LET'S GET RICH (我们一起发) (2024)

Genre: Crime/Comedy
Director: Jaspers Lai
Cast: Janel Tsai, Leon Jay Williams, Shane Pow, Chien Chang, Sam Lin
Runtime: 1 hr 18 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References)
Released By: mm2 Entertainement
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 30 December 2024

Synopsis: The Jia household, a talented family of Taiwanese con artists, is recruited to Singapore by a veteran of deception, Jun Ming, for a robin hood-esque mission - conning a corrupt tech mogul, Huai Ren. He forms an unlikely alliance with the family to thwart Huai Ren's new ploy - a ponzi scheme that involves tricking common folk into buying his latest hoax: a digital product that will "revolutionise the world". 

Movie Review:

Actor and comedian Jaspers Lai is known for his unapologetically loud and slapstick personality – check out his social media accounts to know why he is a hoot, and undeniably one of the most recognisable comedic talents locally. He has acted in movies like Long Long Time Ago (2016), What! The Heist (2022), as well as several titles in the Ah Boys to Men and The Lion Men franchise. He is also the scriptwriter and co star of Number 1 (2020), a comedy drama that did Singapore proud with two nominations at the 57th Golden Horse Awards.

With such an illustrious career in showbiz, it is only sooner or later that Lai would helm his own movie. And here it is, a crime comedy that we thought would make a decent Lunar New Year offering. We aren’t sure why the co production is getting released just before 2024 ends, but with the crowded movie release lineup, the distributors probably felt that this is the best window for the movie to get seen.

We are first introduced to the Jia family when the movie begins. In a cleverly devised con job, the father (Chien Chang), son (Sam Lin) and daughter (Janice Tsai) trio put their acting skills to the test to deceive a greedy businessman who is out to obtain the riches from a frail old man at his deathbed. This sequence is a showcase of what the three con artists are capable of, before they find themselves in Singapore against the backdrop of the iconic Marina Bay Sands.

Next, the movie serves up its leading man Leon Jay Williams, who plays Jun Ming, another con artist. With delivering justice as a reason, he is set on robbing Huai Ren, a tech businessman (portrayed by Shane Pow), who is married to a rich man’s daughter (Angela Zhang, whom older viewers may remember from local TV dramas). Through a series of carefully planned encounters, the Jia household teams up with Jun Ming to steal his latest technology, which is supposedly developed to scam common folks.

Viewers who are familiar with this genre will not find anything particularly new in this movie. While the setups are somewhat refreshing (you will still chuckle during a scene where the men in the Jia household pretend to be mediums to lead Huai Ren’s wife into believing that fate is a crucial factor why Jun Ming must meet her husband), they will probably not have you marvel at how clever the scriptwriting is.

Williams, who is of English, German, Japanese and Chinese descent, effortlessly plays Jun Ming with his charming personality, despite nearing 50. The former model who rose to fame after being cast in Taiwanese idol dramas in the 2000s, is on form in his latest big screen appearance. The Taiwanese actors are natural in their performances, while Pow is almost hilarious as an immature mogul who behaves childishly. The movie also tries to milk laughs with transgender comedienne and entertainer Abigail Chay playing the big sister of a shady nightclub.

With a runtime of 78 minutes, one also wonders whether there are any materials left in the editing room. The movie takes a turn towards the end and we couldn’t help but feel more time could have been devoted to presenting a more developed resolution.

Movie Rating:

(Jaspers Lai's breezy crime comedy delivers easy laughs and slapstick humour)

Review by John Li