Story of Chefs, Food Wars? Haha, I just love this. This movie has aspects of comedy, cooking and adventure. Actors did a tremendous job. The camera visuals, sound effects and cooking recipes were just amazing. Please don't watch this movie with empty stomach. This is one of those movies that has satisfying ending.

COOK UP A STORM is a typical lighthearted comedy from China about a couple of rival chefs and their battles in a cook-off contest. A lot of the goodwill arising from it comes from the presence of the likeable Nicholas Tse in the lead role, and the way his volatile relationship with his father (played by a more-than-welcome Anthony Wong) pans out is probably the most interesting part of it. The battle-of-skills style comedy is quite predictable, although there's a lot of admittedly well-shot 'food porn' on display so foodies will enjoy it.

It was my fondness of the Asian cinema that made me pick up "Cook Up a Storm" (aka "Jue zhan shi shen") the moment I found it, and I had never heard about the movie prior to finding it. I had no idea what it was about, aside from something revolving around a food theme, based on the movie's cover. And I didn't even know who was in the movie.

So it was actually a nice surprise to see that Anthony Chau-Sang Wong and Nicholas Tse were in this movie. But that was essentially the extend of anything even remotely good about the movie.

The storyline in was so weak and almost non-existing that it was excruciatingly boring to sit through the movie. Granted, I gave up about after about around 45 minutes of watching the movie. I just couldn't take anymore of it of the sheer and utter boredom that was trotting on in a very monotone pace on the screen.

This movie is about pretentious chefs and their lust to prepare equally pretentious dishes that no one cares about. It made for the most pointless and inadequate of story lines that I have seen in a long, long time in an Asian movie. And the characters in the movie don't have an ounce of likability about them, so you don't really care about their struggles, victories and personal hardships.

What is the appeal about watching two pretentious chefs preparing dishes that no one cares about on the screen? And even more so, why did it have to be made into a movie? Wouldn't it be sufficient to just turn on the TV and watch any of the numerous cooking TV shows that mar the prime time?

"Cook Up a Storm" is not a movie that I will return to finish at any time in the future, because it offered nothing of any worth, value or entertainment.

I found no enjoyment in the storyline concocted by writers Jingling Li, Yi Liu, Manfred Wong and presented by director Wai Man Yip. Not every single Asian movie is going to be a fantastic movie, and "Cook Up a Storm" proves that sometimes Asian cinema throws a wide swing and an even bigger miss.