The Magic Aster -- Film Review

July 14, 2009 A battle between good and evil is waged for the sake of a wee petal in "The Magic Aster," an animated Chinese fairy tale so devoid of fun or personality that it only feels quaint. Shanghai Animation Film Studio, which jointly produced this with other Chinese partners, will find it tough to foist the $2.19 million project onto foreign shores except for the odd children's channel. For Chinese-speaking viewers, the animation's star-loaded vocal lineup that includes Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, pop-king Leon Lai ("Forever Enthralled") and supermodel-turned-actress Lin Chi-ling ("Red Cliff") may be its biggest bonus.

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