Movie Review: The Road Less Traveled/一路有你

****

The roads less traveled by this film (and reviewer)?

Good Movie Blvd.

*Time Well-Spent Highway.*

*****Competent scrīpt Ave.*

Plausible St.

Recommendable Rd.

Intimidating Antagonist Lane.

Well-Written Way.

Okay, those were the easy way out. This movie isn’t bad, but it’s not really good either. It handicaps itself by a seemingly never-ending (and grossly compounding) series of absolutely remarkable coincidences that come off (to me) as narrative laziness and quackery; every time there’s a seemingly unsolvable situation or narrative dead end, a miraculous (and irritatingly convenient) coincidence clears the narrative roadblock.

And let me just reiterate that the supposed bad guy dressed, talked and acted like a bad imitation of the Terrence Yin Bad Guy of 10 years ago. Only skinnier, and speaking Mandarin. I was hoping he would wander drunkenly intoYou’ll Get Hit By a Truck and Die With the Taste of Your Own Blood in Your Mouth On This St.

No such luck.

Which sums up the film in so many ways.