T-REVIEWS: LEE CHONG WEI - RISE OF THE LEGEND

Lee Chong Wei: Rise of the Legend has the plot of a typical biographical film. As reluctant as I was walking into the cinema (as I knew it was going to be predictable), I can't help walking out of the cinema feeling ever proud to be a Malaysian. In terms of story line, it is really another one of those rags-to-riches stories on how the protagonist started poor, but rose despite the challenges. The recipe? A throwback of the childhood days which usually involves disapproving parent/s, a transition scene to current day, add an unnecessary jock who is the bully, the heroine who needs to be won over (sugar & spice and everything nice), then remember a double dose of struggles faced before that one triumphant moment of greatness, which is served as the epic finale, followed by the rolling of end credits before the drawing of the red curtains.

Nothing about the script or the movie is a surprise (even the art direction and cinematography were quite painfully mediocre) but what I do like are the messages and the #Malaysia #Boleh spirit carried within the biopic.

The movie reminds us that while it is good to work hard and strive to be the best, one shall not lose passion. If we strive so hard that we forgot to enjoy loving what we do, we are most likely not going to succeed. Of course there is also the part about picking shuttlecocks, and how that teaches us humility - so I guess by being such a loser in badminton had really kick-started my shuttlecock picking humble beginnings. It is also very heart-warming to see the relationship between Lee and his mother, whom I believe even in real-life, still has his utmost respect.

Another thing I do enjoy in the movie are the little details incorporated that truly reflect Malaysians as a society. One scene that got me laughing was the one where they were eating in the lecture hall, and the camera slowly focuses on the "NO F&B ALLOWED" sign. That is so Malaysian because we almost always ignore signboards (or maybe that's only me).The scene where the entire country was watching the nail-biting match was also super realistic. I was one of those who had to close my eyes during his games and of course, there are some who were anticipating the public holiday.

Almost every nation has a sports hero, and ours is Datuk Lee Chong Wei (the female equivalent is Datuk Nicol David for sure). When Datuk Lee Chong Wei plays, I remember the entire Malaysia was watching. To his credit, that is one hell of a burden to carry on his shoulder representing the nation. So I guess despite his not-so-consistent performances, we still need to be proud of what he has done for the country. I guess it is always easier to be the one who makes the comments than being the one out there doing the work. One of my sports media friends once told me that, no matter what people say about Datuk Lee, he is always the most hardworking player on the court. And coming from her, I believe he is. 

p/s: For those who doesn't know, the match between Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan really happened in the Malaysia Open in 2006 and it was as nerve-wreckingly close as portrayed in the movie. #TReviews