Notes » December 2009

SmashForward

I think I'm insulted.

While I've been enjoying the new TV show FlashForward, the episode supposedly taking place in Hong Kong is straight out of a Hollywood writer's fantasy world.

I was actually able to make a list of all the things they got wrong or otherwise embellished to create what they believe Hong Kong looks like. I share it with you to ensure you don't go away believing any of it.

First, let's tackle the airport scenes. They show a jumbo jet swooping past Kowloon low-rises to land at Kai Tak, which hasn't been in operation since 1998. Only the departing exterior shot of Chek Lap Kok International Airport was right; none of the airport interior shots resemble reality in any way.

Yes, they had shots of the Hong Kong skyline, and naturally when they depicted Victoria Harbour they just had to film a traditional Chinese junk, but what about the other boats? Where was the Star Ferry? Where were the container transports? Not one other boat on one of the busiest waterways in the world? The only junk that regularly tours the harbour is the Aqualuna, belonging to the Aqua restaurant group, plus the occasional tourist junk.

When it came to representing a true picture of Kowloon streets, the entire thing was clearly a set: none of it exists, and furthermore, no such views of the Hong Kong side exist from Kowloon. And on these far too narrow so-called streets, the writers went a step further, having not one but three different men walking around wearing pointy coolie hats. Nobody wears those, save the very rare farmer in the New Territories, and even then most would choose either the Tanka or Hakka style hat instead. Another character wore a black Chinese jacket with white cross ties, something one might see during Chinese New Year, not Christmas. And restaurants with patio seating? Non-existent in Kowloon but for one small area off the main roads known as Knutsford Terrace.

They also showed plenty of bicycles. The only people using bicycles in Kowloon are the guys delivering food ingredients to restaurants or bottled gas to residential flats. This isn't mainland China; the streets are not filled with bicycle riders; to do so in Kowloon is not only unnecessary, it's downright suicidal.

And then there's the scene where an American CIA agent is giving orders to crack Police Tactical Unit officers (who magically show up 30 seconds after a tussle in a restaurant). Trust me when I say it would be a cold day in Hell before the Hong Kong Police let any foreigners dictate their actions, let alone the CIA. Nor would the cops completely ignore numerous bodyguards waving guns around to arrest an FBI agent, while letting the other FBI agent keep his weapon. How did they even get their pistols into the SAR anyway? Handguns are a major no-no in the Big Lychee.

It's clear that to save production costs the Hong Kong location shots were likely done on a Los Angeles set (or perhaps done in San Francisco's Chinatown, although I have serious doubts about that). They tried to make Hong Kong look exotic, or at least what they imagine exotic must look like to people who've never been outside the United States. Would it have killed them to at least consult someone about Hong Kong?

Don't be fooled. If you want to experience the true Hong Kong, for goodness sake just hop on a plane and spend some time exploring it for yourself. If you don't have the funds, take a look at some photographs.

Shame on Hollywood for such gross misrepresentation.

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