Watch The Journey For Free

Highly Overrated But Still Good

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I missed Yasmin Ahmad (Sepet) so much. With her untimely passing, I feel Malaysia cinema went backwards. Today I saw the future. This is a gem of a film and it didn't even look cheap like many locally made films. I swear I wore a smile throughout the heartwarming film, an amalgam of sights and sounds. The cinematography is stunning. At times I had to do a double-take because I have never seen Malaysia looking so beautiful. The script is sometimes so hilarious and there are times it is so emotionally poignant. I am not ashamed to say I cried. It sounds like I am describing a perfect film. It is not. The acting is at times over-wrought, the comedy borders on slapstick (thankfully it didn't step into farce territory), the direction lacks clarity at a couple of spots, some characters are not developed to satisfaction and the editing is not seamless at times. But the emotional beats are spot-on and the acting so earnest. I enjoyed watching the mopey and grumpy father played so naturally by Lee Sai Peng. There is also hardly any emotional schmaltz forced down our throat which makes it somehow more powerful. A lot of gems came up when we were talking about it later. For example, in the first act Chuan told Benji that he cannot sleep with Bee in the same room. Later in the last act, Chuan is not at home but Benji automatically leaves Bee's bedroom. What does it mean? Benji is a different person now. He has learned respect and the Chinese way. There are many innocuous gems like these once you let the movie simmered a bit. This is a director I will definitely follow in the future - Chiu Keng Guan. The Journey is definitely worth taking a journey into JB (I live in Singapore). When it ended, it put us in a sublime state and both of us simultaneously proclaimed "this is so good". We couldn't stop discussing about it all through dinner and even on the journey back. Ah that word again... Journey. The movie made both of our heart soared up to cloud nine (it's still there). It's the type of film that comes once in a while... It may be far from perfect but it wears it's big warm heart on its sleeve and it will make you want to hug everyone in the cinema because they are 'family', they are kindred. Don't count on this to come here. If it does it will probably be marketed as a foreign film which will be so inappropriate because The Journey feels like home.

It has been awhile since I last watched a movie that moved me so much. I managed to catch the movie whilst back in Malaysia for a short holiday.I must say that Malaysian movie production has certainly come a long long way. The movie brings back many sweet nostalgic memories of Malaysia's rich blend of culture. I came away from the movie with shedding more than a tear. Ben, Joanne and Frankie all gave remarkable performances. Top credits go to Joanne and Frankie making their debut as big-screen actors. One can sense that the main characters flow naturally in their respective roles without too much acting needed. The mix of various Chinese dialects and comical phrases are simply a touch of brilliance. Last but not least, the soundtracks by Geraldine and Ben respectively are so captivating and beautifully presented. Looks like the music scene in Malaysia has also come a long way.Such gem should not be Malaysia's best kept secret. I am sure if made available worldwide, many Malaysians living abroad would enjoy this movie. I was disappointed that I could not get hold of a DVD/Bluray to bring with me to Australia so that I can spread the love around.Looking forward to enjoy many more Malaysian movies.Malaysia Boleh!

After a long wait, finally there is a local production that utilizes life as the main theme for a film. While at first it looks like a familiar plot which begins on family relationship problems, the detailed screenplay gradually expands into the issue of cultures conflicts, hope between parents and children, love and friendship appreciation as well as unity which is one of the most precious thing in life. Good direction and cinematography are not only successful in presenting great scenery across 6 states in Malaysia (without any effects) and the unique Chinese cultures and local multi-races tradition; but the good performance from unfamiliar cast, hilarious mixes heartfelt moments and amazing scores has successfully delivered audiences a clear message: it's sometimes just a coincidence that it makes those involved to be unhappy and misunderstood at the same time in life, but actually deep in heart everyone is cherishing each others. It deserves local people to be proud for being one of the best local production and to aim as the highest grossing local Chinese production.

Before I first went to watch THE JOURNEY in the cinema, I have little knowledge about this movie at all. But to my surprise, this locally-made production has totally exceeds my expectation, at which THE JOURNEY truly deserves its recognition as one of the best Malaysian-Chinese movies ever made. And bear in mind, this is only Chiu's (his full name is actually Chiu Keng Guan) third directing effort following his back-to-back success of 2010's WOOHOO! and 2011's GREAT DAY.WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?After spending a decade living with her aunt to study art in England, Bee (Joanne Yew) has finally returns home to Cameron Highlands. She also brought back her British fiancé, Benji (Ben Andrew Pfeiffer) to introduce him to her conservative father Uncle Chuan (Frankie Lee) and hoping to seek his blessing for their upcoming marriage. At first, Uncle Chuan opposes to his daughter's marriage because he doesn't get along with Benji well. However, he ends up agreeing anyway except with one condition -- their wedding ceremony has to be done in the Chinese tradition. Soon, Benji is tasked to bring along Uncle Chuan on a long motorcycle journey across the country to deliver the wedding invitations to Uncle Chuan's 11 ex-primary schoolmates.THE GOOD STUFFChiu's direction is sharp and meticulous to detail, especially the way he depicts the Chinese culture and tradition with such authenticity. His regular screenwriter, Ryon Lee, successfully combined the universal themes of culture, hope, love, friendship and unity within his screenplay that everyone can relate to. Eric Yeong's cinematography, which is shot on locations across six states in Malaysia (Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, Penang, Kedah, Melaka and Johor) are wonderfully captured with such sheer beauty it's like watching a travel channel. The panoramic and idyllic view of the Cameron Highlands setting is especially worth a special mention here.For the acting department, Chiu has certainly took a huge gamble by casting actors with little or no experience in acting at all. However, his gamble proves to be surprisingly rewarding. 73-year-old retiree Frankie Lee is perfectly cast as the conservative and stubborn father Uncle Chuan. He pairs well with Australian stage actor Ben Andrew Pfeiffer, who delivers an impressive performance as Benji. Watching the way they argue against each other because of their cultural and ideological differences are simply both entertaining and heartfelt. Miss Astro Chinese International Pageant 2007 Joanne Yew, in the meantime, is not only photogenic but also acted well as the estranged daughter Bee. As for the rest of the supporting actors, all of them have their equal share of limelight.MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT(S)The brief but wonderful scene where Bee uses a black marker to draw caricature of her father, Uncle Chuan and her fiancé, Benji riding motorcycle together on the car window.THE BAD STUFFThroughout the duration, I was surprised by the mesmerizing result of this movie. In short, THE JOURNEY is pitch perfect that I hardly find a flaw within.FINAL WORDSLike the title itself, this is one cinematic journey worth exploring for. No doubt THE JOURNEY is a rare gem of a local movie not to be missed this Chinese New Year. By the way, make sure to stay for the end-credits music video featuring Ben Andrew Pfeiffer singing a wonderfully cheeky song that combines English and Chinese languages.