Sandra Ng

(On TV, January 2020) The profoundly silly Chinese comedy Goldbuster is a blend of capitalistic critique (in that the holdouts for a planned land development deal are scared by actors hired by the developer) and very broad comedy (in that the holdouts call for an exorcism). The result is amusing and not necessarily predictable in medium strokes—Sure, the underdogs will win, but who could see a zombie film emerging midway through? Sandra Ng directs and likably stars into a film that can blend special effects, slapstick physical comedy, mild social criticism, and plenty of goofiness. Goldbuster is not that good, but as a glimpse into the parallel universe of blockbuster films for a Chinese audience, it’s fun and accessible without being overbearing with propaganda or completely incomprehensible.