The latest instalment promises more laughs and relatable moments for modern Singaporeans.
Not content with distilling the Singaporean experience into two-hour comedies and sending ah girls to the army, Jack Neo is returning to his roots with yet another I Not Stupid film.
This will be the third entry in the education-themed franchise, for those who didn’t grow up in the 2000s. Whether you love or hate local cinema, there’s no denying that the first two films struck a chord with Singaporeans back then. They raked in huge box-office returns and had schoolkids swooning over lead actors Joshua Ang and Shawn Lee.
I Not Stupid 3 is still in the casting stages, so it’ll probably be a while before it graces the big screens. But based on the franchise’s previous formula, we can make some educated guesses about what’s in store for this new instalment. Here are a few possible plotlines we envision:
– The school becomes embroiled in a scandal when a teacher is caught for her OnlyFans side hustle (because, well, teachers don’t get paid enough).
– Meanwhile, the students are all caught up in filming TikTok challenges. One student’s parent (naturally played by Mark Lee) becomes a TikTok sensation in the style of Uncle Raymond, hoping to win back his estranged daughter’s affection.
– A “YP in the making” gets busted for selling vapes to his classmates. His high-powered parents can’t believe their little angel would do something like that. Cue the tears and promises to be better parents.
– A token issue like LGBTQ+, racism, or ableism is briefly mentioned but never really explored in depth.
– Students attempt to cheat their way through assignments by using ChatGPT.
– An unnecessary cameo from Tosh Zhang.
– A working-class parent scrimps and saves to send their child to a prestigious tuition centre, only for the rebellious kid to skip class. Cue dramatic arguments and guilt-tripping monologues about the sacrifices parents make.
– The film ends with the students learning the invaluable lesson of filial piety, even if their parents are overbearing and kind of terrible.
We’ll have to wait and see if these imagined scenarios make the cut, but one thing’s for sure – I Not Stupid 3 will likely bring a whole new set of laughs and cringe-worthy moments that every Singaporean can relate to.
