Writer: Bailah Hashim

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Watch this if you liked: "Appalam" and "Papadom"

For the first movie directed by Wee Meng Chee or better known as Namewee, "Nasi Lemak 2.0" is a comedy starring a multicultural cast comprising of Adibah Noor, Karen Kong, Afdlin Shauki, Dato' David Arumugam, Kenny & Chee and Dennis Lau.

"Nasi Lemak 2.0" is a story about Chef Huang (Namewee) who is having trouble with his restaurant business until he meets with Xiao K (Karen Kong). Xiao K who is also trying to save her father's restaurant, suggests to Chef Huang to compete in a cooking duel and if he wins, he will be able to save both of them from losing the business for good.

To make sure Chef Huang wins the duel; both of them go on a journey to learn to make the best 'Nasi Lemak'. The journey in fact, for Chef Huang, is an opportunity to rediscover his roots and the real hidden meaning of 'Nasi Lemak'.

The movie is full with funny scenes, but some probably only Malaysians are able to understand, namely those related to daily complaints by Malaysians on how slow and bad the internet connections can be and also how frequent blackouts are a norm to some. Despite all the laughs from the funny scenes, one will find messages of moral values in between lines and through the different characters. For example a family man (Afdlin Shauki) who left his hectic live in KL city to settle with being a fisherman, manages to live harmoniously with his loving wives and children in the village. Other characters show how a person shouldn't be stereotyped based on their race and skin colour. For example an Indian or Malay can converse in Chinese, and a Chinese can even have a Malay woman as a godmother.

There was also quite number of scenes where the characters suddenly started singing with dancers in the background that the reviewer thought was a bit too much. Lyrics were even included for those who like to sing along. With the lyrics being there, it was probably to also make sure that the message of the song got across to the audience.

Overall, "Nasi Lemak 2.0" is a good entertainment to those who want to have some good laughs at the cinema, as you'll find yourself laughing silly at the comical moments. Keep a look out for scenes where Xiao K's father starts speaking in broken English.

Cinema Online, 08 September 2011