Awkwafina hosting 'Saturday Night Live' is no laughing matter

Awkwafina, AKA Nora Lum, plays Goh Peik in 'Crazy Rich Asians.'

ASIANS can be crazy. Asians can be rich. Asians can be romantic. Apparently, the one thing Asians can't be -- at least In the eyes of Saturday Night Live -- is funny.

That's why the news that Awkwafina, the comedian/actress scene-stealer of Crazy Rich Asians, will be hosting SNL is so remarkable.

It has been 20 years since an Asian American woman hosted the satiric laden show. Back then, it was Lucy Liu, an actress, whose movie, a reboot of television's Charlies' Angels, had just been released.

Awkwafina, whose real name is Nora Lum, got her first break in 2012 with her viral hit “My Vag” ― a track she made while working at a vegan bodega for $9 an hour.

The actress is now riding high after playing Goh Peik Lin in Crazy Rich Asians, the runaway hit based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling book of the same name. The movie also stars Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding and Constance Wu, and is the first Hollywood film in 25 years to feature a contemporary, almost entirely Asian cast. It follows a Chinese-American economics professor who struggles to make a good impression on her Singaporean boyfriend’s mega-wealthy and judgmental family.

In an interview with HuffPost last year, Awkwafina praised the actors and activists who are boosting Asians’ presence in Hollywood.

“With all the things that are happening, this is a woke time, and whether Hollywood likes it or not, they’re going to have to change things up,” she said.

Besdes Liu, past Asian SNL hosts have all been male, including Jackie Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Riz Ahmed, Aziz Ansari. and  Bruno Mars.

For its not-so-subtle liberal slant, it is odd that SNL doesn't have a cast member of Asian descent. The lack of an Asian player has provided some embarassing moments.

When Melissa portrayed Elaine Quijano moderating a presidential debate, she said: “Hello. I’m the new Hispanic cast member, and I’ll be playing Asian moderator Elaine Quijano. Becaus ..., baby steps.”


And when SNL writers create a Star Trek skit, which it has done periodically, they have to pull production designer Akira Yoshimura in front of the cameras to play the role of Mr. Sulu. He's played that part four times.

It's 2018 and still no Asian cast member on the popular variety show that has launched the careers of a host of actors. Every time Saturday Night Live holds auditions, there is always the call for the show to be more inclusive.

Apparently, Asians are not funny enough for Saturday Night Live. That's a joke, but I'm not laughing.
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AsAm News contributed to this report.
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'Crazy Rich Asians' serves up some great food along with the laughter and tears

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After work, the cast of 'Crazy Rich Asians,' often went out together to sample Singapore's food offerings.

FOOD is a central part of Asian culture so it is not surprising to see the important role it plays in the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians, which was mostly filmed in Singapore.

Director Jon M. Chu practically grew up in his parent's Chinese restaurant, Chef Chu’s located in Los Altos, smack dab in the middle of California's Silicon Valley.

Two weeks before the movie opened, the director held a special lunch at Chef Chu's to promote the pending premiere of Crazy Rich Asians, and stars Henry Golding and Constance Wu were both in attendance. “I, literally, in this space had my fifth birthday, my eighth birthday, my 12th birthday,” Chu said told the media in attendance. “I got engaged here.”

One of the key early scenes was set in the famous Newton Food Centre, , collecting satays and bowls of laksa curry from the various hawker stalls. We see Nick Young, played by Henry Golding, completely at ease as we get to see the Singaporean side of the main character.

Warner Bros. just released this behind-the-scenes video about the filming of that scene that includes insights from Chu and the cast. 

“The thing that we think about, when we think about Asia, is street food,”  Chu tells USA Today. “You have all walks of life, all cultures, eating with each other.” The night market dinner shows two worlds colliding in an exciting, seemingly harmonious way. Food scenes are spread throughout the film: When Rachel Wu, Nick's girlfriend, first meets his mother Eleanor, played by Michelle Yeoh, she is overseeing a banquet being prepared in a kitchen; later in the film, another big food scene — the dumpling standoff — uses food to highlight the tension between Rachel and Nick’s family.

Even during the shoot, the movie's cast, made up of Asians from the U.S., Great Britain, Austalia, Japan. the Philippines and Singapore, a love of food was something they all shared. They bonded with each other after work by sampling Singapore's melange of Asian cuisines from India, Malaysia, China and the local Hokkien dishes.

Some of the cast members recall making dumplings with their grandparents, to find out how your day has been. "You engage the younger generation," says Michelle Yeoh. "or just get them together to make love biscuits and tell old stories."

Asian families don't always always express their feelings but they show their love "through acts of devotion like making food for your loved ones, or making food to show how much you care for someone," says Gemma Chan, who plays Nick's cousin Astrid.

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Students hang a fake poster featureing Asian Americans in McDonalds

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Cristian Toledo, left, and Jehv Maravilla in front of the poster they created for McDonald's and representation.

HOW IMPACTFUL is the movie Crazy Rich Asians, the first Hollywood studio film with an all-Asian cast in 25 years?

After watching the pic, two Filipino American college students were emboldened to do what they could to strike a blow for Asian American representation and in the process, question one of America's biggest cultural institutions - McDonald's.

University of Houston students, Cristian Toledo and Jehv Maravilla, recently hung a fake promotional poster in a McDonald’s that was so good that it has remained hanging in the restaurant for over 52 days.

One day back in June, Maraville and Toledo were dining at the McDonald's  in Pearland, Texas. Like most other franchises across the U.S. the restaurant was adorned with posters of employees and customers enjoying their fries, quarter-pounders and other  menu choices of the iconic food chain.

The Filipino American pair noticed that none of the posters featured Asian Americans. They also noticed a blank wall. That was when they hatched a guerrilla plan to correct that oversight.

With a little help from friends, a thrift-store to buy a McDonald's shirt, a phony badge and with McDonald products in hand, they had their picture taken, enlarged it to poster size and surreptitiously hung the poster on a blank wall in their favorite McDonald's.

It may seem like just another college prank, but there was a noble motive to it all.

“Asian representation in media is not as prevalent as it should be,” he told KPRC-TV. “What motivated me was Crazy Rich Asians, the movie that came out, that boosted my confidence into thinking maybe one day I could be just like that, and if I take a step and do something small like this, it could make a difference.”

"When I was growing up, Asian people only appeared in movies as martial artists or funny side characters," Jevh told the BBC.

"We all deserve equality and all races deserve recognition. I don't know why McDonald's marketing didn't include Asians, but often in the media Asian men are not shown as masculine and Asian women are just portrayed as cute and pretty."

Surprisingly, the McDonald’s franchise that has served as the poster’s home stated, “We take pride in highlighting diversity in every aspect of our restaurants. We applaud these students’ creativity and hope to see them in our restaurants again soon.”

Who knows how much longer the poster will stay up after their Youtube video went viral and local media latched onto the story? Fifty-one days ... and counting.
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'Crazy Rich Asians' and 'Searching' make history at the box office

Henry Golding and Constance Wu star in 'Crazy Rich Asians.'

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, two movies with Asian actors in the lead roles are among the top ten in ticket sales at the same time.

Crazy Rich Asians, with its all-Asian cast, led box office receipts for the third week in a row. It took in $28.3 million over the Labor Day weekend. Searching, which debuted Friday and stars John Cho, came in fifth with a respectable $7.7 million.

In Searching, Cho plays a father who uses social media to find his daughter. The film, directed by Asian American Aneesh Chaganty, exceeded the $7 million forecasted by Box Office Mojo. RottenTomatoes.com said 90 percent of critics recommended the film.

The romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, which was made for $30 million, has continued to defy the overall comedy slump gripping the U.S. box office for the past several years. The Jon Chu-directed pic racked up over $117 million in its first three weeks, besting the $110.2 million earned domestically by the last comedy, the 2015 film Trainwreck starring Amy Schumer.

CRA's ticket sales was boosted by an unprecedented attendance by Asian Americans. Many wealthy Asian Americans bought out entire theaters in the #GoldOpen campaign.

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Sunday Read: Beyond 'Crazy Rich Asians; 8 films for a deeper dive on Asian America

John Cho and Kal Penn as Harold and Kumar broke down the Asian American stereotype.

WHAT A MONTH! #AsianAugust is trending because of the crazy good reviews for three movies featuring Asians front and center debuting within two weeks of each other.

With the overwhelming acceptance of Warner Bros.' Crazy Rich Asians, Netflix's All the Boys I've Ever Loved and the advance reviews lauding Searching with John Cho, Asian America is in the unusual position of being noticed by the rest of America.

With Crazy Rich Asians surprisingly selling almost twice the amount of tickets than predicted in its first week, the romantic comedy is impossible to ignore.

It has been 25 years since a major studio took a risk and produced The Joy Luck Club with its Asian American story of acculturation and generational clashes.

That doesn't mean there haven't been AsAm films. There have been a bevy of the independently produced movies that came out, but they were hard to find and hardly promoted with the marketing blitz a Hollywood studio like Warner Bros. is capable of.

Criticism that CRA is not presenting Asians and Asian Americans truthfully is unfair. Above all, the movie is entertainment - a diversion from reality - and not meant to be a documentary.

It is impossible for any one movie to give a well-rounded view of what it is like to be Asian and/or Asian American. Crazy Rich Asians, as important as it is in terms of exposing a side of Asians not seen by U.S. audiences, is no more representative of Asian America as The Great Gatsby is representative of white America.

The best you can hope for is to capture a slice of a very complex community representing immigrants from a score of countries, each with its own language and customs; layered on top the various levels of Americanization of generations of Asians, some of whom could have been here since the Revolutionary War.

For those of you who want a deeper dive into the Asian America. The following films present various "slices" of the contemporary AAPI community. ("Contemporary" at the time they were made.) 

The list is admittedly not meant to a complete list. I deliberately stayed away from the costume epics such as The Last Samurai, Marco Polo, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Memoirs of a Geisha. Also left off the list are movies in the martial arts genre that rarely delve into contemporary issues and movies about WWII. I also included a couple of films that preceded The Joy Luck Club.

Flower Drum Song (1959)

This is perhaps the first Hollywood production to feature a predominantly Asian cast and an Asian-Asian romance. It is still a rare bird in that it's a musical featuring the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It has been criticized for yielding to offensive racial and sexist stereotypes ("I Enjoy Being A Girl")and trivializing the clash of cultures. Yet, for its time, it was the first Asian American movie to introduce the undocumented immigrant experience, the Americanization of Asian immigrants. I remember smirking to myself when I saw and heard "The Other Generation." Funny, as innocent as the songs seemed back then, they gain new ironic relevance in the context of the Trumpian era.  David Henry Hwang, who revised the musical for a 2001 revival, "had a secret soft spot for the movie version. 'It was kind of a guilty pleasure ... and one of the only big Hollywood films where you could see a lot of really good Asian actors onscreen, singing and dancing and cracking jokes.'"

Joy Luck Club (1993)
The story of four Chinese immigrant women and their second generation Chinese American daughters based on the Amy Tan novel is an epic tale that explores cultural conflict and the often-turbulent relationships between the mothers and daughters and the men they married. Directed by Wayne Wang, the drama had a primarily Asian cast. It was well received well critically and was a modest box office success. It introduced a wealth of talented actors to America, including Ming Na-Wen, Rosalind Chao, Tamlyn Tomita, Russell Wong and Lisa Lu, who has a major role in Crazy Rich Asians. For a long time, it was the only Hollywood production that depicted Asian Americans in all their complexity. 

The Wedding Banquet (1993):
This early drama from Ang Lee (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Brokeback Mountain”) was groundbreaking in its day as it not only put the everyday lives of Asians in America on screen but that of a gay man within that community as well. Winston Chao (“The Meg”) is a successful New York “Chuppie” (Chinese yuppie) leading a conflicted life. His traditionalist parents are urging him to take a bride while, unbeknownst to them, he’s living with his boyfriend. A marriage of convenience to a female friend sets events in motion that quickly spiral out of his control.

The Debut (2000)
It was the first movie I have ever seen about the Filipino American experience. Well ... more accurately, it's the ONLY movie I've seen about that chapter of the American story. It stars Dante Basco (Hook) as teen Ben Mercado who comes to grips with his ethnicity through his sister's debut, Filipinos' public debut of their daughters akin to the Mexican Americans' quincearas.. There's no telling what might have happened to the movies stars if Gene Cajayon's heartfelt, earnest film received the big studio support given to CRA. It includes a dance-off scene that is worth the price of admission. Here's that link.

Better Luck Tomorrow (2002):
This film launched the careers of several people associated with this drama that flipped the stereotypical image of the nerdy scholar stereotype of Asian students — straight-A students on campus, dope-dealers after school by night. Most notably, director Justin Lin is responsible for a number of the “Fast and Furious” movies as well as “Star Trek Beyond.” Star John Cho is, well, John Cho (the “Star Trek” movies as well as the critically acclaimed (“Columbus,” the upcoming “Searching”). Sung Kang became a recurring character in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, Justin Tobin stars in an upcoming Cinemax series “Warrior” and Parry Shen is a regular on the soap “General Hospital.” 

Harold and Kumar Go to Whitecastle (2004)
I love this film because it went completely against stereotype and wasn't afraid to depict Asian Americans in a less than desirable light. What was funny was that it went beyond the art house or Asian American audiences, inspiring two more sequels. Nerdy accountant Harold (John Cho) and his irrepressible friend, Kumar (Kal Penn), get stoned watching television and find themselves utterly bewitched by a commercial for White Castle. Convinced there must be one nearby, the two set out on a late-night odyssey that takes them deep into New Jersey. Somehow, the boys manage to run afoul of rednecks, cops and even a car-stealing Neil Patrick Harris before getting anywhere near their beloved sliders.

Colma, the Musical (2007)
The low-budget musical was massively ambitious starring a cast of Asian American unknown actors and written by Filipino American H.P. Mendoza and directed by Richard Wong. The story follows the formula of young people wanting to leave a boring hometown and seek fame and fortune in the exciting big city. The earnest effort with its catchy tunes endeared itself with critics and audiences, won a bunch of festival awards and has developed a cult following despite not receiving the backing of a big-name studio.

Revenge of the Green Dragons (2014):
The American Dream realized in the streets of Queens of the 1980s when that borough was transitioning from an Italian enclave to one now dominated by Asian Americans. The movie is "more-or-less" based on the true story of Chinese gangs ruling in Chinatown. It features Harry Shum Jr (Glee),who exhibits the kind of magnetism and charisma that one would expect from a gang leader or leading man. It draws on the universal story of immigration ala The Godfather and the need for affirmation and support when you are a newcomer and part of a minority in this country.

There's more
Other indie films with Asian and/Asian American leads worth your time and have garnered critical acclaim include: The award-winning The Big Sick with Kumail Nanjiani, Gook about the racial tensions between African Americans and Korean Americans during in the L.A. riots and a pair of Canadian-American productions starring Sandra Oh, Double Happiness (Oh's first film( and Meditation Park (Oh's newest film).

Like I said, it is not a complete list but it should give you a good start in gaining further insight into the Asian Americans and their many, many stories.
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Work begins on sequel to 'Crazy Rich Asians'

WARNER BROS.

Nico Santos, left, and Constance Wu, center in 'Crazy Rich Asians.'

ASAM NEWS

FANS of Crazy Rich Asians are getting what they want. A sequel is in the works just one week after its national debut last week.
The Hollywood Reporter reports director Jon Chu will get to work on the follow up after completing his adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit, In the Heights, which is scheduled for released on June 26, 2020.

The creative team, with producers Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and John Penotti, plan to join Chu for the sequel. Deadline confirms screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim will once again join forces. 

Warner Bros will likely give the greenlight to the project once a script is completed. With a $35 million dollar haul in just the first five days, few have doubt about what WB CEO and chairman Kevin Tsujihara will decide. His risk casting an all-Asian cast has clearly paid off.

“Making a sequel won’t be a cynical play,” producer Brad Simpson told Deadline because Kwan “always had a roadmap” with the books.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, don’t walk out on the credits. You’ll get a preview of what the sequel will be about just a minute or so into the credit roll.

"We have a plan with Kevin [Kwan] for the next two films," said Simpson. For the uninitiated, there are three books in Kevin Kwan’s series. The others are China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems.

Based on Kwan's second book, the pending sequel will follow in the steps of CRA by featuring an all-Asian cast. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Golding, Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh all have options to return for the sequels.

Golding has already indicated he’d like to return.

“I hope there’s something in the future,” he tells THR. “It would be so much fun to get everybody back together, back to sweaty old Singapore.”

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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Crazy Rich Asians, crazy rich box office: Love trumps sharks and guns

The romantic comedy 'Crazy Rich Asians' stars Henry Golding, left, and Constance Wu

THE ROMANTIC COMEDY Crazy Rich Asians surpassed Hollywood expectations at the box office over the weekend.

Crazy Rich Asians, which features an all-Asian cast, took in an estimated $26.5 million over the weekend topping the Jason Statham shark thriller The Meg followed by the Mark Wahlberg-led shoot-m-up Mile 22 

UPDATED: Aug. 20 -- Revised numbers put the five-day total at $35.3 million, and the three-day total at $26.5 million.

Since its debut on Aug. 15, the romantic comedy took in $35.3 million in five days exceeding industry expectations that predicted a $25 million opening. The movie, distributed by Warner Bros., cost an estimated $30 million to make.

Adapted from Kevin Kwan's bestseller, Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of an Asian-American woman who gets a culture shock meeting her boyfriend's ultra-wealthy family in Singapore. 

The film's all-Asian cast, led by Fresh Off the Boat's Constance Wu, newcomer Henry Golding and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon''s Michelle Yeoh, is the first such studio-backed project showing contemporary Asians and Asian Americans since the Joy Luck Club 25 years ago.

The film is being hailed as a long overdue showcase of a long-marginalized part of American society.

One of the questions was whether or not non-Asians would be attracted to the moviewith its Asian theme. The answer is a resounding "Yes!"

While it is no surprise that Asian Americans came out in droves to watch the highly anticipated film, the movie showed its cross-over appeal with its universal themes of love and family.

Nearly 40% of the audience for Crazy Rich Asians was Asian, bolstered by free screenings as wealthy Asians bought out theaters under the #GoldOpen campaign spurring a strong word-of-mouth campaign through social media.

Asian Americans accounted for 11% of frequent moviegoers in the US, as of 2016. They’re the demographic with the highest attendance per capita, going to the movies approximately 6.1 times per year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

Nevertheless, that meant 60% of the audience was non-Asian demonstrating in no uncertain terms to Hollywood that a diverse cast is no hindrance to box-office success. Caucasians made up 41% and Latinos and African Americans splitting the balance.

Chu and his cast were ecstatic at the wide acceptance his film has garnered. 

SCREEN CAPTURE

'Crazy Rich Asian' director Jon M. Chu was interviewed by CNN over the success of his movie.

The successful opening may be a harbinger of more Asian and Asian American-led projects. "I personally know of six projects waiting to be greenlit," said CRA director Jon M. Chu. That could very well mean the other two books in the Kevin Kwan trilogy will be made into movies.

Two weeks ago, when the director was asked at his father''s Bay Area restaurant if there would be a sequel, Chu said, "It all depends if people show up."

Well ...?
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REVIEW: Crazy Rich Asians' is a groundbreaking, playful romp

Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh) left, face to face with her son's girlfriend Rachel Chu (Constance Wu).

ASIAN AMERICA! You wanted representation? In Crazy Rich Asians, there is representation galore. 

Not only did the movie feature that rarest of rarities, an all-Asian cast, in front of the camera, but just as important, Asians were behind the camera too -- from the director, Jon M. Chu and Kevin Kwan, the author of the novel on which the movie is based to scriptwriter Adele Lim, -- to ensure that the Warner Bros. project would not resort to stereotyping or whitewashing.

From the colorful graphics, split screen and jaunty music -- reminiscent of the openings of the I Love Lucy TV series and other TV sitcoms such as the 60's Dick Van Dyke Show and Bewitched  -- the audience is instantly put into a joyful mood.

Chu has managed to create a fun romp through the glitz and clamor of fantastic Singapore high society with all the cultural tripwires to make things interesting even though the ending was never in doubt.

The movie is not perfect and it doesn't attempt to be more than what it is -- a romantic comedy -- but at the same time, it is so much more.

Awkwafina is a revelation as Rachel Chu's girlfriend. The Asian American comedic actress dominate every scene she is in with her bubbly energy and comedic timing.

Awkwafina, along with Nico Santos, who tempers his characterization of Nick Young's cousin Oliver T'Sien just short of a stereotype, get their roles expanded beyond the novel, a wise decision by director Chu because they help maintain the comedic side of the equation to balance off the straight-arrow characters of the main leads of Rachel Chu and Nick young, who essentially play straight man and woman to the comedic pair.

All the controversy surrounding the casting of Henry Golding as the male romantic lead should be cast by the wayside. It's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Nick Young, the bachelor scion of an uber-rich Chinese-Singaporean family. What ever "it" is, Golding has it. The role doesn't demand too much for him in his first movie role, but he makes up for it in exuding a Cary Grant-style charm and charisma onscreen.

REALITY:

• 'It's not just a movie. It's a movement' 
• Movie presents new dimension of Asian men

Constance Wu, free from the Taiwanese American accent she uses in Fresh Off the Boat, is a surprise as she reveals a side of her we haven't expected of her. As Rachel Chu, she is innocent, sexy in a girl-next-door kind of way and ultimately, a toughness that isn't revealed until near the end.

Michelle Yeoh as Eleanor, Nick Young's overbearing mother constantly considering the social strata consequences of Nick's romantic choices, is another perfect casting. Before she accepted the role, Yeoh made it clear she didn't want to resort to a Tiger Mom image for her character and she was able to pull it off. Overbearing, yes. Meddlesome, yes, Icy, definitely. But everything she does as Eleanor is for love and family.

The glamorous role of Nick Young's cousin Astrid Leong Young-- the woman every girl wants to be -- could be a breakout role for British-born Gemma Chan, who's called upon to display a range of emotions way beyond what is called for in her role as a robotic "synth" in the TV series Humans. The combination of her vulnerability and sophistication ala Grace Kelly has been missing from most Hollywood leading ladies for so long, to see it onscreen is refreshing. Look for her to get more attention from Hollywood. 

Near the end, director Chu hints there's more storylines for Astrid in the future as she deals with her marital and romantic dilemmas.

The actors in supporting roles reveled in their characters. It was as if all their pent-up talent was allowed to come forth. 

The variety of characters spanned a whole spectrum, including the social climber Edison Cheng (Ronny Chieng), best friend Colin Khoo (Chris Pang), over the top Bernard Tai (Jimmy O. Yang), bride-to0be Araminta Lee (Sonoya Mizuno)  to philanderer husband Michael Teo (Pierre Ping).

In a way, Chu is sending the movie industry a couple of messages. Not one of the characters was one of the typical stereotypes Asian actors are usually asked to portray and that there are many stories to tell. Hollywood needn't have to settle for the same ol' stories over and over again or reboots of previously made movies.

The music was a clever way to link Asia and the West by employing recognizable tunes like "Money," and "Material Girl" and even when it is sung in Chinese, the audience is totally familiar with the music and English lyrics.

Chu was able to artfully tell the Asian-based story but still provide plenty of access points for western audiences by telling universal stories of a young couple in love, an outsider getting rejected by a loved one's family, 

The mother of all weddings was was the key event in 'Crazy Rich Asians.'

Crazy Rich Asians is not a perfect movie. It is totally predictable. but in a good way.

 it presents a picture of Asians having fun, kissing each other, fashionable and strugging with western culture's impact on their lifestyle. CRA takes the audience where it wants to go. In that respect, it satisfies the audience hoping for a happy ending after getting shortchanged in so many other movies, where the Asian guy doesn't get the girl, or the familiar plot in which the Asian girl falls for the white leading man.

While it is true that the world portrayed in CRA is something totally unfamiliar to most of us, we need to keep in mind that it is a fantasy, not a documentary. However, by depicting the rarified world of the upper strata of Singapore society, it is does present a new facet of  Asian culture that is not usually shown on the big screen. CRA is successful is showing that people from Asia are more complicated and interesting than what has usually been portrayed by Hollywood. They laugh and cry. They have ambition, hopes and dreams, They're witty and funny. They're fashionable, attractive, sexy and desirable.

Chu has managed to blend the right amount of Asian and western values and perspectives -- exotic yet familiar -- in telling a familiar story of love conquers all, no matter what part of the world you're from.

By all means, go see it. Bring your family and friends. It's a pleasure and a relief to see a film devoid of special effects, explosions, killings and super heroes and instead see a movie about human beings, with all their flaws and glory. Above all, Crazy Rich Asians passes the ultimate test: It's entertaining!

Crazy Rich Asians hits U.S. and Canadian theaters this Wednesday, Aug. 15.
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Crazy Rich Asians: Before its general release, expectations soar

Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding and Constance Wu in 'Crazy Rich Asians.'

EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH that Crazy Rich Asians will surpass box-office projections during the 5-day weekend that starts on the film's Aug. 15 general release.

The Aug. 8 sneak previews of the movie based on Kevin Kwan's best-seller, earned around $500,000, a huge step towards to the expected $20 million the film is expected to make that first weekend. A $20 million launch, while not reaching the blockbuster heights of Black Panther or Titanic, would go a long way to ensuring the box-office success of a film that cost only $30 million to make.

As the first reviews come in, CRA is delivering on several fronts, according to Rotten Tomatoes, a movie review aggregator website, where it earned an almost unheard of 100 percent favorable rating from film critics.

Rotten Tomatoes writes:

"Crazy Rich Asians has more baggage and built-in expectations than just about any this (film) year (and yes, we’re including Infinity War). CRA has to satisfy fans of Kevin Kwan’s insanely popular book series. CRA has to save the rom-com, a genre which has been flailing on the big screen – if not on Netflix – for quite some time now. And CRA arrives with a huge burden of representation: It is the first wide release with an Asian-American lead cast since 1993’s The Joy Luck Club. Hopes, expectations, and even fears, are high – fairly or otherwise.

"If early reviews are anything to go by, Crazy Rich Asians is set to deliver on a number of fronts. The embargo broke this Wednesday, a week out from the movie’s release on August 15, and with 19 reviews counted, it is sitting at 100% on the Tomatometer. Critics are talking breathlessly about the extravagance of Jon M. Chu’s film – costumes! beaches! wealthy parties! – and incisively about the film’s representational burden. But most of all they’re saying that the movie, which stars Fresh Off the Boatbreakout star Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, “it” guy Henry Golding, and features Ocean’s 8 scene-stealer Awkwafina, is an A-plus example of old-school unironic rom-coms."

On top of all that, CRA is a romantic comedy, a genre that has suffered among a generation of a movie-going public who have been numbed by movies featuring special effects, computer graphics and muscle-bound heroes in Spandex.

“Ultimately, the film delivers as a blockbuster romantic comedy: It’s joyous, decadent, and yes, extremely predictable," writes Anne Cohen for Refinery29. "But seeing new characters inhabit and thrive within a story we’ve seen countless times before is a major achievement in itself.” 

Directed by Jon M. Chu, CRA follows Asian American Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she meets the crazy rich family of her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) in a comedy of manners and cultural clashes. The movie also features Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Chris Pang, Ken Jeong, Jimmy Yang, Nick Santos, Sonoya Mizuno and Lisa Lu among others.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Watch for the movie review in the cocming days.
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A glamorous Hollywood premiere for 'Crazy Rich Asians'

The cast and crew posed for this shot at the Hollywood premiere of 'Crazy Rich Asians.'

THE OFFICIAL PREMIERE of Crazy Rich Asians brought out the glitz and glamor of old Hollywood.

One of the key elements of Kevin Kwan's novels was his knowledge of fashion, name-dropping highen labels and fashion designers throughout the story so it was apropos that yesterday's premiere was a fashionista's dream.

Romantic leads Henry Golding and Constance Wu were a picture of elegance at the 'Crazy Rich Asians' premiere.

The all-Asian cast, assembled from all parts of the world, didn't disappoint at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. All that was missing was the red carpet. Instead, there was an emerald carpet.

Malaysia’s Carmen Soo, left, and Britain’s Gemma Chan were stunning in their designer gowns

Michelle Yeoh looked stunning in a black tiered Armani Privé dress with purple rhinestones on the hemlines. But she was more excited about her dazzling accessory.

"You should look at this Crazy Asian watch!" she insisted. "It has a flower that blossoms [on the hour]. It's Richard Mills. It costs $1.8 million."

RELATED: 'Crazy Rich Asians' presents a new dimension to Asian men

Kris Aquino, the Queen of All Media in Manila, looked queenly in her flowing yellow gown designed by Michael Tran of the Philippines. Aquino has a small part in CRA playing a Malaysian princess. Yellow, you might recall, was the color of the Peoples Power movement that removed strongman Ferdinand Marcos after Aquino's father, Benigno Aquino, was assassinated.

Singapore in the house:CRA cast members (from left) Fiona Xie, Pierre Png and Tan Kheng Hua 

Other Hollywood Asian American luminaries welcomed the cast at the premiere including Emily Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, Steven Yuen, Chloe Bennett, Ming Na, Randall Park and Daniel Dae Kim among others. By attending the premiere Hollywood's AAPI artistic community demonstrated their support for the CRA project and its all-Asian cast. The last time a Hollywood studio backed a predominantly Asian cast was 25 years ago with the Joy Luck Club.

CRA director Jon M. Chu hopes that the film will open doors for Asian and Asian American actors in more Hollywood features where they have been severely underrepresented and usually relegated to supporting roles, according to a report, from Professor Stacy L. Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at USC’s
  Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism,

The romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, based on the first book of a best-selling trilogy  by Kevin Kwan, will be released in U.S. and Canadian theaters on August 15.
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