What could possibly have possessed Stephen Chow, the mad scientist of slapstick chopsocky who made Kung Fu Hustle (2004), to follow up that psychedelic pinwheel of a movie by entangling himself in CJ7, the gooey tale of a poor little Hong Kong schoolboy who befriends a fur ball from outer space? The cuddlebug in question may bear an abstract resemblance to E.T. (Chow's stated inspiration), but he's really closer to Gizmo in Gremlins crossed with a Chicken Little who got washed through the rinse cycle. His ''mischief'' is trivial and charmless, and so is the movie. D+
OscarWatch TV: 'Avatar' as underdog?
Dave Karger and Missy Schwartz on the rise of ''Hurt Locker,'' Sandra leapfrogging Meryl for Best Actress
More
Totally 'Lost'!
Get up to speed for the final season:
New theories and news from Doc Jensen, exclusive video, photos, trivia, and more
More
Add your comment
The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.