i like motion pictures

what launched it to the summit of Singapore's box office is a Jack Neo trademark - a knack for themes close to Singaporeans' hearts. also typical are the to-and-fros - almost excessive - of idiosyncratic jokes and moving snippets.

it is not one of his better films - far from it. some parts are squirmingly cheesy and the fact that Mindef didnt subsidise costs doesn't pardon the blatant product pla
cements.

but once in a long while, we can make this snotty remark:

it is not a superb film but it is an important one. Ah Boys to Men, unlike Army Daze, is a compendium of military anecdotes, allowing those who haven't been there get intimate access. for those who have, it is a reminder of what NS is about. the lesson, overlooked by some, is important for all: it was never about stripes, bars or 'crabs', never about whether we'd go to war. your biggest enemy is yourself and victory lies in you standing up to adversity. 没有国, 哪有家. for those who slithered through NS, this is equally a reminder that for whatever success you've achieved the rest of your life, when the going got tough, you didnt get going.

put it this way: at the risk of advertising the damn film, if you haven't done NS you should watch it, simply to better empathise with the sacrifices and psychological battles of your boyfriend, husband, brother.