This movie is the very definition of a “mixed bag”.
It’s a little long, a little unfocused and very shallow but still extracts just enough
smiles and chuckles to be entertaining.
Awkwafina damn-near steals the movie from leads Constance Wu and Henry Golding, whose
chemistry I never fully bought but does just carry the main plot.
Golding in particular is pretty flat, but Wu definitely has the charisma and skill to
lead a movie like this.
There’s much to admire both in her character and her performance.
Michelle Yeoh is a perfect villain and the rest of the cast hits their limited notes.
On the downside, there’s a completely unnecessary B plot, which - every time the movie cuts
to it - slows things down terribly and has the feel of a daytime TV melodrama.
Had it paid off by tying into the main story more gracefully, I could have accepted this
but it never does and ends up being a distraction.
That subplot is a big part of the reason why this movie feels a little long, but there are other
scenes which could have used a trim as well.
The editing in the first 30 minutes of the movie is stellar, but stumbles in the second act
before finding its feet again in the third.
So yeah, it’s a bit uneven.
Still, there are some good laughs and some pretty pictures.
If you’re looking for a date night movie, this one will serve you pretty well.