Jack Neo looks set to steal CNY weekend with ABTM3!

19 Feb 2015

Singapore - Six new mandarin movies will jostle for audiences' red packet dollars this Lunar New Year weekend. AH BOYS TO MEN 3: FROGMEN 新兵正传 III: 蛙人传 (PG13) - Jack Neo's sequel in name only to Singapore's highest grossing local film of all time is the widest release on an estimated 66 screens. The S$2.5m navy pic is likely to be the box office champion ahead of closest competitor DRAGON BLADE 天将雄狮 (PG13 edited) starring Jackie Chan which opens on 42 screens.

DRAGON BLADE will also have to fan off FROM VEGAS TO MACAU II 賭城風雲 II (PG13), a sequel to last year's box office hit with Chow Yun-Fat reprising his role as the god of gamblers. The Wong Jing helmed pic opens on 32 screens - the third widest new release.

Holdovers KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE and box office phenomenon FIFTY SHADES OF GREY are expected to continue to muscle for a spot in the upper echelons of the box office. KINGSMAN is holding onto 51 screens while SHADES continues on 24 screens. Both are age restricted movies which will hinder their prospects amongst family goers. FIFTY SHADES has also been mostly panned and a sharp drop in its second weekend will come as no surprise. On the flip side, these two films are catering to an older audience base who may be looking for an alternative to the flood of Lunar New Year offerings.

The other new releases include:

TRIUMPH IN THE SKIES 衝上雲霄 (PG13) (21 screens) - based on the hit TV series

KING OF MAHJONG 麻雀王(PG13) (16 screens) - gambling comedy starring Chapman To and Mark Lee

12 GOLDEN DUCKS 12 金鴨 (NC16) (12 screens) - Sandra Ng returns to the screen as a gigolo in this spiritual follow up to the popular Golden Chicken series

SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE (G) (21 screens) - based on the popular animated series from the critically acclaim team behind WALLACE AND GROMIT.

And just to round things up, here's a summary of the Lunar New Year offerings:

AH BOYS TO MEN 3: FROGMEN 新兵正传 III: 蛙人传 (PG13) (66 screens)
3.5/5 - movieXclusive.com
3/5 - Life! - The Straits Times 
4 - Lianhe Zaobao (Entertainment Rating)
2 - Lianhe Zaobao (Artistic Rating)

DRAGON BLADE 天将雄狮 (PG13 edited) (42 screens)
2/5 - movieXclusive.com

2/5 - Life! - The Straits Times 
3 - Lianhe Zaobao (Entertainment Rating)

2 - Lianhe Zaobao (Artistic Rating)

FROM VEGAS TO MACAU II 賭城風雲 II (PG13) (32 screens)

4/5 - movieXclusive.com
2.5/5 - Life! - The Straits Times  
2.5 - Lianhe Zaobao (Entertainment Rating)
1.5 - Lianhe Zaobao (Artistic Rating)

TRIUMPH IN THE SKIES 衝上雲霄 (PG13) (21 screens)

2.5/5 - movieXclusive.com
2/5 - Life! - The Straits Times  
3 - Lianhe Zaobao (Entertainment Rating)
2 - Lianhe Zaobao (Artistic Rating)

SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE (G) (21 screens)
4/5 - movieXclusive.com
3.5/5 - Life! - The Straits Times  
3.5 - Lianhe Zaobao (Entertainment Rating)
2 - Lianhe Zaobao (Artistic Rating)

KING OF MAHJONG 麻雀王(PG13) (16 screens)
3.5/5 - movieXclusive.com
3/5 - Life! - The Straits Times  
3.5 - Lianhe Zaobao (Entertainment Rating)
2 - Lianhe Zaobao (Artistic Rating)

12 GOLDEN DUCKS 12 金鴨 (NC16) (12 screens)
3/5 - movieXclusive.com
2/5 - Life! - The Straits Times  
2.5 - Lianhe Zaobao (Entertainment Rating)

1.5 - Lianhe Zaobao (Artistic Rating)

Note: In the absence of official published data, the number of screens is an estimate based on information from exhibitors' websites.

--