By Kam Williams

Although Nick (Henry Golding) and Rachel (Constance Wu) have been dating for a few years, they don’t know much about each other’s background. They both live in New York City, and Nick has never mentioned that he’s from one the wealthiest families in Singapore, and she’s never talked about how she was raised by an immigrant (Kheng Hua Tan) from China who was a single mom.

The difference in social status has not affected their relationship, because Nick is unassuming, and Rachel was able to take advantage of a great education and become an economics professor at NYU. In fact, Nick is seriously considering marrying her and he’s even picked out a diamond ring.

However, before he proposes, he wants to take Rachel to meet his family, especially his domineering mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). The perfect opportunity arises when Nick is invited to Singapore for the wedding of his best friend, Colin (Chris Pang).

Rachel agrees to go, and upon arriving she soon learns that her beau is one of the island’s most eligible bachelors. However, not only does she find herself unfairly accused of being a gold digger, but she’s warned “You will never be enough!” by his disapproving mother.

Will class differences doom this fairy tale romance? Or will Rachel win over Nick’s relatives and friends during her brief stay? That is the question asked in Crazy Rich Asians, a delightful dramatic comedy directed by Jon M. Chu (Now You See Me 2).

Based on Kevin Kwan’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, the film features a colorful cast of characters played by a talented ensemble of Asian actors. In addition to the love story, the picture features enough comic relief and intriguing subplots to entertain you from beginning to end. Don’t let the title fool you, the movie is a sure-fire hit with universal appeal.

Excellent (****). Rated PG-13 for profanity and suggestive content. In English and Mandarin with subtitles. Running time: 121 minutes. Production Studios: Warner Brothers Pictures/Ivanhoe Pictures/Starlight Culture Entertainment/SK Global Entertainment/Electric Somewhere/Color Force. Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures.