Jack Goes Confidential: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’—REALLY?

I’ll be honest…

When I first heard of this movie it sounded like a racial slur to me. Imagine substituting just about ANY other ethnic group into the title!

“Crazy Rich (Blank),” anyone?

I digress.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS is a fantasy, escapist kind of rom-com.

And it could very well be just what the doctor ordered for late summer, female moviegoers.

They’ll eat it up with our star-eyed lovers facing questions of class, money and family/social backround.

And don’t think the audience doesn’t know what to expect. After all the film is based on Kevin Kwan‘s 2013 bestseller of the same name.

As the story unfolds we find Nick Young (Henry Golding) in an ongoing relationship with Chinese-American economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu).

Their life in the Big Apple is nearly perfect.

But things are about to change.

Nick asks Rachel to accompany him to his best friend’s wedding—in SINGAPORE!

And, of course, to meet his family.

The first tip off that there will be some major surprises along the way are the luxurious, first-class plane accommodations. And it’s all UPHILL from there.

What Rachel eventually finds out is that Nick’s family is one of Asia’s wealthiest—and her boyfriend is the most eligible bachelor in Singapore.

Of course riches come complete with a scheming potential mother-in-law, an ex-girlfriend and an array of eccentric relatives and friends.

It’s actually all a whole lot of fun. And if the predictable storyline  doesn’t quite do it for you there are the fabulous sights, sounds and FOOD of Singapore that the film shares with us.

Think of it as MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING—ASIAN style. and then some…..

CRAZY RICH ASIANS is new this week in wide release.

My grade: B

Jack Goes to The Movies Friday mornings during Kansas City’s Morning News at 9:50 a.m. on 98.1 FM, KMBZ.