Lunar New Year movies coming in February

Writer: Casey Lee

Which of these are you going to watch?

This Chinese New Year is going to be busy, not just from the feasting, visiting relatives and giving excuses for why you are not married, but also with all the movies in cinemas.

One perfect way to escape from all those social (and dietary) obligations would be to disappear into another world for a few hours in the cinema, and with the amount of movies aimed for release during the festive season, you could be hiding away for more than an entire day!

So, if you are looking to spend some of your hard-earned ang pow money in the cinemas, here are the movies you could be spending it on.

After angering the River God, Tang Sanzang and his disciples drift into Xi Liang before realizing that it is an all-women kingdom. While their arrival is met with curiousity by the women who have never seen anyone else since its founding, it also fulfils a dangerous prophecy that could spell doom for the kingdom. Aaron Kwok returns in costume and CG make-up for the third consecutive Chinese New Year as the legendary Sun Wukong into what is turning into a tradition of watching classic epic adventures during Chinese New Year.

General Release Date: 15 February

A Chinese military elite force is sent to evacuate Chinese citizens from North Africa where a coup has erupted. While taking heavy casualties from attacks by the insurgents, the Jiaolong Assault Team learns that the insurgents have also got their hands on materials to build a nuclear warhead. If you aren't going to be a satisfied with the small cracks of firecrackers then it might be worth immersing yourself with the extravagant explosions of Dante Lam's next action vehicle. Based loosely on the Chinese evacuation of its citizens during the Yemen civil war with a heavy dose of military jingoism (everyone deserves their own Michael Bay), this is certainly a way to celebrate your Chinese New Year with some emphasis on the Chinese part of the equation.

General Release Date: 15 February

Life could not be better for Madam Liang Xi Mei as she takes care of her two grandsons, has friends like an absent minded Guang Dong Po, and an Alzheimer's stricken Lion King who bring much trouble and excitement to her life. When Madam Liang places her hopes on her younger son Albert, it drives her elder son Robert to be envious as he seeks the help from the God of Fortune in a get rich fast scheme. Also making a return to making Chinese New Year movies for the occasion is Singaporean director Jack Neo, who puts on his wig to also star as his alternate persona; the titular Madam Liang from the Comedy Night variety show. So if you have friends from across the causeway who want a little piece of home when they visit Malaysia, they would be able to catch it in our cinemas.

General Release Date: 15 February

Once the top agent sent to bust criminal masterminds, Mr. Chan was removed from duty when a subordinate unwittingly offended their superior, Ms. Shek. 20 years later when a new criminal known as the Cyber Goddess starts a new crime spree, Mr. Chan is forced back to duty, much to the chagrin of Ms. Shek, who he has to report under. There may be a certain audience that are still looking for a TV-budget parody of the Bond franchise that is almost 30 years too late, and that is where Jeff Cheung's comedy fits in perfectly. At least, it couldn't get any worse by having TVB big names Dayo Wong and Charmaine Sheh in the lead.

General Release Date: 15 February

After separating from his human parents, Wuba is on the run again as a bounty is placed on him and a new lord takes the throne of the monster kingdom. During his escape, Wuba is taken care of by Tu, an ill-fated gambler who is up to no good to clear his debts. This Chinese New Year wouldn't be short on the CG coloured fest and nothing gets the ball rolling than Raman Hui's sequel of the 2015 adventure, this time with the added benefit of Tony Leung, starring alongside returning Bai Baihe and Jing Boran.

General Release Date: 16 February