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China · 2016
Rated R · 1h 33m
Director Stephen Chow
Starring Lin Yun, Deng Chao, Kitty Zhang, Show Lo
Genre Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
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A playboy business tycoon uses sonar technology to get rid of sea life for a land reclamation project. Unknown to him, the Green Gulf is the home of merpeople, and the sonar has caused many of them to succumb to illness or die. His business ventures in the area are threatened when he crosses paths with the mermaid who is sent to avenge her people.
This live-action cartoon finds Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer) elevating a Disneyish set-up – ruthless developer is mollified by the mermaid inhabiting the lagoon he’s plundering – with more of his usual good-to-inspired sight gags.
New York Magazine (Vulture) by Bilge Ebiri
Mermaid is a very, very funny movie, but its caustic swipes at China’s nouveau riche, combined with its despairing look at the devastation of the country’s environment, suggest a filmmaker trying to find ways to reconcile his buoyant sense of fun with deeper, darker themes.
The Hollywood Reporter by Elizabeth Kerr
With no time for allegory or parable, the fantastical Mermaid delivers its message without a shred of subtlety (and is unapologetic about it) but with considerable charm, wit and darkness to make up for it.
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
While second-guessing the marketing strategies of movie conglomerates is happily not the concern of this reviewer, it does seem a shame that this exhilarating, bizarre, good-hearted, blatantly obvious sci-fi-fantasy-slapstick eco-fable isn’t getting wider fanfare.
Screen International by James Marsh
Newcomer Jelly Lin brings a delightfully quirky demeanour to her literal fish out of water.
Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid defies the time-worn nature of its material, concocting pure enchantment with the director’s own blend of nutty humor, intolerable cruelty and unabashed sweetness.
Los Angeles Times by Martin Tsai
Crass and macabre, yet big-hearted, it makes a wonderfully adult bedtime story.
The Film Stage by Michael Snydel
While the story doesn’t always hold together, it remains moving.
RogerEbert.com by Simon Abrams
The Mermaid will make you laugh. It doesn't matter if you don't like subtitles. It doesn't matter if you've never heard of the director. It doesn't matter if you've never seen a Chinese movie in your life. It will make you laugh. Guaranteed.
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