Review of Lost in Thailand (2012) by Peneflix M — 15 Feb 2013

The second highest grossing film in Chinese history (US $200 million), and I found it embarrassingly bland, ridiculous, sophomoric; unworthy of the viewing time. I watched with three Chinese Americans whose chuckles were tepid and vastly sporadic. "Lost in Thailand" will be "lost" on Western audiences; will not last a week in AMC theatres which were recently purchased by China's huge theatre circuit, Dalina Wanda Group.

Possibly, being a product of a democratic environment, I was incapable of grasping what qualifies as entertainment in an authoritarian milieu. At best, a morality theme: minimal spiritual enrichment comes to those who blindly quest for notoriety and wealth; geared to the most simplistic of souls. Supremely silly, the major actors bare a pathetic resemblance to the "Three Stooges"; their jejune histrionics illicit groans, not giggles. That being stated there were a few moments of splendor: Thailand and its majestic temples, shimmering, lustrous landscapes, untraveled, pristine roads, contrasted with state-of-the-art airports, cell phone dilemmas, lend a satisfying juxtaposition between two disparate worlds.

Publilius Syrus, a Latin mime writer in the 1st century BC, wisely wrote: "Fortune makes a fool of him she favors too much". In "Lost in Thailand" the foolishness oozes from the screen, suffocating the viewer.

ONE STAR!

For Now.....Peneflix.