Review of The Mermaid (2016) by Trilobiteg — 01 Mar 2016

Mei ren yu or in English, 'The Mermaid', is my first Stephen Chow film. I am thoroughly impressed. Sure, the mermaid does follow many tired narratives around love and the protection of the environment. Despite this, The Mermaid is the catch of the day.

Its striking and unique visuals serve as an aid to it's rich and beautiful protagonist of the mermaid herself, it's all a bit over the top. This still blends well with the comedic moments that the film offers as well as the striking cinematography. The love story certainly feels rushed along with a stock villain that is shipped out at the last second, yet every issues the characters face are nonetheless overwhelmed by the gorgeous, rich and raw elegance that nature displays versus the glazed money machine metropolises. It's a relatively cheesy, one on one hilarious fight against ideals. It's glorious.