Review on Money No Enough 2

10 years on, Jack Neo finally filmed the sequel to Money No Enough. I have vague memories about the first installment, but all i could remember was it was REALLY FUNNY!

I was expecting a good laugh (which i did) when i went to watch Money No Enough 2, but I left the theatre feeling pretty emotional. Humour was peppered in, but the gist was focused on values like filial piety and the importance of family. He must be thinking these values are lacking in Singaporeans so it would be good to bring them across in the big screen. Afterall, the government also stresses on these values right?

But you would be so wrong if you thought the movie was totally pro-government, because non of us would catch it already! The movie also had these few messages as featured in its trailers...

1) Unhappiness in the increase of ERP Gantries all over the island

2) Singaporeans only complain and do nothing about the situation, even when they know they are right (I'm not too sure about the latter part)

3) Family is more important that having $$

Other subtle messages I picked up were

1) How driving a car v.s. riding a bike equates to difference in social status (which is usually true but not definite)

2) Instead of complaining what we DON'T HAVE, we should cherish what we HAVE

3) Grandmother prioritises her children / grandchildren in front of herself

Jack Neo certainly knows how to tell a story because the story relates to Singaporeans. It is very localised in its content and context but i only encourage people over the age of 12 to watch it.

Firstly the language is a little too vulgar and secondly kids would need lots of explanation after / during the movie because almost 1/3 of the movie is in Hokkien. So to truly appreciate the movie, leave your kids at home.

The impact would be greatest to the baby boomers as the movie typifies the situation they are facing / will face in reality.

And i also strongly recommend people to watch this film before National Day because 'We Are Singapore' (patriotic National Day Song) will never sound the same again.

Overall the film would seem rather propoganda-ish if there wasn't any 'NO ERP' protests in the beginning of the film and other subtle messages brought across during the 2 hour film. I would not say it is well balanced, but the heavy emphasis on family values certainly overshadowed or rather effectively "covered up" the unhappiness in Singaporeans pretty well. The message was delivered in a subtle manner.

Do watch this movie if you're a Singaporean / living in Singapore. The ending was pretty heart wrenching, so prepare tissues before you go for the movie. You're also advised to get tickets early because tickets are hard to get at the ticketing office. (: