Ah Boys to Men (film series)

Last updated
Ah Boys to Men
新兵正传
Directed by Jack Neo
Written byJack Neo
Link Sng
Produced by
  • Jack Neo
  • Melvin Ang
  • Lim Teck
Edited byYim Mun Chong
Music by Tosh Zhang
Production
companies
Distributed by Golden Village Pictures
Clover Films
Release dates
CountrySingapore
Languages
  • English
  • Mandarin
  • Hokkien
BudgetS$39.90 million

Ah Boys to Men is a Singaporean satirical military comedy film series presented By J Team Productions and mm2 Entertainment, written and directed by Jack Neo and also produced by Neo, Lim Teck and Leonard Lai.

Contents

Development

Ah Boys to Men and Ah Boys to Men 2 are Jack Neo's first military-themed film, [1] as well as his "most ambitious project so far" according to himself. [2] Neo had wanted to shoot a military-themed film since his recruit days after being influenced by Taiwanese army films, but could not find the right opportunity. [3] Neo was originally approached by MINDEF to edit footages from the 2010 documentary Every Singaporean Son into a film. After much deliberation, Neo decided to not use the footages and instead write a brand new script. [4] The production received the full support from MINDEF to shoot the film; they were provided access to vehicles, equipment and weapons as well as on-site consultants. [5] Neo did not accept financial funding from MINDEF as he wanted to retain full control of the creative process. The film was funded under the Media Development Authority’s Production Assistance grant, [6] and by investors and sponsors, some of which included Toast Box, Bee Cheng Hiang and KPMG. [7]

Research for the film alone took around two and a half months. [8] Neo said the decision to break the film into two parts was made after the distributors told him to keep the films 100 minutes in length, as any longer and it would have been more expensive and difficult to schedule. [3] With a budget of S$3 million, Ah Boys to Men and Ah Boys to Men 2 are Singapore's most expensive film. [9]

Parts One and Two actually tell one entire story, but we had to cut the film into two because it was running too long. You’ll only really understand the whole story if you watch Part Two.

— Jack Neo, cited in [10]

Films

Ah Boys to Men (2012)

The film revolves around a group of army recruits in National Service in Singapore. Neo had wanted to shoot an army-themed film since his army days, but could not find a suitable chance to do so.

Ah Boys to Men 2 (2013)

The film focuses more on the unity of the protagonists, as well as tapping more on hot social topics like foreign talent in Singapore. It gave "a stronger story than its predecessor", and had a "more meaty" drama aspect, according to Neo. Other themes for the sequel include "sacrifice, love, family and patriotism".

Cast

Ah Boys to Men (2012)

CastCharacterDescription
Joshua Tan Ken Chow

Recruit Ken Chow is a spoilt teenager who dislikes the Army and is reluctant to enlist as he wants to study abroad with his girlfriend. Tan, originally from Australia, previously encountered a similar situation faced by his character in real life, when plans with his girlfriend were derailed by his mandatory NS. Tan, an undergraduate at Monash University, had to defer his studies to film Ah Boys to Men and Ah Boys to Men 2 .

Maxi Lim Aloysius JinRecruit Aloysius Jin a.k.a. "Wayang King", one of Ken's bunk mates and a nerd stereotype. Ambitious in nature, he aims to be among the best and get into Officer Cadet School (OCS) so as not to disappoint his mother; his "wayang" behaviour is encouraged by his parents. It is Lim's feature-length film debut; previously he had worked on local television sitcoms and short films.
Wang Weiliang LobangRecruit Bang "Lobang" Lee Onn, a street-smart and witty recruit, who according to filmmaker Gilbert Chan, "really nailed the portrayal of a slightly rebellious but very funny caricature". A getai singer by profession under the mentorship of Wang Lei, Wang auditioned for the role without prior preparation.
Noah Yap IP ManRecruit Man In Ping a.k.a. IP Man, Ken's bunk mate. Yap had to defer his theatrical studies at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts to shoot Ah Boys to Men. It was reportedly Yap's "unconventional hairdo hair" that made Neo see potential in him. A certain scene required Yap to kiss co-star Tan's buttocks; Yap, though, did not find doing so uncomfortable. He said: "It's all acting. For me it [the scene] wasn't difficult … not that I have worked with a bare ass before." His nickname is a parody of a Chinese martial artist Ip Man.
Ridhwan AzmanIsmail MohammedRecruit Ismail Mohammed, one of Ken's bunk mates. Formerly taking an events management course at Institute of Technical Education's Bishan campus, Azman had to quit his studies to film Ah Boys to Men and Ah Boys to Men 2 . Previously, he was a finalist in Campus SuperStar , a Chinese talent-singing competition.
Tosh Zhang Second Sergeant Alex OngSecond Sergeant Alex Ong, a stern platoon sergeant in charge of Ninja Company. Neo offered Zhang the role after viewing his vlogs. Said Neo of Zhang: "He is eloquent, has musical talent and acts well, too. It is rare to have such a unique all-rounder." Initially supposed to attend a film course at Deakin University in Melbourne, Victoria, Zhang deferred to film Ah Boys to Men and Ah Boys to Men 2 which subsequently turned down his place at the university. Following the release of Ah Boys to Men , he was nominated for The New Paper's 2012 Breakout Star award, a subcategory of the newspaper's annual Flame Awards. Zhang eventually won. Zhang became a nominee in the 2015 Kids' Choice Awards.
Charlie Goh Tan Wei MingRecruit Tan Wei Ming, one of Ken's bunk mates.
Aizuddin NasserRecruit Muthu ShanmugaratnamRecruit Muthu Shanmugaratnam, one of Ken's bunk mates.
Luke Lee Third Sergeant Jed HengSection Commander of Section 2
Fish ChaarCaptain SL ThamOfficer Commanding of Ninja Company
Richard Low Ken's fatherHad a car accident at the end of this film
Irene AngMary Chow, Ken's motherPampers Ken Chow and finds all methods to defer his son from National Service.
Yoo Ah MinKen's grandmother
Wang LeiKen's uncleTaught his nephew Ken Chow on how to "geng".
Tony Koh Beng HoeKen's second uncleAlso taught his nephew Ken Chow on how to "geng".
Qiu QiuAmy, Ken's girlfriendDumped Ken Chow as she felt that he was childish.
Chen Tianwen Mr. Jin, Aloysius' father
Ye Li MeiMr. Jin, Aloysius' mother
Sherraine LawMayoki, IP Man's girlfriend
Justin Dominic Mission1970s Army Sergeant

Ah Boys to Men 2 (2013)

CastCharacterDescription
Joshua Tan Ken Chow
Maxi Lim Aloysius Jin
Wang Weiliang Lobang
Noah Yap IP Man
Ridhwan AzmanIsmail Mohammed
Tosh Zhang Second Sergeant Alex Ong
Charlie Goh Tan Wei Ming
Aizuddin NasserRecruit Muthu Shanmugaratnam
Luke Lee Third Sergeant Jed Heng
Fish ChaarCaptain SL ThamOfficer Commanding of Ninja Company
Wilson Ng3rd Warrant Officer K W SngCompany Sergeant Major of Ninja Company
Richard Low Ken's father
Irene AngMary Chow, Ken's mother
Yoo Ah MinKen's grandmother
Wang LeiKen's uncle
Chen Tianwen Mr. Jin, Aloysius' father
Ye Li MeiMr. Jin, Aloysius' mother
Sherraine LawMayoki, IP Man's girlfriendDumped IP Man for Gangster Zhen Zi Dan
Benjamin Mok Gangster Zhen Zi Dan (literally "Real Bullet", loosely a parody of Donnie Yen)Stole IP Man's girlfriend, Mayoki.
mrbrown Lieutenant S T ChoongAn army officer. It is his first film role. For the role, he was made to go through "physical torture". At a press conference for part two, Lee said: "It was three days of physical torture. I ran about more during the filming than in my entire army life!" Neo has said that there may be more future collaborations between Lee and himself.

Crew

The film was directed by Jack Neo [11] and the script was written by Neo [12] and Link Sng. [13] [14] Neo, Lim Teck, [15] and Leonard Lai [16] served as producers, while Neo's wife Irene Kng, along with Mang, Teck, Tengku Iesta, Tengku Alaudin, Kenny Chua, William Sin, Dominic Inn, Tan Tong Hai, Eric Liang and Sky Li Yunfei, served as executive producers. [17] [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulau Tekong</span> North-Eastern Island of Singapore

Pulau Tekong, also known colloquially as Tekong or Tekong Island, is the second-largest of Singapore's outlying islands after Jurong Island. Tekong is located off Singapore's northeastern coast, east of Pulau Ubin. Since the 1990s, the island has been used by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and is generally restricted from public access. Transport to the island for permitted persons is via the SAF Changi Ferry Terminal at Changi Beach.

<i>Money No Enough</i> 1998 Singaporean comedy film

Money No Enough is a 1998 Singaporean comedy film written by Jack Neo, directed by Tay Teck Lock, and produced by JSP films. The movie stars Neo, Mark Lee and Henry Thia as three close and best friends who start a car polishing business together to resolve their financial problems. Released in cinemas on 7 May 1998, the film received mixed reviews from critics but earned over S$5.8 million and was the all-time highest-grossing Singaporean film until 2012. Its success helped revive the Singaporean film industry and pave the way for the emergence of other Singaporean cultural phenomena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Neo</span> Singaporean comedian and director (born 1960)

Jack Neo Chee Keong is a Singaporean filmmaker, comedian and actor who was a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1983 to 2003. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he was best known for his cross-dressing roles, as "Liang Po Po" and "Liang Xi Mei" in the long-running television comedy show Comedy Nite.

<i>Ah Long Pte Ltd</i> 2008 Singaporean film

Ah Long Pte Ltd (Chinese: 老师嫁老大; pinyin: Lǎoshī Jià Lǎodà; Wade–Giles: Lao3 Shih1 Chia1 Lao3 Ta4; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lāu-sai-kè-láu-tōa) is a 2008 action comedy film directed by Singaporean film director Jack Neo, starring Fann Wong and Mark Lee. Co-produced by Mediacorp Raintree Pictures, Scorpio East Pictures and Double Vision (Malaysia), the film was mostly shot in Malaysia, in the city of Kuala Lumpur, with a budget of S$1.2 million. This film is also the seventh collaboration between Mediacorp Raintree Pictures and Jack Neo.

Every Singaporean Son is a Singaporean documentary released in 2010. It serves as an education tool for all pre-enlistees during their Basic Military Training in Singapore. Most of the episodes were filmed at Pulau Tekong. 18 episodes were released. The first episode airs on 7 July 2010 on YouTube, subsequent episodes were released on every Tuesday, each clip lasted for 6 to 8 minutes.

<i>Ah Boys to Men</i> 2012 Singaporean film

Ah Boys to Men is a 2012 Singaporean military comedy film produced and directed by Jack Neo, written by Neo and Link Sng. It stars Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, Wang Weiliang, Tosh Zhang, Ridhwan Azman, Aizuddiin Nasser and Charlie Goh in the first installment. The main plot revolves around a group of army recruits in National service in Singapore. Neo had wanted to shoot an army-themed film since his army days, but could not find a suitable chance to do so. This film is also the first local film to be released in two parts and the first to film in Pulau Tekong, as well as the first South-East Asian film to feature Dolby Atmos surround sound. The film's theme song, "Recruits' Anthem" was written and composed by one of the cast, Tosh Zhang.

<i>Ah Boys to Men 2</i> 2013 Singaporean film

Ah Boys to Men 2 is a 2013 Singaporean-Chinese military comedy film produced and directed by Jack Neo, written by Neo, Lim Teck and Leonard Lai. It is the second of two cinematic parts. It stars Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, Wang Weiliang, Tosh Zhang, Ridhwan Azman, Aizuddiin Nasser and Charlie Goh in the second installment. It was released on February 1, 2013. It is the highest-grossing Singaporean film of all time, and has grossed over four times of its S$3 million budget. Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, Wang Weiliang, Tosh Zhang, Charlie Goh and Chen Tianwen would later collaborate again in Neo's next project movie known as The Lion Men and The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown.

<i>The Lion Men</i> 2014 Singaporean film

The Lion Men is a Singapore action comedy film directed by Jack Neo and starring Tosh Zhang, Wang Weiliang, Eva Cheng, Noah Yap, Charlie Goh, Maxi Lim, Chen Tianwen, Zhang Xinxiang, Jaspers Lai, Bunz Bao, Rao Zi Jie and Celyn Liew. The main plot revolves around three lion dance troupes pitting themselves against one another. It also marks the third on-screen reunion of Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, Wang Weiliang, Tosh Zhang, Charlie Goh and Chen Tianwen after their first and second collaborations together in Neo's previous popular and well-known army and military movies known as Ah Boys to Men and Ah Boys to Men 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Lee</span> Singaporean actor and lawyer (born 1991)

Luke Lee Wen Loong is a Singaporean actor and lawyer, best known for his co-starring role as Sergeant Heng in Jack Neo's army movies Ah Boys to Men and Ah Boys to Men 2. He has also appeared in the Hong Kong-Singapore horror film A Fantastic Ghost Wedding. Other notable appearances include MediaCorp Channel 5's Tanglin, HBO (Asia)'s Serangoon Road and BBC's Insatiable Teens.

<i>Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen</i> 2015 Singaporean film

Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen is a 2015 Singaporean military comedy film produced and directed by Jack Neo. It stars Wang Weiliang, Maxi Lim, Joshua Tan, Charlie Goh, Tosh Zhang, Jaspers Lai and Wesley Wong in the third installment. It was released in cinemas on 19 February 2015. The film raked in $2.83 million at the box office within four days, making it the first Asian film with the highest ever box office takings in its opening weekend in Singapore.

<i>Long Long Time Ago</i> 2016 Singaporean film

Long Long Time Ago is a 2016 Singaporean period film directed by Jack Neo. The film commemorates Singapore's 50th birthday and stars Aileen Tan, Mark Lee and Wang Lei as the main casts. It is released on 4 February 2016 in Singapore. It also marks the second on-screen reunion of Mark Lee and Suhaimi Yusof after they starred alongside together in the popular Singaporean sitcom named Police & Thief.

mm2 Entertainment

mm2 Entertainment is a regional film studio, production, and distribution company, headquartered in Singapore. In Singapore, it is best known for local movies such as the Ah Boys to Men, The Lion Men, and Long Long Time Ago series. The studio has a presence in Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, and the United States.

Wang Weiliang is a Singaporean comedian, host, actor, singer and businessman. A getai performer-turned-actor, Wang grew prominence with the box-office successes of the Ah Boys to Men film series by director Jack Neo.

Tosh Zhang Zhiyang is a Singaporean actor and musician. Zhang is most well-known for his catchy songs which garnered millions of views on YouTube and for playing the role of 'Sergeant Ong' in the record-breaking Ah Boys to Men movie series by director Jack Neo.

<i>The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown</i> 2014 Singaporean film

The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown is a Singapore action comedy film directed by Jack Neo and starring Tosh Zhang, Wang Weiliang, Eva Cheng, Noah Yap, Charlie Goh, Maxi Lim, Chen Tianwen, Zhang Xinxiang, Jaspers Lai, Bunz Bao, Rao Zi Jie and Celyn Liew. The main plot revolves around three lion dance troupes pitting themselves against one another. It also marks the fourth on-screen reunion of Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, Wang Weiliang, Tosh Zhang, Charlie Goh and Chen Tianwen after their first and second collaborations together in Neo's previous popular and well-known army and military movies known as Ah Boys to Men and Ah Boys to Men 2.

<i>Ah Boys to Men 4</i> 2017 Singaporean film

Ah Boys to Men 4 is a 2017 Singaporean military comedy film directed by Jack Neo, and the fourth installment in the Ah Boys to Men film series. It stars Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Wang Weiliang, Tosh Zhang and Apple Chan in the fourth installment. It was released in cinemas on 9 November 2017.

<i>Wonderful! Liang Xi Mei</i> 2018 Singaporean film

Wonderful! Liang Xi Mei is a 2018 Singaporean Chinese New Year comedy film directed by Jack Neo. It stars Neo, alongside Mark Lee, Henry Thia, Benjamin Josiah Tan, Wang Lei, Jaspers Lai, Chua Lee Lian, and Cavin Soh. The film was released on 15 February 2018 in Singapore and Malaysia.

Ryan Lian Yong Yi is a Singaporean actor, singer and host.

<i>The Diam Diam Era</i> 2020 Singaporean drama film

The Diam Diam Era is a 2020 Singaporean comedy film directed by Jack Neo. Set in 1980s, it tells the story of the Lim family moving from kampong to HDB flats. Through major policy changes and political climate in the era, they experience great changes in their lives and environment. It is the sequel to Long Long Time Ago and Long Long Time Ago 2.

<i>Ah Girls Go Army</i> 2022 Singaporean film

Ah Girls Go Army is a 2022 Singaporean military comedy film. Directed by Jack Neo, the film follows the first batch of female recruits as they undergo and serve National Service in the fictional near future of Singapore.

References

  1. ↑ Quek, Sherlyn (November 9, 2012). "Time for ACTION!". Cyber Pioneer. MINDEF . Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  2. ↑ Loong, Wai Ting (December 31, 2012). "Focus on Singapore's National Service". New Straits Times . Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Chou, Han Wei (July 20, 2012). "Jack Neo takes a gamble on S$3m new film "Ah Boys to Men"". Channel NewsAsia . Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Jack Neo film a NS propaganda?". RAZORTV. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  5. ↑ Tseng, Douglas (October 25, 2012). "Trailer Breakdown: Ah Boys to Men". 8 Days .
  6. ↑ Noh, Jean (March 19, 2013). "Singapore's mm2 to partner with HK's Smart". Screen Daily. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  7. ↑ Ng, Gwendolyn (November 7, 2012). "Ah Boys To Men... to commercials". My Paper . Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  8. ↑ Teo, Bjorn (October 2012). "Ah Boys to Men" (PDF). Army News. No. 204. p. 22.
  9. ↑ Kee Yun, Tan (March 23, 2012). "Heartlands to be a war zone?". AsiaOne . Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Jack Neo vows to skinny-dip to celebrate Ah Boys To Men box office success". F***. Archived from the original on March 10, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  11. ↑ Lui, John (January 4, 2013). "Shot in Singapore". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  12. ↑ Lui, John (January 7, 2013). "Shot in Singapore: 16 local movies for 2013". Her World . Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  13. ↑ Hee En Ming (November 14, 2012). "Ah Boys to Men". Fridae . Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  14. ↑ Lee, Benita. "Jack Neo: A National Service". Time Out . Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  15. ↑ Frater, Patrick (December 6, 2012). "Boys comes of age with record TV deal". Film Business Asia. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Jack Neo starts programme to groom film-making talent". AsiaOne. March 18, 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  17. ↑ Elley, Derek. "Ah Boys to Men". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  18. ↑ Specific details on film poster for part one. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.