SUCCESSOR (抓娃娃) (2024)

Genre: Comedy
Director: Yan Fei, Peng Damo
Cast: Shen Teng, Ma Li, Shi Pengyuan, Rina Sa, Wei Xiang, Jia Bing
Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:

Opening Day: 8 August 2024

Synopsis: Poor dad, hardworking mom, dilapidated yard, broken son. How did the Ma family fall behind on the road to prosperity in Slinky Town? Ma Chenggang (Shen Teng) and Chunlan (Ma Li) ride their donkey to work, living in poverty. Their son, Ma Jiye, is their only hope of turning their fates around. Ma Jiye is very promising, excelling academically every year, tough and determined. But as Ma Jiye grows up, he gradually perceives that the people around him are becoming more and more strange…

Movie Review:

The literal translation of this movie’s Chinese title is “catching dolls”, and the first image that comes to this writer’s mind is a group of kids gathering around a claw machine and squealing in excitement while one tries to catch a doll.

But what we get on the movie poster are popular actors Shen Teng and Ma Li, who have headlined many titles from established Chinese comedy film and stage play production company Mahua FunAge. And it sure doesn’t look like the two comedians are having fun catching dolls. In fact, they look a little worried.

Nothing seems wrong when the movie begins. We see Chengang (Shen) and Chunlan (Ma) raising their son Jiye in a small house. While it is not a life of riches, the family leads a life that is simple and grounded – they have friendly neighbours, Jiye’s wise grandmother (Rina Sa) dishes worldly advice, and it looks like the boy is on his way to pursue great things in life.

So where’s the catch of the story? It is not too long into the 133 minute movie we realise that this scenario is carefully set up by Chengang and Chunlan, who are actually an extravagantly rich couple. The husband and wife might have taken the idea from Peter Weir’s The Truman Show (1998), where Jim Carrey’s character lived his life on a soundstage, while the world watched his every move in a reality TV show.

In this story, Chengang and Chunlan have created a lifestyle that subjects Jiye to poverty and hardship, so that he can learn the right values to be the next CEO of his father’s company. The meticulous setup is driven by a renowned educator (who also takes on the role of Jiye’s bedbound grandmother), and there is an entourage of teachers, security team and extras who appear seamlessly in Jiye’s everyday life.

Years pass and we see Jiye grow from a boy (Xiao Bochen) to a teenager (Shi Pengyuan). Expectedly, Jiye goes through what a normal young man would encounter in his life, including meeting a young girl who can potentially be a love interest. But everything’s still under control, thanks to his parents who are ensuring that the progress in in accordance to the painstakingly planned journey. After several comedic episodes where the truth almost got exposed, we wonder what direction the story is heading towards.

The defining incident finally happens, and the movie helmed by Yan Fei and Peng Damo moves into a dramatic mode, and viewers will reflect on more serious themes like parenting and the extent of what parents would do to ensure a bright future for their children. While the movie ends on a somewhat oversimplistic note, audiences will still be entertained by the performances of Shen and Ma, who effortlessly deliver humourous yet heartfelt performances as over zealous parents who are trying a little too hard for the good of their son.

And as to why the Chinese title of this production which swept China’s box office is as such, one can read it as how the foundation of education needs to be ‘caught on’ when the individual is a child (when he or she is like a baby doll), and if parents fail, they can always try to ‘catch on’ until they are satisfied. And this is why the movie does a fine job at entertaining viewers while exploring a social issue.

Movie Rating: 

(Trust comedic duo Shen Teng and Ma Li to deliver hilarious and heartfelt performances that anchor this entertaining movie)

Review by John Li