If you have an opportunity to see Have a Nice Day, a Chinese animated movie now being released in the United States, take it. The dark comedy has a creative storyline with a lot of energy and suspense. Opening in New York City on Friday, check your local listings as it starts its run in theaters around the country. It’s like a good bowl of Chinese noodles, easy going down and always satisfying.
Two men, a currier and the driver Xiao Zhang, pick up a one million in cash at a local bank. After a short ride, Xiao Zhang pulls over and puts a knife to the currier’s neck. The currier warns Xiao that there will be big consequences if his boss Uncle Liu does not get the money. What has driven Zhang to go up against Uncle Liu one of the toughest Chinese mobster in the area? Could it be a hatred for the mobster or a debt he needs to pay off? Neither, his fiance Yan Zi needs to get plastic surgery and it will take a lot of money to fix her body.
So begins a sordid tale of cat and mouse that leads Uncle Lui’s henchmen on the trail of the thief who preferred beauty in the face of death. Writer and director Liu Jian keeps his dark comedy moving along at a fast clip as Xiao Zhang finds himself making one mistake after another. The bosses’ men are also bunglers and even the whole underground has word there’s a million dollars on the street so the opportunities to get rich quick put them into the mix.
The wacky story grows with each chapter and Jian keeps things complicated, yet fun to watch. His side stories connect well and although idiotic at times, keep the laughter increasing with each scene. Sometimes even the wicked of tales are best left with no hero to root for, but wait until the credits roll before deciding the fate of our main protagonist.
The animation follows the rules of old school with very little modern computer generated characters. It may look a little odd to modern anime lovers, but to the hardened cartoon lover, especially Chinese drawn, it’s a hearty meal with a lot of ingredients that leave you satisfied. A tip of the hat to Liu Jian and his crew of artists.
While the story is actually commonplace, if you think Fargo where you never know what’s around the next corner or even Quentin Tarantino’s style of when will the next foot drop, this kind storytelling never gets old. You’ll see why in Have a Nice Day, it’s a fun film to watch. Even the sound track works nicely to create suspense, upbeat chases and even a burst of energy for a couple looking forward to their future. Stay for the credits for one of the top songs of the movie.
Have a Nice Day has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains language and violence throughout. The film spools out in Chinese Mandarin with English subtitles.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Good direction and storyline makes the film work. (4 out of 5 stars)
Additional Film Information
Voice Cast includes: Zhu Changlong, Cao Kai, Liu Jian, Yang Siming, Shi Haitao and Zhu Hong
Directed by: Liu Jian
Genre: Crime, dark comedy, animated
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains violence, language
Running Time: 1 hr. 17 min.
Release Date: January 26, 2018
Distributed by: Strand Releasing
Released in: Chinese Mandarin with English Subtitles
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
