Singapore loads up on Chocolate

Chocolate opens in Singapore on May 15, and ahead of the release, star Yanin "Jeeja" Vismitanada was in the Merlion City to promote the film.

Among the fans who caught her act was Singaporean blogger OhSixOHeight. Here's more about the event:

She was supposed to showcase some of her stunts. However, due to a leg injury she sustained in Hong Kong, this event was considerably shortened.

Anyway, after a brief introduction about herself and some tidbits about the movie, selected members of the audience were invited on stage to play a game, whereby Jeeja displayed some Muay Thai moves, and the participants were to mimick her steps. The one person whose moves are as close to Jeeja's pattern will get an autographed poster, 2 complimentary tickets to the movie, and Chocolate notebooks.

I was quick enough to position myself near the stage and volunteered myself for the game. Needless to say, the energy on stage was electrifying; just standing beside Jeeja makes me giddy with awe and excitement.

Reviews of the film are starting to roll in from Singapore, too. One is from Linus at MovieXclusive. Here's more:

As much I want to enjoy Chocolate to the fullest, I couldn’t help noticing the sloppy editing which really affected the flow of the action sequences and secondly, it somehow gets draggy and too repetitive towards the end.

I remember Jackie Chan once pointed out a major flaw in action movies in which if you notice hard, there will be lots of henchmen jumping around the protagonist without actually attacking him or her. Chocolate is one of them.

Despite the flaws including some cliché involving transvestite villains (again) that might or might not get on your nerves, Chocolate is a thoroughly enjoyable action flick.

Chocolate is also being promoted at the Cannes Film Market, where it has picked up an alternate international title, simply Muay Thai Girl.

See also:

• Chocolate out on DVD in Thailand, coming to theaters in Singapore
  
• Jeeja profile
  
• Chocolate rated Category IIB in Hong Kong
  
• Chocolate ready to begin international onslaught
  
• Three more Jeeja clips
  
• Chocolate star on the talk show circuit: The clips
  
• Chocolate on Valentine's Day
  
• Bittersweet Chocolate
• Weinsteins gobble up Chocolate
• Another bite of Chocolate, other Thai films at the European Film Market
• Review: Chocolate
  
• Chocolate: The press premiere
  
• Chocolate star has a new name, but just call her Jeeja
  
• Chocolate website goes live, really
• Chocolate star on the talk show circuit
• Chocolate release date moved up to February 6, going head-to-head with Stephen Chow's CJ7
• Chocolate: The comic book
• Promo reel for Chocolate