A few days ago, I noticed a news story from YouTube about Ne Zha 2, a blockbuster that has grossed RMB 15.3 billion, giving it the fifth best box office in the history so far.
It reminded me of a recent experience with a friend of mine. Before I visited him in Shanghai last month, he mentioned this movie to me over WeChat. He was so excited to tell me how Ne Zha 2 had taken China by storm. Everybody everywhere is talking about it all the time, he said. He had already seen it three times and wanted to take me to it.
So we went. My kind friend picked one of the best movie theaters in Shanghai, which has the new generation IMAX Laser technology. He was afraid I might get lost in the Shanghai subway system because I hadn't been to Shanghai since 2019. He called me and met me at the Chang Su Station on the No. 1 line. Then we hopped on the No. 7 line to Da Rong Cheng which is in the Da Hua area, a famous poverty in Shanghai 30 years ago. It was nearly unrecognizable to me due to the huge amount of change and development.
My friend said, do you know why Na Zha 2 is so hot in China right now? Tell me, I said. Because in the movie there is an evil old man(無量仙翁） who acts exactly like Joe Biden. He looks nice and kind and helpful but is full of darkness and evil ideas. You will also notice that he lives in a building that looks like the Pentagon and has an eagle on it. Meanwhile, there is a handsome boy and pretty girl who help him fulfill his evil plan. They are Japanese and South Korean. This completely shocked me.
I felt extremely uncomfortable watching the movie. It contained so much violence and was full of hateful language throughout. I was pretty sure the movie would be PG-13 in the States. I checked the rating on Google and was right. I am not quite sure whether this movie is recommended for students in primary school and junior high school in China, but I have no doubt it is way too much for them.
My friend mentioned that this movie is playing in the States right now. You may have to watch it again with your wife, he said. I told him that my wife definitely wouldn’t want to watch it, and that I wouldn't be interested in watching it again.
I reminded my friend that the United States was allowing this movie to play despite its anti-American message, and that this reinforces to me that America is the best country in the world. She opens her arms to all people from every country. It is one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. That phrase comes from the Pledge of Allegiance, and it is not just talk or a joke. It is very serious and important to people in the United States. I told him I was unhappy to have watched Ne Zha 2.
My friend was silent after I spoke, and I realized that, I too, no longer wanted to discuss this topic.
每天一講2025-04-01 08:51:29回複悄悄話
回複 'randomspot' 的評論 : Your friend made a mistake to take you to the movie. It is clear that he did not realize that you guys are no longer sharing the same value.
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Yes, you are exactly right, we have different values, although we have a brotherhood. No matter what the value is。
randomspot2025-03-31 19:55:49回複悄悄話
Your friend made a mistake to take you to the movie. It is clear that he did not realize that you guys are no longer sharing the same value.
大家說不滿意美國的話，我隻得順著別人的意思說話，爭論是無意義的。
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對美國很不滿意，主要是宣傳的問題。另外上海人有錢了，自然有底氣了。
的確，爭論沒有任何意義，尤其人多時，特別注意。
謝謝留言
大家說不滿意美國的話，我隻得順著別人的意思說話，爭論是無意義的。
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生活在西方國家，本來就要在職場，生活中遇到或明或暗的discriminations, 你要去麵對，而不應該去逃避，逃避是逃不過去。
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向抗日先烈致敬！
請教，中國的敵人是誰 ？我一直想搞明白....
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生活在西方國家，本來就要在職場，生活中遇到或明或暗的discriminations, 你要去麵對，而不應該去逃避，逃避是逃不過去。
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花花早上好，我建議你去看看這部電影，再下結論更好些。在上海時新聞幾乎每天都有這電影排行榜報告，想來挺有意思。
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但願是“放空炮”，否則首當其衝的是我們這些人
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早上好，是不是也可以怎麽說，如果中國不把美國當目標，美國也不會和中國為敵。
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同感，亂七八糟，但是場麵還是挺震撼的。
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京妮兒，帶來了北京的聲音，我也就放心些了 ：-）
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京妮兒早上好，那麽去看看這部電影，掌握第一手資曆，不更好嗎
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我認為這是約定俗成，和陋習沒有任何無關，國外還有貧民窟（gheto）
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倪穎早上好，上影廠有不少演員和導演當時住房條件不太好，我就有好友，他父親是上影廠最老資格的特技，幾乎所有50，60年代上影廠優秀電影都有他名字，去年在微信上還有我好友轉發的一篇他父親回憶上官雲珠的文章，讀來讓人難過。
他家本來住在華亭路大一室戶，條件很一般，80年代後期搬到了田林X村3室戶，住房才有了很大改善，在那裏上影廠和上譯廠的老人很多，我這次回上海也去看我好友。
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Yes, you are exactly right, we have different values, although we have a brotherhood. No matter what the value is。
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早上好，方玉。謝謝你的留言。同感你上麵的留言。但是，現實恰恰相反，有些人自己有毛病，也不想讓其他人過得好些，總之這些人不少，文學城裏也有。
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大螞蟻早上好，不知道你這個論斷是否正確。
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+1
"如果美國不把中國當目標， 中國不會和美國為敵。 就像在文城， 如果不是有人 先 把你當目標， 你也不會與人為敵。 不是嗎？"