MAYDAY 3DNA (2011)

Genre: Concert/Drama
Director: Wen-Yen Kung
Cast: Mayday, Rene Liu, Ritchie Jen, Lam Suet
RunTime: 1 hr 35 mins
Released By: GV
Rating: TBA
Official Website: http://www.bin-music.com

Opening Day: 15 September 2011

Synopsis: Besides being the first Mandarin 3D concert-drama movie, MAYDAY 3DNA is also Mayday’s debut movie project. The movie brings together state-of-the-art 3D technology, forty-four segments of concert footages from “Mayday DNA World Tour”, and three interwoven storylines, starring actors Rene Liu, Richie Jen and Lam Suet.

Movie Review:

Whichever direction the winds in the month of September were blowing was apparently enough to send five 3D concert films our way, with all but one of them from Asian bands. Not that their respective fans are complaining- from the speed of the advance ticket sales of each one of these concert films, it’s safe to say that the winds will continue to blow in this direction. But we digress- we’re here to talk about ‘Mayday 3DNA’, based on the Mayday DNA Tour which had a sell-out run in Singapore just last year.

‘Mayday 3DNA’ is apparently not just any concert film- rather, it’s been billed as a ‘concept film’, interweaving three fictional stories set around Mayday’s DNA concert stop in Shanghai with footage shot during their tour in different Asian cities like Taipei, Hong Kong and of course, Shanghai. Having seen it firsthand, we have to admit that it is a nifty idea, built as the stories are along three very popular Mayday tunes- namely ‘戀愛ing (Love-ing)’, ‘溫柔 (Tenderness)’ and ‘倔強 (Perseverance)’- to evoke the significance of their lyrics.

The first vignette set in Hong Kong tells of a young girl who tries to persuade her father (Lam Suet), owner of a curry noodle stall, to let her go to Shanghai for the Mayday concert. Thanks to Lam Suet’s comic timing, this short zips by buoyantly and is sure to put a smile on your face by the time Mayday takes over for a live performance of ‘戀愛ing’. The second set in Taipei over one night takes a more melancholic tone, as broken-hearted Ritchie (Ritchie Ren) bonds with kindred spirit Rene (Rene Liu) by allowing her to ventilate her anger at her actor boyfriend through smashing cardboard standees of him. Rene is excellent as ever, and despite the contrived setup, this segment turns out more moving than you would expect.

The last short is set in Shanghai, where we see a delivery boy conscientiously saving up his daily earnings to buy a Mayday ticket worth over three hundred dollars. There is a slight twist at the end, but sharp audiences should be able to see it coming. Director and screenwriter Kung Wen Yen also tries to bring the three stories together with a final episode set around the Shanghai stadium, but his attempt is less inspired than strained. Of course, that is probably least on your mind if you’re already planning to catch this. Yes, despite the effort by Mayday and the producers at trying to make this more than just your average concert film, we are really hear to watch them perform up close in front of a live audience.

And in that regard, you can be damn sure that they do not disappoint. Besides the aforementioned hits, the songs selected here hail from their ‘best of’ collection, so expect to sing along with the rest of the Mayday fans in the audience to ’突然好想你 (Suddenly Missing’, ‘你不是真正的快樂 (You’re Not Truly Happy)’ and ‘天使 (Angel)’. Even though they are not live in front of you, let us reassure you that the atmosphere is no less electrifying when you’re in a packed hall full of fans- and so if you’re already one, you should make for the nearest box office if you haven’t yet gotten your ticket.

Since there is no more we need to say for Mayday fans, we’ll reserve our last words to those who are still lukewarm about the band, or worse still, think Mayday is some Labour Day concert. The folks have been here for more than ten years now, and the fact that they have sold out so many of their concert tours around Asia alone should speak for their music. ‘Mayday 3DNA’ is an incredible experience not simply because of the atmosphere, but also because of their wonderful infectious tunes. If you need any more persuasion, take a listen to their latest single released in conjunction with ‘Mayday 3DNA’:

Movie Rating:

(Electrifying to say the least- whether or not you are already a Mayday fan)

Review by Gabriel Chong