Sunday 7 February 2016

The Mermaid

Movie: The Mermaid
Chinese Title: 美人鱼 / Mei Ren Yu

Release Date: February 8, 2016

Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
Director: Stephen Chow
Production Company: China Film Co. Ltd., Star Overseas, HEHE Pictures Corporation Limited
Origin: China / Hong Kong

Love Meter

Synopsis and Plot Summary

An unconventional fairytale about a man who falls in love with a mermaid that has come to the human world to save her clan from extinction.

Liu Xuan (Deng Chao) is a wealthy developer but his projects threaten the livelihood of the villagers as well as the mermaids beneath the ocean who are forced to take refuge inside a dilapidated ship. They send a lone mermaid named Shan Shan (Lin Yun) to put a stop to the continuous exploitations by the humans. Coming from nothing, Liu Xuan's success was built on his hard work and perseverance and although it may seem like he has it all, Shan Shan's arrival begins to fill the emptiness in his heart.

Fun Facts

It is written and directed by Stephen Chow. His company Star Overseas established in 1996 is one of the producers.
Filming took place in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou.
Filming lasted around four months from October 2014 to February 2015.
It has turned into the biggest commercial success in 2016, surpassing the 2015 movie Monster Hunt to become the highest grossing film in China.
Similar to his previous works, Stephen Chow takes a simple plot and turns it into comedy gold with loads of fantastical elements.
The movie also boasts an ensemble of high profile actors except for the role of mermaid, which went to newcomer Lin Yun after rounds of open auditions.
The 19-year-old Lin Yun is 2016's rising star for headlining one of the biggest movies in China though she made waves once again after her relationship with actor Feng Shao Feng came to light, with many shocked by their 17 year age gap.

Cast