What was previously called Le Huo Nan Hai on this site, and what will still probably be called Le Huo Nan Hai because I can’t bring myself to say the English name (China Idol Boys) is coming to a theater in China probably not near you. It will be, as it’s advertised (accurately by eeMedia for once) the first 3-D film in China.
Watch the Trailer below and behold the cracktastic awesomeness:
Edit: Fixed with video that doesn’t lag.
Advertisement
Tags: Le Huo Nan Hai, Super Boy Musical
May 8, 2009 at 3:18 am
sorry for the lag in voices. silly realplayer
ah…I wish Meteor Shower had this type of background and clothes…
this raises my hope for Meteor Shower, though. Despite the strange, 70′s poster, the trailer looks futuralistic and pretty.
And 3D, too! I really like the last song, btw. “zhang da le…bie wan le…”
May 8, 2009 at 3:29 am
Oh man I totally love eeMedia right now…just when they start disappointing me they drag me back in. It doesn’t tell me squat about how Meteor Shower will turn out, but now I’m getting excited for BOBO’s High School Musical remake.
I don’t like every song, but hell, even Wicked had average songs.
May 8, 2009 at 3:33 am
I love how happy and peppy this is. It’s so “kuai le nan sheng.” It’s more HSM than Wicked, but that’s probably what they were going for.
May 8, 2009 at 3:40 am
The awesomest part of Wicked was the peppy in my opinion (and okay, the Defying Gravity song was pretty wow too), and it gave people that feeling of warm fuzzies combined with exhilaration that just makes them grin. high Schoool Musical did that too, sorta, and maybe this as well.
Er, I can’t think straight. I’m going back to watching this
for the eight time.May 8, 2009 at 3:58 am
I found the poster. this picture or the last one?
I fear for Yao Zheng…he’s dangerously close to CCS on the poster.
May 8, 2009 at 4:44 am
Ah, this really, really isn’t my sort of thing, but hey, it’s a worldwide phenomenon now, so I guess a Chinese version that seems to have had good production value feature Chinese idols is only to be expected, haha.
The one thing that caught my attention (hence the post) is the fact that it’ll be in 3-D. Is there a reason for this? 3-D is a pretty hokey, gimmicky technique to pull, and I just don’t understand why they’d have this shot in 3-D – what kind of scenes are they doing that would actually do much of anything in 3-D?
May 8, 2009 at 4:53 am
I actually gave a whole rant about this. I love the way that eeMedia is marketing this movie. It’s so brilliant. This movie is marketed as a huge technological breakthrough in the Chinese film industry.
I don’t know exactly what in here requires 3D, but the whole 3D thing turned this from the SJ “Attack of the pinup boys” type of idol movie that only fangirls would watch to a serious, technological advancement and a source of national pride. This means that in addition to capturing the Super Boy fans, they’ll be able to promote this movie now to basically the entire Chinese audience.
May 8, 2009 at 5:10 am
Hmm… the recent 3-D movies in the US have been marketed with 3-D as a major selling point, and the vast majority of them were subpar at best, hence my skepticism. They’d better have a genuine technological breakthrough on their hands, because otherwise, the novelty of a 3-D movie begins to grate very quickly on an audience older than teenagers.
Then again, I guess it’s something completely novel China, so maybe it’ll be embraced. I just hope there’s something substantial behind the gimmick, or else that broader audience will only mean harsher critics…
May 8, 2009 at 8:25 am
I am hoping but expecting worse. I really feel that it needs to focus on the story and the characters rather than the technology, which should only enhance the story. but I don’t see how an idol-movie could be enhanced by 3d. I love the super boys but hate the gimmicky part of the movie.
May 8, 2009 at 11:33 am
…..无语哈哈
The song was really bad
May 8, 2009 at 11:36 am
I usually don’t like musicals but I’m actually impressed by this.
I dunno if it’s just me, but whenever I see people break out into song and dance in English it seems corny. But for some reason I’m OK with it in Chinese… maybe it’s because of all the KTVs I go to in Taiwan
And it really does have a “happy and peppy” feel to it and the production values seem really good.
May 8, 2009 at 12:55 pm
this is an idol movie, guys. I came out expecting this to be the “attack of the pin-up boys” aka a movie that no one would (and should) watch unles they’re a crazy fangirl.
Maybe I had low expectations, so I was really surprised by the quality of the filming, which even if I had high expectations, this would’ve met. It’s very clean, slick. Superior even to the first two HSM (not that those were amazing).
Songwise, I was a bit disappointed by Tang Xiao-Ji Jie’s song, especially the last line, which did not rhyme. But the “zhang da le…bie wan le…” was really catchy, and in a world where most people are more like me and don’t understand the nuances of music, catchiness is good.
May 8, 2009 at 1:09 pm
ughhhh….im in school now and i cant see the vid…can’t wait til i get home
May 8, 2009 at 2:21 pm
@idarklight
I disagree… the whole point of a musical is to have good songs. This can not be compared to high school musical. HSM is in a completely different league.
The songs were rather annoying rather than catchy, the melodies where awkard and uncomfortable to listen to. The second song (Hardly classed as a song, sounded just like shouting) in the video was the worst out of the three…the singing was so bad, he sounded as if he was speaking out the lyrics, and the girl sounded as if she was dying lol
I think this must be a joke film, because i am finding it so funny.
The movie is clean slick with very very bad music. The film looks as if it was actually a high school musical produced by a bunch of high school kids…..honestly speaking I think i could personally do better lol
May 8, 2009 at 2:29 pm
@shoups
I disagree, the whole point of a musical is not to only have good songs. That’s the point of a CD. Some of the songs are needed to carry forth the plot, and many famous musicals have songs that everyone hates:
For example:
Wicked – That “Something baaddddd” song with the goat.
Hairspray – Ms. Baltimore crabs
Phantom of the Opera – the “Notes” song…this didn’t rhyme either….it was much like the second song of this trailer…just people “shouting”. It’s quick, it’s meant to move the plot forward. It annoyed me so much when a bunch of tweens who probably never saw a musical in their life before HSM started laughing in the theater at this scene.
From the trailer I see three types of songs, one that grows on you, one that just moves the plot forwards, and one that’s very catchy and fun. All three are staples of the musical genre, a genre that I favor heavily above the rest, and this one pulls it off in grand style for something that is one of the first movies by eeMedia.
This movie has really good cinematography, something that really elevates the movies from the tv format. And you’re right idarklight, Attack of the Pin-Up boys was horrid in that respects and most aspects; it should never have been in a theater. It’s exactly that kind of film that I was talking about earlier, where idols are stuck in films without regard for actual film quality, because they know the idols themselves will attract an audience.
I don’t know Shoups….if your idea of a perfect talented boyband is SJ, adn your definition of a great singer is Kangin…
From this trailer however, I’m starting to see why Yu Haoming is favored by Long Danni…he has that charismatic stage presence that even Wang Yuexin, with his youthful energy and sarcasm, doesn’t. This was something I started noticing back in “Wo Shi Da Ming Xing” MV and the Ming Yue MVs. Even though I am unabashedly a much larger Wang Yuexin fan, I always paid attention more to Yu Haoming and what he was doing. He brings energy to his performances, he has a natural talent for finding the right facial expression, and the latest stills from Meteor shower make me want to see his performance very much in both this and that show.
May 8, 2009 at 2:48 pm
…I do believe Sj are the perfect boy group that are still singing. I believe H.O.T is also a good example of a perfect boy group too. I did not say kangin was a great singer, what i was trying to say was, i think zhang yuan’s singing standard is as good as kangin. He is not as good as yesung, kyuhuhn and ryeowook who can be compared to lee hom or Brian Mcknight, they are not on the same level.
I am not too bothered about the rhymes…it is the tune that bothers me most. The tune sounds as if random notes were put together without any thought or feelings.
I can see the movie being a success because China is new to this kind of entertainment and the HOT guys will definitely attract a lot of fan girls
May 8, 2009 at 3:04 pm
To me, saying Kangin = Zhang Yuan’s level of singing is pretty much as bad as saying Kangin is a great singer. But I guess you can’t compare because Kang In sings for only like ten seconds in a song now.
Listen to “Notes” from Phantom of the Opera or …”What’s This I Find” from Miss Saigon, the tune is simply meant to carry the lines forward. The musical is a balance of great catchy addictive tunes, and tunes that really just serve the narrative, allowing it to move forth quickly. The second song falls into the latter category.
If you’re going to judge a musical by simply the catchiness of the music, I’d say this is already up there with Legally Blonde the musical, the Color Purple, The Full Monty etc, a lot of musicals that had decent runs on broadway.
Come to think of it, I’m not sure how many countries have 3-D musicals. But random trivia, this is the second musical in China this year. The first was Gao Xing, which was filled with ugly guys on purpose, and it did well at the box office because of its offbeat humor. I’m not sure how the population at large will feel about this movie however because the “Superboys” have stigma attached to them. So if it needs the 3-D to advertise it and make sure it’s a success, then I’m all for it, because I want this take in a lot at the box office, and induce other companies to keep making musicals.
I fear I’m getting my hopes too high right now, because I really liked the trailer. The only thing that was truly disappointing was Xu Dongmei, aka Girl with Braid’s dancing… the girl couldn’t pirouette. She’s one of the Decendants of the Dragon. Can’t she incorporate her kung fu skill to help her balance. I liked Tang Xiao aka Girl with Cool Shirt’s twirling however.
May 8, 2009 at 4:24 pm
@ cfensi – Aw, come now. I agree that Kangin’s singing isn’t on the level of Zhang Yuan’s, but I can see how his unique voice might appeal more to one person than another. (How do these conversations keep going to SJ, anyway?)
Not being a fan of film musicals other than Sound of Music and Mary Poppins unless it’s filmed on a stage, I’m a bit less optimistic and eager to see this. It really does seem like a cracky, Asian version of something vaguely like HSM, and that hardly inspires confidence; HSM is, after all, fluff nonsense for teenyboppers. That’s why I was so skeptical about it being in 3-D – because 3-D is often targeted at that same fangroup as a marketing gimmick.
I doubt that the 3-D aspect will override the Superboys stigma, really, considering the style this appears to have been made in.
As for musicals – I strongly, strongly disagree, even not being very much a fan of musicals as my friends are. Even those “hated” songs have substance behind them, be it chord progression or composition. If musicals were simply about being catchy rather than also about being, well, musical, the genre would be dominated by fluff and stuff, which simply isn’t the case. The medium is as diverse as the film industry, and shouldn’t be generalized, lest one ends up comparing HSM to Les Miserables to Avenue Q – it just wouldn’t make sense. Some are much, much more tuned to musicality than others.
For the genre of musical it’s in, though, this one’s looking decent enough. I can’t say I was much enticed by the songs, but they’re catchy enough for fans of that kind of thing. Still, I’d really, really be surprised if it draws much at all of the older crowd, if the video is representative of its style/story, because it came off as more than a bit too cheesy and fluffy.
Hmm… I’ll have to check out “Gao Xing” – it sounds more up my alley, haha.
May 8, 2009 at 4:41 pm
btw…who are China Idol Boys??
May 8, 2009 at 4:43 pm
@Nepheliad – You could say that about any voice though…even Siwon’s. As for why these convos go to SJ? I guess because Chinese people gravitate to SJ out of kpop the most, which makes me wonder.
I agree with your fourth paragraph…I don’t see where we differ. I wasn’t writing off those hated songs. I was explaining why hated songs are solid points of a musical despite not coming off pleasantly to the average viewer.
I wouldn’t write off HSM though. It had a solid story, and flowed well, and more importantly gave people that good feeling at the end that Wicked did as well. That’s something I find very hard to achieve in cinema. My parents loved it despite the cultural differences and the age gap. The difference between HSM and this however, is primarily the production cost, the cinematography here is much better, amongst other technical aspects that make it a movie, rather than a tv movie. It remains to be seen if they can acheive that elusive feat of making it an overall good movie however which requires a lot intangible elements mixed together for precisely the right result.
Btw…I should mention I’m a big fan of girly chick flicks, and fluff and all of that when it’s done well. Clueless, Legally Blonde…all of that. I’m sick of Asian film sites that only talk about those weird artsy Takashi Miike-type films, the films with blood, gore, and guns. I am embracing the romantic comedy/musical/whatever with open arms.
May 8, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Conversation always keeps going to SJ because I keep talking about them lol, as I think they are the perfect boy group…..the other reason is because they are pretty well known, I am actually a big fan of H.O.T but i am sure not many of you here know or know enough about them them hahaha.
btw dont know if you guys have ever heard of tension…they are a bunch of guys who can see pretty good. Our story 我们的故事arguebly their best song….
Maybe I dont know enough about Zhang Yuan. so it is unfair for me to say he is an average singer. Perhaps it is the songs he has been singing which do not demonstrate his singing abilities…..the songs he has sang so far has not demonstrated melisma or vocal belting (where one lets their voice go). His he sings lately-stevie wonder, a whole new world, kiss goodbye-lee hom songs as such to demonstrate his singing abilities. maybe he needs harder songs to sing. I personally do not think his voice is unique, Akon, Sean kingston, james blunt(not that nice), 杨昆(yang kun), yoga lin have unique voices.
I will probably end up watching this film because i am curious about who these guys are….are they singers, actors, dancers, presenters? i have never heard of them…
May 8, 2009 at 8:54 pm
@shoups
Have you heard Zhang Yuan singing Jeff Chang songs? They’re beautiful.
Zhang Yuan’s in this movie…this is the Super Boys movie. China Idol Boys is the title of this movie (I know, terrible name). The actors are the top 13 Super Boys, including Zhang Yuan. This is like the movie version of Meteor Shower (in idea, not in story) for eeMedia, Hunan TV, Super Boys and China. They’re mainly singers…hence the weak dancing moves. Yu Haoming will probalby go to the all out acting route, but he’s a good dancer, too. He won Strictly Come Dancing, as did Tang Xiao, the main female lead… I think Tang Xiao’s better, but that’s probably because she’s from a musical background.
more from the Super Boys:
My taste in voices gravitates towards clear, strong voices. So in the several groups mentioned, I like Ryowook, Zhang Yuan, and Jade Liu (in Super Girls)’s voices. There are some musicians I like for a mix of reasons, but few with voices that I would listen to just because they sung it. Zhang Yuan and Jade Liu come close, depending on the songs they sing and whether the songs shows off their voices or not. Also Chen Chusheng. I love seeing Zhang Jie and Jane Zhang perform. The only two artists whose voice I love hearing no matter what are Song Zuying and Anson Hu.
Tension isn’t really a boyband, though. They are sort of like Nan Quan Ma Ma…in that semi-idol band category.
@nephliad
I thought the only thing bad about HSM was the bad acting, average singing/dancing, and the obviously for-TV filming. I feel like while some tweens are too obsessed about it, others are too biased against it. The plot is obviously attractive and similar to most Asian dramas. The music was catchy despite the average voices. Overall, it leaves a happy impressions. basically a big party.
And really, Disney = American SM/Avex/JYP/Johnny’s…so I think it’s silly that people who go for the k/jpop boybands criticize them. (this isn’t directed at you, btw, but just a rant)…ie. the Jonas Brothers actually compose their own songs, but people who like DBSK will call them stupid…I don’t really get Miley Cyrus and I don’t like her show, but she’s probably not as bad as some people make her out to be.
Meanwhile, HSM is actually very popular in China. No one in China dismisses it as “stupid, teenage fangirl” stuff. I think it’s because people tend to be more critical of themselves. Sort of like how people in China dismiss Super Girls as “stupid, teenage fangirl” stuff, but not people outside.
May 9, 2009 at 1:31 am
@ cfensi – I disagree – Kangin’s singing voice stands out more to me than Siwon’s, and incidentally, Siwon’s stands out more than, say, Eunhyuk’s.
I wasn’t disagreeing that those songs are solid and necessary, but with what you said about musicals being mix of catchy tunes and tunes to drive the narrative, because that can’t be said for a good number of musicals out there, which are compositionally brilliant and such.
As for HSM, I agree that it is very good for the genre it’s in, and I expect that this movie will be too. However, this is not a genre that appeals to the wider public, and if the movie is like this video, it’s only going to reinforce the current view of the Super Boys. I have no doubts that if the quality is high, the movie will be good and popular, but at the same time, I suppose I kinda hoped something like it would be a bit more… substantial. HSM is happy fluffy goodness, but I guess I tend to look for something more than just that (maybe I’m just a critical person overall, haha).
And of course, the main problem, subjectively speaking, is the fact that I’m not a fan of chick flicks unless they bring something innovative or substantial to the table – which is also why I don’t know that this movie will do well outside of with the fangroup that already likes the Super Boys, anyway. I am intensely glad that movies like this are being produced, though, ’cause like you said, internationally, most people seem to think Asian movies = martial arts, action, or horror.
@ idarklight – HSM is very much like an Asian fluff drama, and Disney absolutely is like those companies (and even though it’s not directed at me, just clarifying that I’ve never meant to criticize Disney on those grounds). With the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus (who, IMO, is highly overrated but very well marketed), HSM, and now, boy band sponsorship, Disney really is the leader in the US of those same target demographics.
HSM gets that benefit, IMO, because American things are still viewed as trendy. It really isn’t any different from Super Girls’/Boys’ stuff in its presentation and such.
May 11, 2009 at 1:22 am
reminds me of HSM.. ｗｈｙ ｉｓ ｉｔ ｃａｌｌｅｄ ３－Ｄ？
May 11, 2009 at 1:29 am
It’s suppose to be viewed with 3-D glasses in a 3-D theater.
Apparently the production team saw a 3D movie in the US and were amazed by the cinematography and effects of the movie, so they wanted to do something similar in China. And as you can already see, this movie has really pretty cinematography.
May 16, 2009 at 8:45 pm
is this guy in the film 王铮亮? I think he came 11th in the super boys. My good friend knows him really well, so I would love to know if he is in this film? lol
He amazing at singing!
May 17, 2009 at 1:58 am
Yes, he is Wang Zhengliang. He’s Wei Chen’s teacher. He’s also a good friend of Jane. He sung the the theme song for Nanking!Nanking! (which is produced by Jane’s company…the song, not the movie)
August 25, 2009 at 9:16 am
Wow, do you know when the OST for this is coming out?
I’m really hyped at the moment on this movie!
Especially that song at the end~ “zhang da le…bie wan le…” xD