Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 47% of 15 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 5.7/0. Metacritic rated it 52/100 based on 18 reviews. Derek Elley of Variety described it as "a cheeky and thoroughly engaging riff on Saturday Night Fever that even manages to wear some smart subtext beneath its tight pants". David Noh of Film Journal International called it a ripoff of Saturday Night Fever that is "an Asian equivalent for 'Uncle Tom-ing'". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times rated it 3/4 stars and called it "a funny homage". Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times wrote that the film's affection "amounts to recycling rather than reinvention". Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "a tale that's sweet-natured, funny and surprisingly touching". Thomas also describes the film's use of American music as empowering to Singaporean citizens rather than a form of imperialism. Writing of the film' homage, Steve Daly of Entertainment Weekly rated it C− and wrote, "Despite the America-friendly 'Singlish' dialogue, which requires only occasional subtitles, the conceit doesn't export well." Producer Jason Blum is a fan of the film. References External links 1998 films 1990s dance films 1990s musical comedy-drama films Singaporean comedy-drama films Hokkien-language films Transgender-related films Films set in 1977 Films set in Singapore Films shot in Singapore Films scored by Guy Gross 1998 directorial debut films 1990s English-language films