AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Christophe Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Phillida Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Patrick Nguyen Another Chow movie has intrigued me yet again. Though, a little different to his other known humour such as ,'Kung-fu Hustle' and 'Shaolin Soccer', this particular movie has portrayed more than just the random bursts of laughter.The storyline may be somewhat average but because it's aimed at a younger audience, it mostly doesn't matter. What's most important, are the contents that are being portrayed. There's an underlying message conveyed to the audience, not only just to the children but to the adults as well and that is, you should cherish the things you already have in life, most importantly your family. Which, in this case the film has portrayed very well to the point where I almost shed a few tears.

Roland E. Zwick Youngsters will get a real kick out of "CJ7," a delightful sci-fi comedy from China that should satisfy any child's requirements for a wish-fulfillment fantasy.Dicky is a grade school boy who lives in an abandoned, dilapidated and roach-infested building with his father, an uneducated laborer who works construction jobs during the day so he can afford to send his boy to a posh private school, and then scavenges the local dumpsites for throw-away items (worn-out shoes, a busted fan) at night. Due to his low class upbringing and background, as reflected in his unkempt mien and disheveled appearance, Dicky has become a constant target of bullying and ridicule at school - until, that is, he comes into possession of a mysterious "toy," or possibly an alien from outer space, that gives the lad the ability to perform feats of astonishing physical and mental dexterity, to the great amazement and amusement of his fellow students. Yet, could this little creature (whom Dicky dubs CJ7, after a similar toy made here on earth) wind up causing the boy more trouble than it saves him in the long run? Although the sci-fi aspects can become a bit cutesy and cheesy at times, the real strength of the film lies in its beautifully observed relationship between a down-on-his-luck father who's doing all he can to instill the values of hard work and honesty into his boy, and a son who'd rather spend his time devising ways to get out of doing his schoolwork so he can spend all his time playing with his new-found friend from outer space. It's that father/son relationship that keeps the story grounded in reality and that gives plausibility and weight to the more fantastical elements of the tale. Xu Jiao (who is actually a girl in real life) and Stephen Chow (who also co-wrote and directed the film) are utterly charming, winning and appealing as Dicky and his dad, respectively, and they are matched by a whole host of wonderful supporting players, both of the full-sized and the pint-sized variety.Like all good stories aimed at kids, "CJ7" is just chock-full of rock-solid values like tolerance, acceptance, discipline and hard work, yet it never feels the need to preach or talk down to its audience. Instead, the values filter their way through a well-told story - which, of course, is as it should be.Sentimental in the best sense of that term - with a hint of "The Kid" here, a touch of "E.T." there - "CJ7" provides near-perfect entertainment for the young, as well as those still young enough to remember what it was like to be young.

Kori the cat CJ7 is one of the best movies I have ever seen. That original idea of bringing a kind of looking space-dog to a little kid that barely can eat and go to school is so touching. Such a great gift to a person like that. His dad tried to treat him well as everyone else would do. But when that accident happens it was so sad, even more when I realized that the last moment he shared with his son was that discussion about changing his test results to A+. CJ7 is such a cute character. It's eyes, way to act, everything looks cute on it. The scene that it helps to bring the dad to life again was very very sad... CJ7 trying his best to help the little kid to be happy living with him as he should. Even more sad when CJ7 was... dyeing. You could hear his heartbeat. Anyways leaving behind all the sadness this movie is really touching. Appropiated for everyone, has all the feelings, and also is a comedy. 9/10 very special!

Onderhond Stephen Chow is huge, no doubt about that. In the West, he is known through his latest films (Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle), but in the East he's been a comedy phenomenon for years. He started his career in the early 90s as an actor, launched by several famous Hong Kong directors. It didn't take him long to start directing films himself, which brought him his current fame.A new Chow film is probably the most important public film event throughout the larger part of Asia. That said, the stakes were high for CJ7.Chow is best known for his typical comedy formula: a mix of Hong-Kong humor, parody and crazy special effects that make his films stand out from the crowd. In that sense, CJ7 will be a surprise to many viewers. Talking about viewer expectations, Chow's new film could be compared to Danny Boyle's Millions. A film from a director that throws himself at the children's market without losing too much of its own identity, but with the chance of losing many of its initial fans.CJ7 contains enough typical Chow humor to make it recognizable, but at the same time CJ7 is targeted at a younger audience, with many themes lifted directly from other children's films. Take ET, add some Totoro, mix it with Chow's comedy and what you have is something close to CJ7. It's probably a good thing to realize this before going into the movie, as many will go in with the wrong idea and will be left disappointed by the film.If you get used to the idea that this film is a bit different from Chow's other films, it turns out to be a pretty sweet, nifty and funny film after all. Most of the main roles are played by small kids, and they do a pretty great job. The main role is a bit too soft maybe, but the mini-triad kid is hilarious, the fat kids are plain weird (I wonder how they were filmed) and the little girl is really too cute.Of course there's also the alien, which is a cuddly little animal. It's digitally created but feels like a living, breathing, rubber bath toy. An awesome creation that plays a large part in the film's charm. To make it complete, Chow himself takes on the role of the father, which he does well (as usual). I think Chow's style of acting can easily put people off, as he seems pretty aware of the comedic scenes he's delivering (much like Takeshi Kitano), but his presence on screen is warm and compelling enough not to be bothered by it.The film looks pretty lush and colorful, Chow really made some progress in the visual department. Although the special effect are still behind Hollywood standards, Chow keeps them functional and funny at all times, which makes the lacking technical qualities easy to forgive. The soundtrack could have been a bit less dramatic I think, although I guess those are the downsides of making a film mostly targeted at kids.CJ7 is still a funny film, though the number and range of gags is a lot smaller. They are replaced by a pretty typical but warm children's tale. The result is a film that could charm you as easily as it could disappoint you. Chow is enough of a director to pull it off, but those wanting another typical Chow comedy will be left with empty hands. Those willing to go along with Chow's fluff will be treated to a fun and cutesy film. 4.0*/5.0*