You can tell folks behind 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥� and 鈥淪hang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings鈥� had something to do with 鈥淎merican Born Chinese.鈥�
The new Disney+ series has a similarly loopy narrative and a whole lot of special effects. Oddly, it starts in a high school where Asian American student Jin Wang (Ben Wang) is asked to take a newcomer, Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu) under wing and introduce him to the finer points of teenage life.
What isn鈥檛 stated: Wei-Chen isn鈥檛 just any outsider. He鈥檚 the son of Wukong the Monkey King (Daniel Wu) who needs help thwarting the Bull Demon (Leonard Wu). He鈥檚 not just from another country, he鈥檚 from an entirely different realm. Can Jin juggle that, schoolwork, home life and a budding relationship?
Director Destin Daniel Cretton鈥檚 hand on this is obvious. 鈥淎BC鈥� has impressive stunts and a couple of cameos that elevate the story. Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh plays the Goddess of Mercy 鈥� but here as an aunt who can calm the world but can鈥檛 quite seem to assemble an IKEA table. Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan turns up as a TV actor who鈥檚 stuck with wincingly bad lines and a racist storyline. They鈥檙e part of 鈥渙ther鈥� worlds that inform Jin鈥檚 typical high school one.
Based on Gene Luen Yang鈥檚 award-winning graphic novel, 鈥淎BC鈥� expands his concept and uses its panels as storyboards for something much greater. It works.
This browser does not support the video element.
In eight episodes, 鈥淎BC鈥� turns a typical high school drama into a lesson about behavior. While otherworldly creatures stalk the halls of his high school, Jin learns how to deal with the mere mortals who harass him.
Creator Kelvin Yu doesn鈥檛 drill down on the high school baddies (they鈥檙e as bad as they were in Brat Pack films) but he does find a way to address them.
Younger viewers will love the action that colors the series; older ones will appreciate its philosophy.
Underlying all of this is the racism that burns through Jin鈥檚 school. It鈥檚 not as overt as the mockery Quan鈥檚 character faces (with a catchphrase, no less) but it points up the challenge Asian American students face every day.
By pulling worlds together, 鈥淎merican Born Chinese鈥� manages to educate while entertaining. That off-handed comment, it says, may be more lethal than you ever knew.
Wang is a great tour guide through these disparate worlds. He approaches each with skepticism, then learns from his and others鈥� mistakes. When Yeoh shows up, 鈥淎BC鈥� becomes a master class about the golden rule. Attention must be paid.
鈥淎merican Born Chinese鈥� begins May 24 on Disney+.