want to watch more than once.

4