Time For A Bike, Iron Man 3 - The Chinese Version

6/5/2013

With spring’s weather firmly on the map, I told Lezil it was time we invested in bikes. My first year in China (up in Inner Mongolia) my bike was like my car –an essential mode of transport for getting out and about in the city. Since moving to Shanghai two years, and a two-wheeled option has been nowhere to be seen.

Lezil at the first bike store which was a no-go.

I jealously looked at all those cyclists zipping past our apartment window and I declared to Lezil that May was the month to finally get our bikes. All around the city there are bike shops. A local friend even suggested we pay a visit to one of a couple of so-called bike markets (translate: stolen bikes for sale). Whilst we could have picked up an incredible deal (according to him, he paid RMB 200 for a bike that really cost near to RMB 1,500) – it just didn’t sit right with me, gaining pleasure out of someone else’s misfortune.

The key was to choose a bike shop not too far from our home. For a few years now, bikes are no longer allowed on the Shanghai metro. So riding them back after the point of purchase had to be taken into consideration. We aimed for Jiangsu Lu area – about three stops from our place by metro where there was a well-stocked bike shop. Having done some research both online and on foot, the prices there were a little above average and the owner wasn’t really open to negotiating so that ended that sale-attempt.

As we weren’t that far from the main shopping mall at Zhongshan Park, I suggested we venture into the huge Carrefour supermarket there. Admittedly, this was not what I had in mind. I romanticised about finding a unique and obscure bike place to pick up a one-of-a-kind model at an unbelievable price. But budget was the leading factor and I had been told that supermarkets arguably offer the best deals (apart from online, of course).

I knew straight where to go to as I had walked past the supermarket’s bike section countless times without a second glance. This time, it had my undivided attention. A dedicated staff member was there to talk you through the various prices and styles.

The bike section at Carrefour, Zhongshan Park.

Selecting my Phillips bike.

I was adamant on having something more classic looking and Lezil wanted one that was more compact and easier to manoeuvre. And to my pleasant surprise we found both. And, I might add, at a killer price.

Our two chosen bikes also happen to be a Phillips make – an originally British-made product which was then taken over by the Raleigh Bicycle Company. Nowadays, the brand has been licensed out to different territories and China now produces its own national line. The famed Phillips badge with the motto “renowned the world over” was proudly stuck to the front bars of both bikes. After taking it for a quick spin inside the supermarket (which was interesting to do!) and securing the seat height and bike locks, we were at the payout counter handing our cash over. Total price for two new bikes including front baskets, bike bells and reinforced locks – RMB 900 (£90).

All I could think about was “freedom at last”. Just to be able to jump on our bikes and go, was a liberating feeling. And we wasted no time. A few hours later and we were pedalling our way through the small French Concession streets in our area to meet some friends outside the Hengshan Cinema. Built some 60 odd years ago, the outside had been lovingly restored to its original classic façade. With three screens, the largest holding 896 seats, the wide foyer was packed with people all keen to watch the new Iron Man 3 release.

The 7:30pm screening was a full house as we slowly filtered through the small entrance into the main Screen 1. This third installment of the Iron Man series had unprecedented advertising in China thanks, in part, to Beijing based film production company’s DMG Entertainment involvement in co-producing the project.

The beautiful exterior of Hengshan Cinema.

Seated ready for Iron Man 3 - Lezil, Christal, Camille and Kristin.

Also, like all foreign films official screened in China, it has to pass the government’s ‘OK’ on a number of items on their cultural checklist, often resulting in altered storylines, scenes cut out all together or not being shown at all (like Django).

Thankfully the Chinese version of Iron Man 3 didn’t have any major omissions but rather a somewhat out-of-place 5 minutes addition which featured a rather bland conversation (all in Mandarin) between Dr Wu (played by Chinese veteran actor Wang Xueqi) and his surgery assistant played by immensely popular actress Fan Bingbing.

There were a also a couple of scenes shot with Iron Man entertaining a bunch of Chinese school kids before jetting his way up to the sky. At the very end of the film, after the credits had finished, all we were given as a simple line on-screen with the words “Tony Stark will be back…”- as opposed to the extra ‘Tony Stark therapy session’ skit shown in the West.

Iron Man 3 has already set a record in China for the biggest opening day takings at RMB 130 million ($21 million). This is a sure sign that China’s box office continues to grow at break neck speed. China is now the second biggest film market (after the US) standing at a whopping $2.7billion annually with a reported 10 cinemas a day being built.