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Ah Boys to Men

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Ah Boys to Men
Theatrical poster displaying the title and acting credits, and the main cast in militarty uniform except for Wang Weiliang. From left to right: Aizuddiin Nasser, Ridhwan Azman, Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, and Wang.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJack Neo
Written byJack Neo
Link Sng
Produced byLeonard Lai
Starring
Cinematography
  • Ardy Lam
  • Chiu Wai Yin
  • Amandi Wong
Edited byYim Mun Chong
Music byZheng Kai Hua
Matthew Teng
Production
companies
J Team Productions
mm2 Entertainment
Distributed byGolden Village Pictures
Clover Films
Release date
  • 8 November 2012 (2012-11-08)
(Singapore)
Running time
110 minutes[1]
CountrySingapore[2]
Languages
BudgetS$3 million (shared with Ah Boys to Men 2)[3]
Box officeS$6.18 million[4] US$5,088,413[5]

Ah Boys to Men (simplified Chinese: 新兵正传; traditional Chinese: 新兵正傳; pinyin: Xīnbīng Zhèngzhuàn; Wade–Giles: Hsin1 Ping1 Cheng4 Chuan4; lit. 'Recruits' True Biography') is a 2012 Singaporean military comedy film produced and directed by Jack Neo, written by Neo and Link Sng. It stars Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, Wang Weiliang, Ridhwan Azman, Aizuddiin Nasser, Charlie Goh, and Tosh Zhang. The film revolves around a group of army recruits under National Service in Singapore.

Neo had wanted to shoot an army-themed film since his time under military service, but could not find a suitable chance to do so. The Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) approached Neo to create a film with footage from 2010 documentary Every Singaporean Son. Neo decided to develop a new script instead, and received equipment and consultants from MINDEF for filming. Filming took 70 days from July to September 2012. Ah Boys to Men is the first movie to film in Pulau Tekong, the site of the Basic Military Training Centre, and the first Asian film to feature Dolby Atmos surround sound. The film's theme song, "Recruits' Anthem" was written and composed by one of the cast, Tosh Zhang, during filming at Pulau Tekong. The film was released in Singapore on 8 November 2012 and in Malaysia in December 2012. It became the highest-grossing Singaporean film of 2012, and the highest-grossing Singaporean film at record until Ah Boys to Men 2 earned more at the box office in February 2013. Ah Boys to Men received praise from several reviewers for the cast performances and portrayal of National Service, and criticism for its writing.

Plot

[edit]

The film opens with Singapore under a massive invasion by a foreign power, with Singaporean landmarks such as the Merlion and the Esplanade experiencing airstrikes with numerous civilian casualties. It is later revealed that the war is the fictitious setting of a computer game played by Ken Chow, a rich and spoiled teenager who is reluctant to be conscripted into National Service (NS). Ken planned to study abroad with his girlfriend Amy, but is prevented from doing so by his upcoming compulsory military service. After being chided by Amy for his childishness, Ken vents his anger on a nearby rubbish bin and is apprehended by two nearby policemen to Amy's embarrassment and dismay.

After he is driven home by his father, Ken confides to his parents about his fears of NS. His overprotective mother decides to help him think of ways to defer his service, but fails. The Chow family sadly sends off Ken on the day of his recruitment. Thereafter, Ken and some other recruits are assigned to Ninja Company (Platoon 2, Section 2), sent to their bunk and introduced to their Platoon Sergeant. Whilst queueing up for the mandatory haircut, Ken meets some of his fellow recruits—"Lobang", a charismatic ah beng; Aloysius Jin Sia-lan, an extremely educated fellow who intends to become an army officer; and "IP Man", an ah beng afraid of his girlfriend dumping him for being busy in NS. Most of the recruits are shown to make simple and goofy mistakes in their initial training.

After two weeks of training, Ken and the other recruits are allowed to book out[a] for the first time. A lavish party is thrown by his family to celebrate Ken's return, but his mood is ruined when he is shown a photo of Amy with another man. Ken angrily confronts her and demands that they meet, which she does not initially agree to. She later admits that she has fallen for another man and dumps Ken at a highway. Determined to regain her love, Ken devises a plan to escape from Pulau Tekong as he feels that she is merely testing him. Whilst undergoing military exercises in hot weather, Ken stops drinking water to attempt a heat injury, for which he would be sent home for ten days; he also douses himself in cold water and sleeps under a ceiling fan. His condition rapidly deteriorates and he is hospitalised after collapsing during training. Ken's father is alerted of his son's critical condition while in a company meeting. He quickly drives off to the hospital, but the sheer shock and strain causes him to have a stroke while driving and violently collide with another vehicle.

Ken wakes up in a hospital, surrounded by his two sisters. He realises that his foolish actions have caused problems for many people and cannot bear to face his father, who has survived the car crash and is recuperating in another ward in the same hospital. Awakened to reality, Ken is finally fit enough to go back to training. The film ends at this junction, and snippets of the sequel Ah Boys to Men 2 are shown.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]
Refer to caption
(Left to right) Actors Wang Weiliang, Joshua Tan, Ridhwan Azman, Tosh Zhang, and director Jack Neo at a roadshow in Chinatown

Ah Boys to Men was directed by Jack Neo, who also wrote the script with Link Sng.[6][7] Neo, Lim Teck,[8] and Leonard Lai[9] served as producers. Meanwhile, Irene Kng, Neo's wife, served as an executive producer.[2]

Development

[edit]

Ah Boys to Men is Jack Neo's first military-themed film[10] and his "most ambitious project so far" according to himself.[11] Neo had wanted to shoot a military-themed film since his time as a recruit after being influenced by Taiwanese army films, but could not find the right opportunity.[12] The Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) requested Neo to edit footage from 2010 documentary series Every Singaporean Son into a film. Neo decided to not use the footage and write a script instead as using the footage would be difficult.[13] The production received the full support from MINDEF to shoot the film; they were provided access to vehicles, equipment and weapons, and on-site consultants.[13][14] Neo did not receive funding from MINDEF.[12] The film was funded under the Media Development Authority's Production Assistance grant,[15] and by several investors and sponsors such Toast Box, Bee Cheng Hiang, and KPMG.[16] According to Neo, MINDEF did not interfere with editing and writing the film. He cited an example where MINDEF allowed a scene where recruits smuggle bakkwa during basic training.[17]

Research for the film took around two and a half months.[18] The film depicts National Service from the 1970s to the 1990s to commemorate the 45th anniversary of NS and aims to be realist in contrast to Army Daze, according to Neo. The production team decided to create two separate films after the distributors told Neo to keep the films around 100 minutes long, since a longer runtime would have increased expenditure and complicated scheduling.[12] The film had a budget of S$3 million, which was also used for producing the film's sequel Ah Boys to Men 2.[19][20][21]

Casting

[edit]

Casting began in March 2012.[22]: 2:30  The crew employed a talent scout to find potential cast, and an audition notice was uploaded on the production company's official website.[11] JM Artiste Management – a collaboration between mm2 Entertainment and J Teams Productions – managed the cast.[23] Neo initially wanted to include regulars like Shawn Lee and Joshua Ang, but decided otherwise to give the audience a completely new feel.[22] At least 500 auditioned for the lead roles.[13] Neo wanted to cast bloggers for their popularity and getai singers to create a new platform for them.[22]: 3:10–3:45 [24] Several prominent businessmen in Singapore, such as Kenny Yap, executive chairman of Qian Hu Corporation, and Douglas Foo, chairman of Sakae Holdings, were also invited to make cameo appearances as reservists in the opening sequence.[25] The film marked the film debut for most of the lead cast,[14] and increased their popularity to the extent that "[...] getting mobbed by passionate fans has become part of their everyday life."[26]

Filming and effects

[edit]
Refer to caption
Robinson Road (pictured in 2006) was one of the film's practical locations. An estimated S$100,000 was spent filming there.[13]

Filming took seventy days[27] from July to September 2012.[28][29] Filming took place for 35 days in Pulau Tekong, the site of the Basic Military Training Centre.[30] This made Ah Boys to Men the first film to have filmed there.[31][30] Cast members underwent a two-day Basic Military Training familiarisation course to prepare for filming,[32] which "was as tough as what [they] really went through during national service" for Tosh Zhang.[27] The crew also filmed at Sembawang Air Base.[10] Robinson Road was closed to the public on 19 August 2012 to film a major war scene.[30][33] It was the first time the road was closed for filming.[33] Around 10 tonnes of rubble, two Terrex ICV vehicles, and several National Servicemen were brought into 300 metres (980 ft) of the road from Maxwell Road to the McCallum Street intersection.[34] Neo was warned beforehand that destruction of the road incurs fines.[35]

One of the fight scenes, set in a restaurant, which involved ten actors, took a night to finish filming.[36] Aerial shots required the use of Spidercams and cameras strapped onto remote control planes.[11] Unmanned aerial vehicles were also used for filming, which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged in his 2012 National Day Rally.[37] Scenes set in the 1970s were the hardest to film as the details were hard to perfect, according to Neo. Additionally, Neo had to specially get 1970s-era local army helmets due to MINDEF not having any in stock. Army uniforms set in that era could not be found; Neo instead purchased new sets of uniforms and dyed them until they reached the desired colour.[38]

Computer-generated imagery (CGI) was used to create the explosions for the opening scenes, where many landmarks in Singapore were destroyed.[34] The visual effects were done by Vividthree Productions.[2] Neo insisted on using real weapons and pyrotechnics for the shooting of the CGI-war sequences, despite the high cost, to provide the audience "new experience".[39] Several small explosives were also used in filming at Robinson Road.[34] The film features Dolby Atmos surround sound and is the first Asian film to do so.[40][41]

We found it extremely realistic in terms of sound. Because you can literally hear the explosions from every corner of the cinema, so we decided that the technology would be a good fit for the movie.

Music

[edit]

The official theme song of Ah Boys to Men, titled "Recruits' Anthem", was written, composed and performed by YouTube personality and cast member Tosh Zhang. Most of the song was written during filming in Pulau Tekong. Initially rejected by director Jack Neo twice,[42] it was first uploaded on YouTube as an official music video on 30 October 2012.[43] The music video received at least 500,000 views within a month.[44][43]

Release

[edit]

Film distributor Clover Films announced in March 2012 that the film's two parts would be released in late 2012 and 2013 Chinese New Year.[45] A theatrical release of 8 November 2012 was then announced in July.[29] Ah Boys to Men premiered on 6 November 2012[46] at the Golden Village Multiplex.[40] It was first commercially released in Singapore on 8 November 2012 and in Malaysian cinemas on 20 December 2012.[35] The film and its sequel were showcased at the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market from 18 to 21 March 2013.[47][48]

Marketing

[edit]

Pay television rights

[edit]

In December 2012, it was announced at the Asia TV Forum & Market and ScreenSingapore 2012 conference that STAR Chinese Movies had acquired pay television rights to Ah Boys to Men in certain territories in Southeast Asia in a deal with Clover Films, one of the film's distributors and production companies, for an undisclosed price.[49][50][51]

"We can help low-income families... come up with this merchandise... which many youngsters will be interested to buy. So I thought this was a win-win situation"

— Jack Neo on Camou Products, cited in[52]

Merchandise

[edit]

The cast and crew of Ah Boys to Men promoted Camou Products, a variety of army-themed merchandise, all of which are made from old decommissioned army apparel.[52][53] The merchandise, which included bags, mobile phone covers, and wine bags, were produced by around 80 women under a South West Community Development Council social programme.[54] Ah Boys to Men 1, a comic book titled based on the movie, was published by Marshall Cavendish. The artwork was done by James Teo.[55]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

Ah Boys to Men received mixed reviews from several reviewers. Some critics praised the lead cast's natural performances, such as Wang's comic timing,[56][2][57] and the evident camaraderie among the new actors.[58][56] Moreover, Film Business Asia's Derek Elley praised Irene Ang's depiction of a "domineering" mother and Tosh Zhang's performance as a sarcastic sergeant.[2] Meanwhile, the film had amateurish performances and recycled musical numbers, according to Fridae's Hee En Ming in a critical review.[6]

Some reviewers called Ah Boys to Men as a coming-of-age film,[57] a "personal drama",[59] or a "basic rite of passage".[6] Channel NewsAsia's Han Wei Chou complimented that the film distinguishes itself by tackling situations families with members under service may encounter, such as depicting the parents' reactions on training accidents, and recruits dealing with romantic breakups.[57] Several reviewers described the jokes as cliche, and the film's stereotypes such as a mother's boy or a "geng king"[b] as a repetition of Army Daze.[56][60] Hee felt that the film utilises throwaway gags in lieu of character-based humor.[6] Several of the characters felt like stereotypes or two-dimensional for Han;[57] The Straits Times' Boon Chan saw Lobang and Aloysius as some of the few developed characters.[58] Some of the cutaway gags, such as a fart joke preceded by a sequence of families being murdered, were also "difficult to laugh at" for The New Paper's Christopher Toh.[59] The Straits Times's William Choong also said that jokes during the war sequence and the abrupt transition from a soldier covering a grenade to save civilians to a computer game demonstrated the movie's dismissal of the brutality of war.[60] In spite of its accurate depiction of military officers and being entertaining, the flashback scenes featuring National Service in the past decades unnecessarily extended the runtime for Boon Chan.[58] For Choong, the flashbacks that show training sessions and culture among soldiers evoked nostalgia to former servicemen.[60] Politician Maliki Osman lauded the film "for striking a chord in many Singaporeans, and in the process helping to strengthen Singaporeans' commitment to defence."[61]

The film was criticised by several reviewers for its change of tone and crude handling of product placement.[2][56][57] The New Paper's Kwok Kar Peng felt that the "chilling" war sequence anticlimactically shifts to scenes of basic military training.[62] Meanwhile, the film loses its comic momentum at the second half as a melodrama and moral lecture, according to Elley.[2] Through Ken's melodramatic change of attitude, the film appears to resort to a "last-minute incident" similar to Neo's other films, according to Boon Chan.[58] The addition of drama also justified the film's split into two parts for The Straits Times's Dylan Tan.[56]

Ah Boys to Men lacks insights on the readiness of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for battle and can be regarded as "mere entertainment" by its light treatment of war's consequences, according to Choong.[60] Moreover, the shift from the opening sequence, which seems to be an elevation of director Neo's customary satirical comedy and show that Ah Boys to Men was made for an international audience, to Singlish and Hokkien puns and critique on a social issue in Singapore also reflects that the film was made for a local Singaporean and Malay audience.[2] Today's Vanessa Tai felt that some of the jokes, although they may accurately portray military life, were misogynistic and may compromise the image of the SAF. They cited a line that refers to women as "clothing that can be easily discarded" to console a recruit, and a segment where a sergeant teaches recruits how to tear a leaf to form the shape of female genitalia.[63] Gary Chua, also from Today, disagreed with Tai and felt that the film was a "perfect salute" to servicemen.[64] Neo stated in response to criticism that such sexist jokes were common within the Army.[17]

Box office and other media

[edit]

Ah Boys to Men grossed S$6.18 million dollars in Singapore.[7][4] It earned S$234,000 on its opening day[65] and took the number one spot in its opening weekend, earning S$1,509,422 at the box office. It broke the record for the biggest opening weekend for local productions, a record previously held by Neo's earlier film Ah Long Pte Ltd (S$1.484 million) in 2008.[66][67] Ah Boys to Men also became the biggest opening-day box-office result for a local film outside of the Chinese New Year season[65][68] and the first Asian movie to top the Singapore box office since November 2011.[69] It passed the S$5 million mark on 29 November 2012, the second Singaporean film to do so,[70] and at that point became Singapore's second-highest-grossing film, overtaking the previous record holder, Money No Enough 2 (2008), which was also directed by Neo.[71]

On 17 December 2012, Ah Boys to Men became the highest-grossing Singaporean film, having already taken in S$6.03 million, and surpassed previous record holder Money No Enough (1998), another work of Neo.[72] Neo said in response to the milestone: "I've waited 12 years to be able to make a film that can beat Money No Enough. I'm so glad that the day has finally come."[19] Because of that, Neo said that he and the cast would skinny dip.[73] The idea was later scrapped; Neo and the cast would instead take part in various charity-related events.[74] The film earned around RM2 million in Malaysia by April 2013.[75] Online box office revenue tracker Box Office Mojo has listed this film as the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2012 in Singapore.[76] The film's sequel, Ah Boys to Men 2, would eventually become the highest-grossing Singaporean movie in February 2013.[77]

Ah Boys to Men was released in DVD on 25 January 2013. More than 50,000 units of the DVD for the film have been sold.[78] A theatre adaptation of Ah Boys to Men and its sequel played in April 2014 and featured several of the films' cast.[79][80]

Themes

[edit]

The main theme of this film is National Service in Singapore, a popular topic amongst Singaporeans.[81] It is meant to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Singapore's NS in conjunction with MINDEF's campaign that year, From Fathers to Sons.[12][82] Director Jack Neo expressed that the film's themes revolves around camaraderie and the importance of family.[17] Ah Boys to Men displays two contrasting views on NS in a father-son relationship, which may distinguish the film against the From Fathers to Sons campaign.[56] Derek Elley of Film Business Asia claims that the driving factor of this film, NS, is a metaphor for the strict life in Singapore.[2]

Ah Boys to Men presents NS as a rite of passage that teaches the "norms of being a well-adjusted citizen". Themes of independence, masculinity and loyalty are present in the film and Army Daze, another Singaporean movie with a similar premise.[82] The film also emphasises NS as a source of multiethnic unity. The support from MINDEF and the Media Development Authority demonstrates an exercise of "soft governance" that highlights cultural differences framed within a national narrative of harmony.[83] Through the opening sequence, the film poses through Asian values that conscription is necessary to protect and maintain Singapore's developed economy; this interpretation implies that the survival of Singapore relies on the state's paternalistic rule. It also necessitates NS as a sacrifice that masculinises conscripts and constructs nationalism.[84]

While other Jack Neo films subtly critique social issues in Singapore, Ah Boys to Men presents NS and the SAF favourably and can be an example of the Singaporean military sharing a cooperative relationship with civilian institutions.[85] The film reflects Neo's filmmaking approach of critiquing the city-state system as an insider and beneficiary. In Ah Boys to Men, Neo depicts NS positively as an institution while offering social critique. The film also presents a culture of taking advantage of the system through an example of faking illness to avoid training.[86]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Military lingo for recruits being allowed to leave camp for a weekend break
  2. ↑ Colloquial term for slacker

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Ah Boys to Men". Asian Film Archive. Retrieved 18 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Elley, Derek (6 February 2013). "Ah Boys to Men". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  3. ↑ Frater, Patrick (12 November 2012). "Neo's army comedy shoots down Bond". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  4. 1 2 Boon Chan (8 January 2013). "Superhero flicks and Jack Neo movies ruled last year's box office". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 9 January 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "2012 Singapore Yearly Box Office". Box Office Mojo. IMDB. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Hee En Ming (14 November 2012). "Ah Boys to Men". Fridae. Archived from the original on 19 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  7. 1 2 Lee, Benita (6 February 2013). "Jack Neo: A National Service". Time Out. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  8. ↑ Frater, Patrick (6 December 2012). "Boys comes of age with record TV deal". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 10 December 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Jack Neo starts programme to groom film-making talent". AsiaOne. 18 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  10. 1 2 Quek, Sherlyn (9 November 2012). "Time for Action!". Cyber Pioneer. MINDEF. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 Loong, Wai Ting (31 December 2012). "Focus on Singapore's National Service". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Han, Wei Chou (20 July 2012). "Jack Neo takes a gamble on S$3m new film "Ah Boys to Men"". CNA. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
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  14. 1 2 "Jack Neo's new "recruits"". The Straits Times. 7 November 2012 – via ProQuest.
  15. ↑ Noh, Jean (19 March 2013). "Singapore's mm2 to partner with HK's Smart". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  16. ↑ Ng, Gwendolyn (7 November 2012). "Ah Boys To Men... to commercials". My Paper. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  17. 1 2 3 Chan, Haley (31 January 2013). "Neo: Ah Boys Part 2 may break record". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  18. ↑ Teo, Bjorn (October 2012). "Ah Boys to Men" (PDF). Army News. No. 204. MINDEF. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  19. 1 2 "Ah Boys make big bucks". AsiaOne. 21 December 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  20. ↑ Kee Yun, Tan (23 March 2012). "Heartlands to be a war zone?". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
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  22. 1 2 3 Jack Neo wants to blow up Shenton Way. RazorTV. Retrieved 21 November 2012.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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  42. ↑ Kwok, Kar Peng (10 November 2012). "Who is Tosh Zhang?". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
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  49. ↑ Noh, Jean (7 December 2012). "Clover sells Boys To Men to Star Chinese Movies". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Singapore's Clover Films has sold pay-TV rights in multiple Southeast Asian territories to Jack Neo's Ah Boys To Men to STAR Chinese Movies.
  50. ↑ Media Development Authority of Singapore (9 December 2012). "Singapore Media Companies Announce Content Deals at Asia TV Forum & Market | ScreenSingapore 2012". PR Newswire. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  51. ↑ Boon Chan (15 December 2012). "Bigger is better for ScreenSingapore". The Straits Times – via ProQuest.
  52. 1 2 Chong, Melissa (7 February 2013). "New lease of life for old army uniforms in S'pore". CNA. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  53. ↑ "Ah Boys preen in green fashion". The Straits Times. 8 February 2013 – via ProQuest.
  54. ↑ Teo Si Jia (8 February 2013). "WEworkz reworks army camo into bags". The Business Times – via ProQuest.
  55. ↑ "Book-Signing - Ah Boys to Men Part I Comic Book". The Straits Times. 15 February 2013 – via ProQuest.
  56. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tan, Dylan (9 November 2012). "Army boys plod along". The Business Times – via ProQuest.
  57. 1 2 3 4 5 Han, Wei Chou (9 November 2012). "Comedy in camouflage". CNA. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  58. 1 2 3 4 Boon Chan (7 November 2012). "Trials and triumphs of army life: Stereotypes, product placements and melodrama in director Jack Neo's new movie". The Straits Times – via ProQuest.
  59. 1 2 Toh, Christopher (7 November 2012). "Movie Review: Ah Boys To Men (Part 1) (PG13, 113min) Playing to type Rating: 3/5 Stars". Today. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
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  61. ↑ "Local movie strengthens Singaporeans' commitment to defence: Maliki". AsiaOne. 12 March 2013. Archived from the original on 15 March 2013.
  62. ↑ Kwok, Kar Peng (10 November 2012). "Movie review: Ah Boys To Men Part 1". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  63. ↑ Tai, Vanessa (30 November 2012). "Ah Boys to Men is bad for SAF". Today. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  64. ↑ Gary Chua Sheng Yang (3 December 2012). "Jack Neo's Ah Boys to Men a perfect salute". Today. p. 13. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021 – via NewspaperSG.
  65. 1 2 Kwok, Kar Peng (12 November 2012). "Men in green help Jack Neo break record". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  66. ↑ Loh, Genevieve (7 November 2012). "Ah Boys tops box office". Today. p. 34. Retrieved 29 June 2026 – via NewspaperSG.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  67. ↑ Boon, Rachael (12 November 2012). "Ah Boys To Men beats James Bond movie Skyfall". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  68. ↑ Kwok, Kar Peng (10 November 2012). "Men in green help Jack Neo break record". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 5 April 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  69. ↑ Koh, Maureen (20 November 2012). "Army movie rakes in $3m". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  70. ↑ Frater, Patrick (29 November 2012). "Boys beats Singapore BO milestone". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  71. ↑ ""Ah Boys to Men" rakes in S$4.9m in 18 days". CNA. 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  72. ↑ Yip, Wai Yee (18 December 2012). "Ah Boys To Men becomes highest-grossing Singapore film of all time". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  73. ↑ Tay, Mervin (1 February 2013). "We'll go skinny dipping but..." The New Paper. p. 24. Retrieved 2 July 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  74. ↑ "Jack Neo confirms "Ah Boys 3"". Yahoo!. 7 March 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  75. ↑ Boon Chan (10 April 2013). "Cross-border success: Singapore-made films are turning to the malaysian market to increase their revenue". The Straits Times – via ProQuest.
  76. ↑ "2012 Singapore Yearly Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  77. ↑ Yip Wai Yee (21 February 2013). "Ah Boys 2 is No. 1: Sequel breaks its predecessor's box-office record at $6.29 million". The Straits Times – via ProQuest.
  78. ↑ 《新兵正传》 将拍第三集. Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 21 February 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  79. ↑ ""Ah Boys To Men" musical takes to the stage". Cinema Online. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  80. ↑ Ng, Gwendolyn (16 January 2014). "Ah Boys To Men to become musical: Directed by Beatrice Chia-Richmond, it features actors from the movie and new member Benjamin Kheng". The Straits Times – via ProQuest.
  81. ↑ Yip Wai Yee (24 February 2013). "Ah Boys' appeal: Astute casting and the popular national service theme have made Ah Boys To Men a box-office champion". The Straits Times – via ProQuest.
  82. 1 2 Nasir, Kamaludeen Mohamed; Turner, Bryan S. (9 May 2014). "Conscription, the Singaporean core and the question of loyalty". The Future of Singapore (0 ed.). Routledge. p. 54. doi:10.4324/9781315880402. ISBN 978-1-134-74013-0.
  83. ↑ Huang, Chia-Yuan (5 March 2026). "From State Governance to Cultural Negotiation: Multicultural Identity and Media Representation in Singapore". Translocal Chinese: East Asian Perspectives. 19: 181. doi:10.1163/24522015-20252004 – via Brill Publishers.
  84. ↑ Lowe, John (3 July 2021). "The Polemical Rhetoric of Jack Neo's Ah Boys to Men and Repertoires of Filmic Masculinity as Sacrifice in Singapore". Asian Studies Review. 45 (3): 471–488. doi:10.1080/10357823.2020.1789844. ISSN 1035-7823.
  85. ↑ Chong, Alan; Jenne, Nicole, eds. (20 March 2023). "Mind the Gap: The Curious Case of Everyday Civil–Military Relations in Singapore". Asian Military Evolutions: Civil–Military Relations in Asia (1 ed.). Bristol University Press. p. 96. doi:10.2307/jj.1231855.10. ISBN 978-1-5292-2934-9.
  86. ↑ Teo, Stephen (25 November 2016). "Jack Neo, conformity and cultural materialism in Singapore film". In Liew, Kai Khiun; Teo, Stephen (eds.). Singapore Cinema (0 ed.). Routledge. pp. 71–72, 80. doi:10.4324/9781315683874. ISBN 978-1-317-40748-5.
[edit]
External image
image icon Images of the cast in Ah Boys to Men
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