A New Year full of laughs

Furthermore, it is an unfortunate fact that domestic films so far cannot compete with Hollywood works in terms of visual effects and grandness of scenes. The most probable approach to find their comparative advantage is to tell local stories that relate to ordinary audiences, in which Lost in Thailand has done a good job.

In addition, the success of Lost in Thailand suggests that to cater to an overseas market is not the only approach to win at box office.

A myth in the Chinese film industry for years is that only blockbusters with the universal language of action and internationally acclaimed stars can win over a wide audience, including those overseas, and to break even with their big budget.

Lost in Thailand, however, has shown that a local, contemporary story can create big proceeds at box office, too.

The film's box office performance has demonstrated that the local market has more potential than many assume.

The film is far from being perfect. Neither is it a great comedy. But it is a qualified and solid genre film, compared to many other Chinese films, and therefore, it definitely deserves popular and critical acknowledgements.

Contact the writer at liuw@chinadaily.com.cn