Just Follow Law: movie review

Jack Neo’s movies all seem to possess many remarkably similar traits. They will contain endless digs at the government and their many foibles, campaigns and slogans. They will milk every known exploit of Singaporean subculture for a quick laugh. There will be a cast of ‘sidekicks’ that hang around and act supportive of the protagonist. They will contain several patronizing moral messages about life. And more often than not, there will be an unsatisfying conclusion that feels more ‘tacked on’ than considered.

Just Follow Law is really no different. There will be plenty of laughs, not to mention several flashy displays of CGI throughout the show, but it’s ultimately a forgettable experience. The basic plot of the show is thus: You have your standard underachieving slacker (Gurmit Singh) working at a big company under your standard overachieving boss (Fann Wong). One day, a freak accident occurs, and the two of them awaken to find that they’ve swapped bodies.

Drawing from the Big Book of Movie-Clichés, the odd couple eventually grows closer over having to deal with the problems as they view life from their swapped perspectives. If you know anything about movies, you’ll know what basically occurs.

The lead actors show off their acting chops well enough here – admittedly, there aren’t many ‘difficult’ moments for them in the show. Early after they’ve cottoned on to what’s happened to them, Fann Wong’s impish sauciness towards the despairing Gurmit is quite the sight to behold.

As stated before, the jokes about the foibles of Singaporean fly thick and fast. Singlish is liberally scattered throughout the movie for quick laughs (‘Goodest’ = Si Peh Ho!), satirical jokes at the government and its campaigns are always easy to spot, and the commentary on the ‘dog-eat-dog’ world of high-level business is thinly veiled. You’ll laugh out loud many times, sure, but you’ll be hard pressed to actually remember a particular joke once you’ve left the Cineplex. Not to mention that if anyone unfamiliar with the Lion City’s quirks watched this show, he’d be utterly baffled.

Unfortunately, Jack Neo’s insistence on beating us over the head with moral messages puts a damper on the movie. It’s not that using movies as a vehicle for teaching values is a wrong thing in itself. It’s just that we feel our intelligence is being insulted when it’s applied with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The movie also has a rather abrupt and unsatisfying post-climax – one that will leave many moviegoers sitting in their seats with folded arms and a ‘that’s it?’ expression on their faces.

Ultimately, I’d recommend this show if you’re looking for a good laugh, or if you have nothing better to do on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, exercise discretion.

By Jonathan Lau