A scene from "Boy Jia Li" [mtime.com]

China's highly productive film industry has long neglected or failed the needs and likes of its younger audiences over the last decade – but this summer signals a change in thinking with several movies aimed at children and teenagers due to be released.

"Searching for Jackie Chan", directed by Fang Gangliang, will premiere early next month and is about the dreams of an adolescent boy who is struggling for his identity amid the confusing adult modern world to which he is fast approaching.

Young actor, 17-year-old Zhang Yishan – made famous for his role in the popular TV drama Kids – plays the lead role. His character is obsessed with kung fu and he decides to go to Beijing with hopes of studying with his idol, the Hollywood star, Jackie Chan.

Once there, he suffers his share of teenage angst as the realities of real life bombard his dream world as he struggles to meet his idol and master his beloved martial art. He learns from his hero that he must master the Chinese language first before he can master kung fu.

Jackie Chan plays himself in the action-packed, humorous morality tale that examines the trial and error of changing from irresponsible, dreamy teenager to responsible young adult.

The action - packed family film has been made with a big budget and is expected to be a box office hit given its appeal and target audience of young teenagers watching the film with their parents.

It signals a desire by directors to re-examine the family film genre in the modern era and undertake projects that will seek to mirror the multi-million Hollywood blockbusters such as Harry Potter.

"If you have kids between, let's say, four and 12 years of age, you have a whole list of movies for them during the school holidays. But they are made in Hollywood, like Happy Feet or Night at Museum, and the Harry Potter series," said Fang.

"Made-in-China children movies occupy a small share of the domestic marketplace," he added.

Directors hoping to break the Hollywood monopoly and cash in on this profit-rich genre are quickly realizing that the Chinese digital generation will no longer be succumbed by old-fashioned, wholesome story lines and cuddly role models.

"The world is more sophisticated today and kids are demanding films that express who they are and what they want," says Ouyang Yibing, the famous writer of China Children's Art Theater.

"You have to keep pushing the line toward more sophisticated humor and storytelling."

“The biggest mistake is talking down to the audience. You can't do that anymore. And we want parents to sit down with their kids and enjoy the films, too," he warns.

Recently released "Boy Jia Li", which stars Taiwan pop idle Ethan Ruan as one of the teachers, is old story revisited, examining personality conflicts among teenagers and how groups and individuals overcome their differences as they move into young adulthood.

Based on a film of the same name and made in the 1980s, scriptwriters Wang Fan and Lu Ting have sought to modernize the film by introducing 21st century teenage topics such as basketball and classroom romance.

"Searching for Jackie Chan" will be on show on July 4.

(Global Times June 17, 2009)