One of the more interesting parts of our job here at Digitalchumps.com is that once in awhile we get to interact with the creators of games and movies.  Recently, we had the opportunity to review Chinese director Stephen Chow's CJ7 on Blu-ray and DVD.  If you haven't seen this film, it was certainly a new direction for Mr. Chow. More on that later.

Before Digitalchumps, on another site, we had the opportunity to review Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle.  When first introduced to Chow, via Miramax, Shaolin Soccer was a truly different experience.  I had never heard of this man or his films.  I found, at the time, that the whole Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon outlandish movements were a bit on the absurd side.  Of course, after about an hour of the film I soon found that Chow himself might have been overplaying this sort of entertainment clearly on purpose, but at the same time honoring Chinese theater by using it to drive the storyline.  The story follows a man who aspires to be something greater than he is.  He finds himself, thanks to a pesky trainer, attracted and drawn to the game of soccer, by the small twists of Shaolin tradition.  Definitely something you could watch on a Saturday, over and over again.  Chow sold me from that point on. 

Enter Kung Fu Hustle, Chow's next near-masterpiece.  You could tell right-off the bat that he still maintained everything that was great about Shaolin Soccer and extended himself beyond his first American release.  He added more defined characters, a better purpose and a more triumphant feel.  It contained action, drama, a bit of sadness, but still maintained the comedy that everyone grew to love.  It was a step forward in Chow's career, at least in this reviewer's opinion, and showed so much potential.  If Chinese theater was like this, I would die to be a part of it.  

So, a few years later, Chow releases another moview called CJ7.  Now, Ashley Clark (reviewer for the DVD) and I were certainly expecting something a bit more of the same, but better than his previous releases.  I mean, it's either stay where you are or move forward with new things, right? Well, Mr. Chow did something that I didn't even expect (and that rarely many people expect from directors these days)... he completely changed up his main formula.  Instead of a wacky film, starring Chow as the lovable loser, he was determined to make a film for kids.  This is quite a departure from his usual formula.  First, instead of being a star, he was a co-star.  He chose to become the parent who is trying their best to help their kid.  As the leading lad, Chow got actress Jiao Xu. Yes, she played a he, I didn't do that to confuse you. Jiao nailed the leading role better than the male actors who tried out. What can you do? When something works, it works. He made the movie with kids in mind and he certainly shows that in the story.  He brought an emotional presence through a child, that led the story from beginning to end.  Heart-warming, wrenching and just plain touching, CJ7 might have been different, but it was worth it. 

Well, fast forward a few weeks, we had the insane idea to get in a couple of questions with Mr. Chow, as he's busy as hell on the next feature, and he took some time to answer some questions about CJ7. Here's what we got for you: