變身/變身超人 (Machi Action/The Action Zero) is an 2013 film out of Taiwan. Directed by the acclaimed Jiu Ba-dao (九把刀), the movie stars Wilson Chen, Chen Ting-hsuan, Puff Kuo, and Owodog. The movie includes many cameos from Taiwan's stars of the past and present. LA Boys to Jaycee Chan, to Vannes Wu.
Wilson is a superhero in costume. He's played this character for 10+ years now. In recent years, the ratings for the show are dismal. But the owner of the TV station says that its the heart of the show that matters. Giving voice to the weak. When the owner dies, the station is taken over from his daughter whom recently returned from her studies in the good ol' US of A. Armed with modern stats and experts from Japan, they set out to revamp the show. First things first though, they have to kill off Wilson's character and his good buddy the monster. Without a job, Wilson trys to make ends meat and eventually finds success hawking items on a local infomercial type program. But the things he says of the items are fabricated. Causing him and the public to dislike him. With a renewed sense of propose, he tried to get back into the superhero business. Will he succeed?
This movie was super fun to watch. Mainly because of the who's who of Taiwan entertainment showing up for cameos. The story was straight forward. The main problem for me is that the protagonist wasn't very likable. The love interest was also a little off. Plus, Chen Ting-Hsuan and Puff Kuo looked too much alike. So much so that I got them confused. Yes, their hair is a bit different, but their facial features are not and very similar. With close ups, the hair is often left out.
I do recommend this film even with all its flaws. It was an enjoyable watch.
