CJ7 Blu-ray

The surreal, exaggerated world of director Stephen Chow makes for a thrilling Blu-ray environment in CJ7. But Chow’s first family film is at times frightening and inappropriate. Child lead Dicky (Jiao Xu) faces kid bullies, a hanging corpse hallucination and his father’s (Chow) gruesome construction accident, just to name a few jarring scenes. But the surprise of the imagery, combined with their 3D effects, should keep viewers especially transfixed. There’s also alien visitor CJ7, who gives viewers a huge ball of cuteness. One letdown is sitting through the standard-def supplements, which don’t quite deliver after the spectacle of the main feature.

Shelf Talk: After Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle (a sequel of which is due in 2010), Chow has cultivated a fan base for his magical story lines, which should spill over to CJ7. However, although visually compelling, CJ7’s focus on a boy and his pet might be too kiddy for Chow’s core followers.