Tang ren jie tan an 2

This movie is beyond my expectation coz One was a bit disappointing. The location New York is a plus for me and the plot is really funny, sophisticated and attractive. Baobao's acting style is not my type but I respect his effort. There were many familiar faces in the movie who surprised me. Finally, who is Q btw?

Here's the imaginatively titled sequel to the 2015 movie. This time the loud, idiotic, blustering (distant) uncle and the stammering brilliant nephew are summoned to New York. There's been a murder, and "Uncle Seven" is offering a huge reward if any of a dozen private detectives can figure out who did it before the police do, and before he dies.

It's a comedy mystery set in New York City, and the mystery is a nicely tangled one that turns into a serial killing, with all the clues properly laid out in front of the movie audience in advance. I was less pleased with the other aspects of the movie -- the comedy bits varied over the shop, with a few gags that worked, but the interactions between the leads not very good; and the geography of New York City in this movie bears as little relationship to the New York I've lived in all my life as.... well, as a typical Hollywood movie set here, which is to say, almost none.

Still, there are enough recurring characters and set-ups that the film-makers clearly have yet another sequel in store. This one looks to be set in Tokyo.

Grand scale, liable actors and actresses but way too many plot holes and meaningless lines and scenes makes Detective Chinatown 2 a major letdown. Part of what made the first movie work was the grittiness of Thailand sort of matches the two leads of the film, it really accentuates their personality and helps with the flow of the film. But setting it in New York, and using all the landmarks of the city, it really requires something that befitting in an artistic and storyline sense, and the film fails to deliver in that sense. Character motives and story progression is all over the place in the film, although the film does sort of lines everything up towards the end, the journey was already taken by viewers and it was not pretty. Also would have liked them to explain and elaborate on how Tang Ren got to New York in the first place. It just feels the movie was hastily made, and that the Are York and the entire story was added in last second without too much deliberation. The characters and concept works, as it was shown in the first film, but execution really needs to be improved if the franchise is to continue to move forward.

The movie expands on the world building of Crime Detectives with a Ranking app for worldwide case solving. Our young lead is currently #2 (and still a genius), while his uncle/cousin is more annoying than he was in the first story.. But without him, the movie would not have taken place, as he ropes the lead into solving a case for money. He isn't as useless this time around.. but still clashed with my expectations for the sequel as soon as he appeared.

Many other Detectives from the Ranking App show up for a bit of competition, and a race to find the culprit begins!

I have to say that the mystery, this time around, isn't as well written or interesting.. which is quite a detriment. The jokes are less funny. And somethings that happened "dumbed down the reality" in which they inhabit.

Anyway, Since the first movie was a Chinese production filmed completely in Thailand's Chinatown, it only makes sense that the sequel takes place in New York's Chinatown. It is, again, a seemingly-high budgeted movie with great production value! But WOW, am I torn on it's quality! It is highly interesting at times.. And it is comically DUMB and BAD at others. The tonal disparity is just too large, making the movie a mess.. enough for me not to want to recommend it at all. And the same applies to the cast! There are some REALLY good characters, but many others that are terrible!!! Shang Yu Xian was my favorite character, and a good addition to the movie for obvious reasons. Michael Pitt was one of the worst, whom I've never really liked in anything he's been.. like his disappointing role as Mason Verger in Hannibal.

... But what I liked, I really liked. And strangely enough, I can't wait to see the third entry! As of now, I can't say I understand why it is as popular.. but I hope not to be (more) disappointed.

The editing, cinematography, and soundtrack are top-notch, and Wang Baoqiang's high pitch line delivery simply shows why he is the best actor of his generation and one of the biggest comedy stars in China. The screenplay is however a mess and the plot lacks any sense of credibility. Chen Sicheng just put everything together, and in the end you do not know what was exactly happening. All in all, this is a sequel that cannot match the original movie in 2015.