On March 9, QQ reported updates about the film The Legend of the Women’s Football Team , directed by Stephen Chow, with a cast including Zhang Yixing, Zhang Tiantian, and Ditch Lei Riba… The choice of actor Ditch Lei Riba as the leading role has sparked considerable debate among audiences.
According to QQ , Ditch Lei Riba is known for her beauty and charm in the Chinese entertainment industry. However, her acting skills are often criticized by viewers, frequently leading to mixed reviews. The strong point of Ditch Lei Riba is her fame, as she attracts millions of fans who always support her in every artistic endeavor.
However, Ditch Lei Riba has yet to achieve any significant accomplishments in the film industry. Thus, being cast in The Legend of the Women’s Football Team presents both opportunities and challenges for her.
On the other hand, audiences feel that Stephen Chow’s era of brilliance has passed. However, this selection was made before Chow announced an international casting call for the project. This project has been in development for two years, and fans believe Chow is choosing a fresh face to rejuvenate the storyline. In the end, he decided to cast Ditch Lei Riba.
This has led many viewers to feel that Stephen Chow is performing poorly in selecting the talent for his projects. Meanwhile, some people claim that Stephen Chow’s time has run out, and his reputation has dwindled as projects like The New King of Comedy and The King of Comedy have both failed. This is why Stephen Chow is forced to select lesser-known actors instead of using established stars who can draw in audiences.
According to QQ , among the main cast, only Zhang Tiantian is rated positively in terms of acting ability. She previously won the Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards with her performance in Hello, My Love . The leading actor, Zhang Yixing, along with Ditch Lei Riba, Chen Qiuran, and Lin Yunan are among the stars causing controversy.
Another reason Stephen Chow has faced criticism is due to a lack of creativity in his projects. Previously, the film The Legend of the Women’s Football Team (2001) won nine major awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Stephen Chow. Currently, Chow has not released any new works, instead opting for a female version of The Legend of the Women’s Football Team , intending to capitalize on the fame of his well-known franchises.
However, The New King of Comedy , based on The King of Comedy (1999), has failed, and the project The Great Escape has also been criticized as a poor-quality film, a cheap imitation that cannot compare with the original The Great Escape (1995). This demonstrates that Chow’s classic comedy films have not been successful.
Stephen Chow and the production company have attempted to incorporate humor and witty dialogue into the films. However, the slapstick humor that Chow is known for is no longer appreciated, and not every viewer can fully understand and appreciate it. Thus, many of the “new comedies” from the King of Hong Kong have failed.
