Bored with musicals like High School Musical which seems so reliant on the cool boy meets dorky girl formula?

Why not choose a movie alternative that combines traditional ‘Getai’ with modern local humour to bring you a winning movie combination!

Join in the lyrical fun as director Royston Tan leads a strong cast made up of Mindee Ong, Yeo Yann Yann, Qi Yu Wu, Liu Ling Ling and popular MTV VJ pair, May and Choy to bring you a delicious local movie that is sure to tickle your funny bone.

881 tells a story of 2 childhood friends who grew up mesmerised by the glitz and glamour of ‘Getai’ which are performances held during the Hungry Ghost Festival. Little Papaya (Ong) has heredity cancer and was determined to find her place in the ‘Getai’ circuit. Big Papaya (Yeo) on the other hand, left her family to pursue her dreams in becoming a ‘Getai’ singer. Called the Papaya Sisters, they started out with vocals that had no ‘feel’ and awkward dance choreography. Soon after being blessed by the ‘Getai’ Goddess however, who also turned out to be Aunt Ling’s (Liu) twin sister, they soon became the most sought-after pair of ‘Getai’ singers in history. Rival group the Durian Sisters (May and Choy) quickly became jealous of the Papayas’ newfound success and tries to trip them by messing up their performance schedules. This thus ensues in a dramatic battle to win over the audience at the climax of the movie.

Be wowed by the colourful props and extravagant costumes donned by the cast of 881 to portray the lively scene in which the Chinese holds ‘Getai’ performances to welcome the 7th lunar month. From elaborate kimonos to even Austin Power’s inspired cone-shaped bras, 881 certainly didn’t disappoint in terms of visual appeal. Might we also add that amidst all the tummy-baring costumes, a bulldozer also joins the list of props used for the movie!

Also, be entertained by Aunt Ling’s bawdy jokes and hilarious demeanour as she tries to ensure the success of the Papaya Sisters in the ‘Getai’ circuit. You’ll soon be doubling over in laughter at her character’s use of sexual innuendos, more so directed to her son Guan Yin (Qi) and his pet cock (no it’s not what you think). “Techno”- savvy she is not, but she’s sure to cause stitches at your side in no time.

In many parts of the movie, you’ll also find yourself shaking your head in wry amusement as one by one, the characters in the story break into a song to express their emotions. Though not exactly getting the desired effect on the audience, these scenes help add to the overall atmosphere of the movie as a comedy.

However, some emotional scenes in the movie aren’t lost in the audience. The pain and suffering that the sisters had to go through to live their dreams, and also the death of one of the characters in the movie may inadvertently have you crying into your nachos.

And it doesn’t matter that the movie is in mandarin! 881 comes fully equipped with English sub-titles and familiar ‘Hokkien’ [Chinese dialect] phrases that gives the movie a distinctive local flavour. Double that with its clever plot and you get a movie that is set to wow the crowds on Aug 9. What a way to celebrate National Day.

Urbanwire rates this movie: 4/5

Release Date: 9th Aug

Language: Mandarin

Running Time: 110 min

Rating: PG

Genre: Musical

Starring: Yann Yann Yeo, Mindee Ong, Liu Ling Ling

Directed by: Royston Tan

Local Distributor: Golden Village Pictures