I've read way too many reviews from people who ARE NOT ASIAN who claim that they have some deep understanding of the culture and are somehow deeply offended by the movie. I don't even know where to start with this.

As an educated Asian American woman in my thirties, I have seen many offensive portrayals of Asians in movies. Subserviant women who are merely there to please a man, men who do not act masculine, men who have certain "shortcomings," that Asian character in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and characters showing how we are all supposed to be good at math or dress awkwardly.

This movie is unique in that it shows Asian people who are not so one dimensional. It does serve to show that the stereotypes I mentioned above are not indicative of the rich tapestry of the cultures in Asia.

It's a great movie, a good mix of family drama and romcom. If you look at it as a fun snapshot of a fictional family, and a movie that follows the American tradition of romcoms while featuring an all Asian cast (a Hollywood first,) you would know not to take it so seriously. For those who bitterly complained about another culture being misrepresented, stop thinking you're someone you are not. The majority of people I know from Asian ethnic backgrounds loved the movie.

It is also in the vein of a Korean soap opera. Oh wait, you didn't know that? Yeah, it's a fully accepted form of entertainment for millions of Asian people. Look into it. Then watch me laugh when you try to argue that those super popular shows should be banned.

Asian actors I know are psyched that there will be more parts, and much more dynamic parts, for them in the near future. I'm definitely happy about that. :)

Based on Kevin Kwan’s satirical novel of the same name, “Crazy Rich Asians” is the story of the Chinese-American Rachel Chu, a New York University professor of economics who’s persuaded by her Singapore-born boyfriend, fellow NYU professor Nick Young, to accompany him to his family home in Singapore to attend the wedding of his best friend.

What Rachel doesn’t know is that Nick is the scion of Singapore’s wealthiest and most powerful family, and that his best friend’s wedding is Singapore’s social event of the century. Rachel already suspects that Nick will use the occasion to propose to her…but doesn’t expect that in Singapore Nick’s proposal will be an occasion reminiscent of Prince Charming’s fitting the glass slipper to Cinderella’s foot.

“Crazy Rich Asians” sets a playful tone early in the picture when a snappy new version of the old Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford rock ‘n roll standard “Money (That’s What I Want)” plays over the opening credits and establishing shots with its familiar lyrics performed in Chinese. The movie then segues smoothly into a pleasant enough social comedy-slash-travelogue, as the American Rachel is introduced to local Singapore locations, customs, and cuisine.

But before long the picture dissolves into a more familiar triangulation of affection: Nick’s influential and traditionalist mother Eleanor, a society maven whose personality resembles that of the Dragon Lady without that character’s endearing qualities, strongly disapproves of Nick’s American girlfriend. Eleanor prefers that her son sacrifice romantic happiness in America in favor of a life of misery in Singapore—returning to his homeland to assume his ancestral obligations as the heir to the family fortune.

“Crazy Rich Asians” benefits strongly from the casting of the almost impossibly attractive Constance Wu and Henry Golding as Rachel and Nick. Individually Wu and Golding are physically stunning, but together they resemble the figurines atop a wedding cake, if those figures were modeled on Venus and Adonis.

Fortunately, both performers possess the acting chops to not only match their appearances, but also to make their characters sympathetic and genuinely likable. Which is no small feat, especially considering that the Cambridge University-accented Golding has no previous acting experience—the Malaysian-born performer was cast in the coveted role on the strength of his personality and experience as the host of the BBC’s “The Travel Show.” Golding also produced and appeared in the Discovery Channel documentary “Surviving Borneo.”

“Crazy Rich Asians” also features good performances from a supporting cast of performers which includes pop star and rap artist Awkwafina as Rachel’s best friend and former college roommate, comedian and actor Ken Jeong as the wealthy father of Awkwafina’s character, and Lisa Lu as Nick’s grandmother and matriarch of the family. Michelle Yeoh, familiar for her roles in the 1997 James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies” and the Academy Award-winning “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” from 2000, appears in the showcase role of Nick’s manipulative mother.

The dramatic emotional climax of “Crazy Rich Asians” occurs during a game of mahjong, played by Rachel and Eleanor with the solemn-faced gravity of the baccarat game between James Bond and his arch-nemesis Largo in 1965’s “Thunderball.” With its click-clack precision of colored playing tiles, the scene might contain considerably more significance to the mahjong enthusiasts in the audience, and concludes dramatically when one of the two opposing rivals for Nick’s affection snatches victory away from the other by revealing what appears to be the mahjong equivalent of a straight flush. If you’re able to guess which character prevails in the game, it might be an indication of the predictability of the rest of the picture.

Adapted from Kwan’s comic novel by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim and directed by Jon M. Chu, “Crazy Rich Asians” has been on the receiving end of some grouching by two sides of the discrimination debate. Some find fault with the picture for not including enough authentic Singapore-born Chinese in the principal cast, and others complain that the film doesn’t accurately portray Singapore’s colorful racial diversity, meaning that no roles were filled by the city’s Malay, Eurasian, and Indian populations.

But you can’t have everything. Some observers have noted that similar criticisms were made prior to the release of “The Godfather” by individuals of Italian-American descent, who eventually came around when the accolades and awards began to roll in. You might not notice the ethnic diversity problems in “Crazy Rich Asians,” though, so much as you come away with the revelation that Chinese families can be as goofy, eccentric, and unmanageable as anyone else’s. That’s probably the point.

The critics apparently don’t mind the diversity problems, either. Based on 144 reviews, “Crazy Rich Asians” has received an approval rating of 92% from the Rotten Tomatoes website, and an average score of 74% from Metacritic based on the reviews of 46 other critics. Exit audiences polled by CinemaScore assign the movie an average grade of A.

Originally projected to earn a up to $20 million during its opening weekend, estimates were raised to $30 million after advance screenings sold out at nearly all of the 354 theaters exhibiting the preview. Now playing at 3303 theaters across the United States, “Crazy Rich Asians” might just find itself exceeding expectations again.

Director Jon Chu and others have been quick to point out that the film is the first major American production since “The Joy Luck Club” in 1993 to feature a mostly Asian cast. Prior to the release of “Crazy Rich Asians,” Chu acknowledged that he’d be eager to return to direct a sequel if the first film was a success, a possibility which now seems likely. Kevin Kwan’s original novel spawned two sequels—“China Rich Girlfriend” and “Rich People Problems.”

“Crazy Rich Asians” is rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and adult language.

Now that headline is "one of," because there have been so many over the years but recently... with identity politics eating the nation's sense of humor... and race fracturing our country, again... all families have to be racially correct, all bad people, white, just about, all men stupid and everyone else noble in motivation.

OK that is perhaps too much but one can say that the movies are not funny except in a very overt crude way... because not much is funny about the human race going down the old trail of Marxist class and race propaganda in service of an international elite who could care less about "equality," but love conflict.

But I digress.

Think about it... when was the last time any of us enjoyed a movie of average, normal, and yes I said that world, healthy psychologically, loving people?

It does still happen but infrequently. The last one I personally saw that was as good as Crazy Rich Asians was, "The Choice," yes some plot tropes in there but like Crazy Rich Asians... the leads and the whole cast is so perfectly cast... that almost any direction with its material would have done well. And so it is with Crazy Rich Asians, the direction is very good, well paced and poignant often and of course romanic and funny.

The story of a smart girl not knowing the family she is about to meet and their power introduces American and European Audiences to the fact that... Asia is now the "New World," and that to many Asians stamping their education in England or Europe or North America especially the Ivy League... is normal.

These are delightful characters and the Asian culture of family duty and yet the extreme wealth is somehow very funny here... almost innocent in their extreme consumption and yet one feels the world's new coming age in the fact of their dual culture world.

We are in America destroying our regard for our own nation for no apparent rational reason except a political goal... that will end in violence when the Founders of the country had the solution all along, individual life choices and the strength that comes to a multiracial country from that value.

These characters take that value on with abandon and laugh at their own split personality but assume it is just a new normal.

It's an old story... deserving girl... old money family but with so many updates having to do with a changing America and a changing world that anyone can understand it and find it interesting and entertaining.

If I were to pick a scene stealer it would be, Awkwafina, who is hilarious.

Michelle Yeoh could be up for Best Supporting Actress ... as always she brings a grace that is well... the highest standard for Asian women, a deep sense of dignity and here she is perfect for the role and provides the serious pole to the often very funny and romantic movie.
Culturally it is a landmark and very well done.
Although I liked Henry Golding in the lead role, he was perfect, also graceful with that beautiful English upper class accent... he is obviously mixed race... not sure how that worked in with this family? He has a big future.

The only part of the movie I didn't like was Gemma Chan last scene... she is fabulous in her role and extremely gorgeous... but in the last scene with her husband we get a little American feminist tweak that did not seem correct especially the line about their son.

That is not what an Asian women not matter how much of a dual culture personality would have said.
But even that scene is mostly very good it just needed an edit. She has an elegance that is so over the top that she too is fascinating to watch... .

Constance Wu is simply charming and here a wonderfully believable actress. The funnest scene in the movie... is when she casually mentions to her old friend's family, while sitting down to dinner, who her boyfriend is.

Highly recommended.
Nothing here to shield your children from or slipped in to fracture their morals which is typical of Hollywood guiding an agenda consciously to warp America. The mix of Asian dignity and extreme wealth and American and the West's culture, is very interesting.
The world is changing... here is one of its new faces.