2012's top 10 cinematic sensations (4)

（China Daily）  09:19, January 06, 2013

Lost in Thailand

The film about three men's hilarious journey in Thailand has been a phenomenon. It has raked in 1 billion yuan ($160 million) since its Dec 12 premiere to become the most profitable domestic film ever.

The festive sentiment of the year-end season coupled with the graveness of the two films screened around the same time, Back to 1942 and The Last Supper, contributed to its success. But the more important reason the 30 million yuan film created such a stir is its solid storyline and the acting by three lead actors - Xu Zheng (also the director), Huang Bo and Wang Baoqiang.

The film has no action or special effects. But the three main characters - two urbanites living under pressure and one optimistic pancake maker - are easy for audiences to relate to. The jokes are closely connected to the plot and the characters' personalities.

The film is by no means a great comedy. But it is a rarely seen qualified genre film from China.