I Not Stupid 3 Needs More Depth And A Reality Check

As a student, I watched I Not Stupid and I Not Stupid Too with my mother and appreciated the films for its message to parents to not stress us too much over our academic results, as well as to embrace us for our other talents or skills instead.

So you can imagine how I headed to the movies in anticipation of I Not Stupid 3 for two reasons: firstly, it has been over 20 years since the first film in the franchise, which I watched repeatedly as a student; secondly, I’m now a mother of two, with my eldest entering Primary 1 next year. 

I couldn’t help but wonder, would the movie reveal to me the future of my parenting as my son embarks on his formal academic education?

Those who didn’t catch the earlier I Not Stupid franchise films will probably miss the various Easter eggs in this instalment. The movie opens with an argument between two men, a reference to the first movie’s scene between Jack Neo and Richard Low when they fought over a parking lot outside their children’s primary school. Child actress Cheryl Chan, who played the rebellious teenager in the first movie, takes on the role of a parent this time. Fans will enjoy spotting these references, just as I did.

Unfortunately, while the predecessor films did a great job of reflecting the education system of its times and sparked some actual change (six years after I Not Stupid, the Ministry of Education decided to scrap the EM3 stream), the same cannot be said of I Not Stupid 3.

What I find lacking in I Not Stupid 3

1. Limited discussion on Artificial Intelligence and its impact on schools

Parents wondering how ChatGPT is being used in schools today will appreciate the movie's nod to the technology, as the Primary 6 students use AI to write their essays for them and get reprimanded over it. But that's where it ends, with no discussion on how AI could better be used to aid and improve one's learning.

I would have enjoyed it better if the film showed scenes of how teachers are using AI to teach today, and how the students are being taught how to prompt AI correctly to learn and improve their work faster.

2. Still stuck in an outdated education system

Class rankings are also less of an issue today, now that the scoring system has been changed to an Achievement Level (AL) system, which focuses on a child’s personal achievements instead of comparing them to their peers on a bell curve. None of these new educational changes were reflected in the film, which makes it feel like it was simply rehashing old ideas, or perhaps trying to create a movie for the wider Asia market instead of producing one that accurately depicts the current state of Singapore’s education system.

I was a fan of I Not Stupid because it sparked actual conversations and changes when it came to the EM3 stream and its impact on the students. That’s the power of a good Jack Neo movie, but this time, I fail to see if any policy changes will come off I Not Stupid 3.

I was disappointed that the film chose not to explore the effect of mobile games and social media addiction among this generation of students who are getting access to the Internet at an earlier age, before their brains are fully developed to deal with the consequences. Aside from an early scene about Zi Hao and his friends spending money to buy equipment in their computer games, there was no further talk of how much money they lost, and how they (or their parents) struck a balance between gaming and their studies.

3. Skimming the surface of intergenerational trauma

As my husband and I try to unpack intergenerational parenting trauma within our respective childhoods to understand our subconscious parenting responses, I appreciated how Jack Neo tried to touch on this topic within the film. 

We see Jayden being traumatised by his mother’s constant beatings and verbal abuse each time he brings home grades that fail to meet her expectations. However, Sophia later reveals in the car that she sees nothing wrong in the way she treats Jayden, because that too was how she was raised and went on to score her prestigious Master’s Degree.

However, that’s where the discussion ends, which was a huge waste. I would have liked it better if the film showed Sophia seeing a therapist who unpacks this for her while Jayden is in a coma, so that it fits better into her redemption arc rather than the usual my-child-got-into-an-accident-because-of-me-I-am-so-sorry-please-wake-up-I-promise-I-will-treat-you-better-from-now spiel.

What a pity.

Highlight of the film: when friendships save the day

One of the film’s not-so-subtle messages was in demonstrating how class rankings can affect friendships, especially if one’s parents continue to compare their kids with their peers.

Jayden consistently ranks top among his classmates and in school, but at what cost? His lawyer father gets junior lawyers in his firm to write essays for Jayden to memorise (talk about an abuse of power in the office), which eventually costs Jayden his ability to spontaneously create and write for himself.

His classmate, Zi Hao, struggled with school in the beginning, but has since caught up significantly especially after his mother Wen Ting arrives from Shanghai to monitor and coach her child in his studies. But this makes him the latest threat in the eyes of Jayden’s mother, Sophia, who then tries to drive a wedge between her son and Zi Hao after the latter’s grades start climbing up, and he ranks almost on par with Jayden. 

Their clique falls apart as Jayden distances himself, now that Zi Hao has become his “arch rival”. He then goes on to sabotage Zi Hao after being told by his mum to beat Zi Hao at all costs. Not only does Zi Hao forgive him after learning the truth, but he even sacrifices his own class ranking in the next test so that Jayden could rank higher, and avoid being beaten by his overbearing mother again.

The look on Wen Ting’s face as she realises her son’s maturity and selflessness was incredible.

It was a good reminder for us parents to not compare our child’s performance with anyone else, and to always emphasise that each of us are unique with different strengths and talents.

Once my son starts bringing back test results and graded assignments next year, I hope I'll be able to keep this in mind.

Worth watching at least once

Like every classic Jack Neo film, you can expect to laugh, cry and smile as you relate to the various characters, or even recognise some of their traits in yourself.

Criticism aside, I personally found I Not Stupid 3 to be funny, predictable and touching – all at the same time. I laughed at the jokes, whispered plot guesses in my husband’s ear, and cried numerous times throughout the movie.

If you haven’t caught it yet, I would recommend watching it at least once.

However, it isn’t a film that I would rewatch. 

I Not Stupid 3 is now showing in Singapore cinemas.

Dawn Cher is a mother of two and the founder of financial blog SG Budget Babe. She is wondering how much she needs to spend on tuition for her children in the future as they embark on their formal academic education.