“Crazy Rich Asians” defied expectations the moment it hit the big screen. There were film critics who said it couldn’t succeed because of its cast, or those who claimed it was an appropriation of a black success story. Some people even declared it wasn’t Asian enough or said it wasn’t Asian at all!

However, “Crazy Rich Asians” ended up being a spectacular movie with a 92% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of 80%. It was the first Hollywood studio movie in 25 years to feature a heavily American Asian cast and come from an Asian director, Jon M. Chu.

None of those critics could have foreseen the stunning craze for “Crazy Rich Asians”. It became the most successful rom com at the box office in 9 years. It opened with 30.6 million, when it was predicted for 15-20 million and topped the box office for 3 straight weeks with additional gains of 22.2 million dollars. It has grossed over 111 million dollars domestically and a sequel is already in the works. Nearing 167 million worldwide, “Crazy Rich Asians” has set the bar tremendously high.

The last big Asian American film was “The Joy Luck Club” which came out in 1993. However “Crazy Rich Asians” appears to have distanced itself from that type of movie, one about the hardship stories of Asian Americans. “The Joy Luck Club” cast a shadow over many Asian American narratives as it was a hard hitting story that described the full detail of the struggle of being an Asian American. “Crazy Rich Asians” is a light hearted, fun romantic comedy that takes full advantage of the rom com formula. It follows the classic plot, yet it never feels repetitive or boring. Instead it’s fresh, new, and innovative.

The colors, the visually appealing settings, stellar acting performances, and the tremendous wealth present in the movie create an amazing, truly intoxicating rush that makes one laugh from start to beginning.  It is truly a delight not only for Asian American viewer, but for everyone . For anyone who loves a good story, wants to catch some laughs, and just have a great time, this is the movie for you.

“Crazy Rich Asians” which is based off Kevin Kwan’s 2013 novel follows Rachel Chu, played by “Fresh Off The Boat’s” star Constance Wu,  who is an economics professor in New York, and her journey of accepting her Asian American identity and becoming accepted by her boyfriend Nick’s, played by the charming Henry Golding, family, one of the wealthiest in Singapore.

It doesn’t set out to send a big message about Asian inclusion, rather just tells a classic, hilariously funny story. “Crazy Rich Asians” shows us what happens when we tell great stories. It shows us how movies can cross barriers such as skin color, sexual orientation, and culture, whatever we use to classify ourselves and how a simple story can enrich our world.