Chiseen
(aka MTV Whatever Things)
2003; directed by Daniel Wu

So you're a young successful actor in Hong Kong, living a dream by working with people like Jackie Chan, making a lot of money, and dating models. What do you do with your spare time? Apparently, if you're Daniel Wu, you call up your buddies, grab a video camera, and basically beat the shit out of each other for the amusement of others.

Chiseen (Cantonese for "crazy") owes more than a little debt to Jackass, with Daniel Wu filling in the role of Johnny Knoxville while filming his friends -- which include Stephen Fung, Sam Lee, Anya, Josie Ho, and his ex-girlfriend Maggie Q -- doing hijinks on the streets of Hong Kong.

For the most part, Chiseen doesn't go so far over the top as Jackass, except for a notable part where Danny pukes up over a bar after eating canned worms. And actually, that somewhat kid-gloves approach works for the series. There's a thankful lack (for the most part) of the masochism present in Jackass, and that makes the proceedings more inviting to watch.

Chiseen does have a bunch of dumb antics. It's certainly not the kind of production you're going to watch to expand your horizons. But it does have an ultimately very cheeky sense of humor, which proves to be more than a bit infectious -- especially when you're watching a good number of Hong Kong's young A-listers making asses of themselves for your enjoyment.

RATING: 7