3 X TROUBLE (2012)

Genre: Comedy
Director: Patrick Yao Tat Chi
Cast: Dai Yang Tian, Lin Yu Zhong, Lin De Rong, Landy Wen
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: PG 13 (Some Coarse Language and Sexual References 
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/3xtrouble

Opening Day: 5 April 2012

Synopsis:  In the dead of the night, ZiShan, DongHai and QingDian enter a business complex parking lot to steal a car. After various twists and turns, the trio managed to succeed in the theft.

The whole crime started as QingDian needed the money to fight for his son’s custody. Taking in DongHai’s idea to steal a car seriously, QingDian decided to help him, while ZiShan is being dragged along by QingDian to be their getaway driver.

It was after the trio drove off with the posh car that they discovered that a girl is hidden in the back from the trunk, which proceeded to land them in a string of strange and thrilling misadventures, and involving them in murder. While the killer is hot on their trails, can they safely survive the night before becoming victims themselves?

“3xTrouble” is a collaborative effort from China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. Leading the cast are Media Corp’s rising star Dai Yang Tian (as Liu ZiShan), Malaysia’s musical “Casanova” Rynn Lin (as Li QingDian), and popular Malaysian DJ and actor Jack Lim (as Wu DongHai). “3xTrouble” also features Taiwanese singer Landy Wen, in her big screen movie debut.

Movie Review:

3xTrouble is a joint effort from talents from all over the region, including Dai Yang Tian from Singapore, Rynn Lin and Jack Lim from Malaysia, Landy Wen from Taiwan, and not forgetting the director, Patrick Yao from Hong Kong. With this diversified assemble of people, what kind of chemistry can they possibly create?

The entire filming took place in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. As the title suggests, the movie is basically about 3 sworn brothers and their happenings when they decided to involve themselves in illegal car trading in exchange for some quick cash. What at first seemed like a harmless attempt to strike rich eventually spells disaster for all of them.

As much as Patrick Yao attempts to stylize the movie with his usual stuff, embedding dark humour and cynicism, this time it didn’t work out well. The tone of the movie is pretty inconsistent. At one moment, it attempts to joke and poke fun, but it is not that laughable after all. For instance, the murder was handled quite inappropriately, when the corpse eventually became the subject of joke. In another moment, it attempts to add sophistication and add layer to the plot of the movie. Tragically, there was not enough substance to sustain the sophistication.

Thankfully, the movie was eventually spiced up with tidbits of chasing and action sequences. Making use of the usual aerial view, the scenes of the chase, of them weaving through the busy streets in Kuala Lumpur were quite breath-taking. Acting wise, the cast fared pretty well too. Although nothing special came from the Dai Yang Tian, the heart throb still managed to charm his fans as a caring and upright brother. On the other hand, Rynn Lin took quite a transformation to get into his role as a father who sells lingerie at the night market. He totally ditched away his ballad-singer image and took on a very different performance.

All in all, despite gathering such great talents from around the region, the movie is yet another example of a failed attempt espoused on a message told since time immemorial (i.e. how one mistake could lead on to dire consequences because all events are linked together intricately). It attempts to add more ridicule on modern behaviours and repackage the message to be more solemn, but tragically, the impact was absent. There were simply too many loose strings left hanging which were then explained with just 3 minutes worth of flashbacks. Lacking the ‘oomph’, as some may say.

Movie Rating:

(Twisted trouble!)

Review by Tho Shu Ling