I Not Stupid 3

I Not Stupid 3
Theatrical release poster
Chinese	小孩不笨 3
Literal meaning	"Children Are Not Stupid 3"
Hanyu Pinyin	Xiǎo hái bù bèn 3
Directed by	Jack Neo
Screenplay by	Jack Neo Liu Linyi Liu Qi
Starring	Zhou Yuchen Camans Kong Hu Jing Jae Liew Goh Wee-Ann Joseph Ng Zhiyang Collin Chee Cheryl Desiree Chan Xixi Lim Ben Logan Sng Glenn Yong Terence Cao Selena Tan Patricia Mok Anna Lin Ruping Xiong Lingyi Lee Kin Mun Chew Chong Tak
Music by	Alex Oh Ryan Yu
Production companies	mm2 Entertainment J Team Productions
Distributed by	mm2 Entertainment United International Pictures
Release date	6 June 2024 (2024-06-06)
Country	Singapore
Languages	Mandarin English Hokkien

I Not Stupid 3 (Chinese: 小孩不笨3) is a 2024 Singaporean comedy film written and directed by Jack Neo, featuring child actors Zhou Yuchen, Camans Kong, Goh Wee-Ann and Joseph Ng Zhiyang. The film also stars Hu Jing, Jae Liew, Collin Chee, Cheryl Desiree Chan, Xixi Lim, Ben Logan Sng, Glenn Yong, Terence Cao, Selena Tan, Patricia Mok, Anna Lin Ruping, Xiong Lingyi, Lee Kin Mun and Chew Chong Tak. It is the standalone sequel to I Not Stupid (2002) and I Not Stupid Too (2006).

Plot

Wang Zi Hao (Zhou Yuchen), a Primary 6 expatriate student from Shanghai, China, struggles academically at Yuzher Primary School in Singapore. He performs poorly in English, Mathematics, Chinese, and Science, spending excessive time playing video games at home. His strict mother, Wen Ting (Hu Jing), forces him to study through intense memorisation exercises and endless tuition classes at Xin Yuan Fei Edu Hub (新源飞教育一站式), a renowned tuition centre. Zi Hao excels in Chinese and Mathematics, so he does not require tuition for these subjects.

As his grades improve, he rivals the school’s top student and his good friend, Jayden Lee Jun Wei (Camans Kong). Jayden’s controlling mother, Sophia Chew (Jae Liew), notices this and warns Jayden to stay away from Zi Hao, straining their friendship. Sophia, obsessed with Jayden maintaining his position as Class 6A’s top student, pressures him into seeing Zi Hao as a competitor rather than a friend.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lee (Glenn Yong), a newly appointed form teacher and Mathematics teacher, impresses Class 6A by solving a complex algebra equation. His intelligence and good looks quickly earn him the students' admiration.

At the same time, Wen Ting struggles with her failing marriage. Her husband in China refuses to financially support them, leading to eviction from their semi-detached home to a HDB flat. While moving, Wen Ting receives a text message from her husband requesting a divorce, devastating both her and Zi Hao.

Wen Ting signs Zi Hao up for an English speech competition, where he competes against Jayden and other classmates. Jayden, tasked with speaking on the topic “My Mother”, struggles emotionally due to his strained relationship with Sophia, and places last. Zi Hao, also assigned the same topic, places fifth. Enraged, Sophia manipulates Jayden into planting cheat notes in Zi Hao’s pencil case.

During the Science Preliminary Examination, Zi Hao is caught with the cheat notes by Mr. Lim (Terence Cao). He is interrogated by Mr. Lee and Mr. Lim, but since the handwriting differs from his own, it is revealed that Rachel, another student, wrote the notes to help Jayden. Under interrogation, Jayden breaks down and confesses that his mother canes and verbally abuses him for losing to Zi Hao in academics. Zi Hao overhears this and, feeling sympathy for Jayden, deliberately lowers his own scores in the Mathematics Preliminary Examination by crossing out correct answers.

Sophia is later summoned to a meeting with Mr. Lee regarding her mistreatment of Jayden. Feeling humiliated and defensive, she files a formal complaint against Mr. Lee, wrongly accusing him of interfering in her marital affairs with Kelvin Lee (Collin Chee). The school principal, Mrs. Tan (Selena Tan), attempts to resolve the issue, but after a heated argument, Mr. Lee resigns. His departure deeply saddens Class 6A, and they bid him farewell in tears.

The following day, Sophia and Wen Ting argue about Zi Hao intentionally losing marks. Furious, Sophia attempts to report Wen Ting to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to have her deported back to China. However, Jayden steps in to stop her, confronting his mother and saying he no longer wants a mother like her. Enraged, Sophia slaps Jayden, who then runs into the street, resulting in a tragic car accident that leaves him in a coma.

Following the accident, Sophia is consumed with guilt and sincerely apologises to Wen Ting. Meanwhile, Zi Hao and his classmates complete the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and move on to different secondary schools.

The film ends with Jayden waking up from his coma, choosing to enrol in a neighbourhood secondary school rather than a prestigious institution. His decision reflects the realisation that, regardless of school ranking, the key to success is simply studying hard and doing one’s best.

Cast

• Zhou Yuchen as Wang Zi Hao
• Camans Kong as Jayden Lee Jun Wei
• Hu Jing as Wen Ting, Wang Zi Hao's Mother
• Jae Liew as Sophia Chew, Jayden Lee's Mother
• Goh Wee-Ann as Chen Jia Yao
• Joseph Ng Zhiyang as Andy Lim
• Collin Chee as Kelvin Lee, Jayden Lee's Father
• Cheryl Desiree Chan as Ada, Chen Jia Yao's Mother
• Xixi Lim as Andy Lim's Mother
• Ben Logan Sng as Andy Lim's Father, the CEO of all the handmade fishball noodles stalls in Singapore and also in neighbouring foreign country being Malaysia.
• Glenn Yong as Mr. Lee, Class 6A's Form Teacher and Mathematics Teacher of Yuzher Primary School (宇哲小学).
• Terence Cao as Mr. Lim, Class 6A's Science Teacher of Yuzher Primary School (宇哲小学).
• Selena Tan as Mrs. Tan, the School Principal of the Yuzher Primary School (宇哲小学), similar to her role from I Not Stupid Too as the School Principal of Tom Yeo (Shawn Lee) and Lim Chengcai's (Joshua Ang)'s Secondary School, and both of them are not part of this film either. Tan previously portrayed the role as the mother of Terry Khoo (portrayed by Huang Po Ju, who isn't part of the prequel and this film) from the first installment, in which she spoke a majority of English dialogue during the first film, and spoke inarticulate Mandarin Chinese, as seen in the second film that she was attempting to speak fluent Chinese while mixing some with English. She is also the only cast member who has appeared in all 3 installments of the franchise thus far.
• Patricia Mok as Madam. Mok, the Discipline Mistress of Yuzher Primary School (宇哲小学), similar to her role as Miss. Tan from I Not Stupid, the Discipline Mistress of Terry Khoo (Huang Po Ju), Liu Kok Pin (Shawn Lee) and Ang Boon Hock's (Joshua Ang's) Primary School.
• Anna Lin Ruping as Madam. Ye, Class 6A's English Teacher of Yuzher Primary School (宇哲小学), not to be confused with her role as Mrs. Alicia Tan, the School Principal from another Secondary School from I Not Stupid Too.
• Xiong Lingyi as Xiao Hui, a Chinese mother and Wen Ting's best friend from Shanghai, China.
• Lee Kin Mun, better known as mrbrown, as the Director, CEO and School Principal of Xin Yuan Fei Edu Hub, one of the popular and well-known Tuition Centres in Singapore.
• Chew Chong Tak as Class 6A's Chinese Teacher of Yuzher Primary School (宇哲小学).
• Foo Chay Yeow as Jayden Lee's Tuition Teacher for English, Mathematics, Chinese and Science, and was hired by Sophia Chew.
• Yati Asmiyati Asbah as Maria, the maid working at home for Jayden Lee, Sophia Chew and Kelvin Lee, similar to her role as Yati, the maid for the Yeo family consisting of Jerry Yeo (Ashley Leong), Tom Yeo (Shawn Lee), Karen Yeo (Xiang Yun) and Steven Yeo (Jack Neo) from I Not Stupid Too Movie and I Not Stupid Too TV Series, where Lee Jiaxun 李佳勳 portrayed Jerry Yeo in the latter TV Series after replacing Ashley Leong in the role.
• Richard Low as Jerry Khoo Bee Guan reprising his role from I Not Stupid. (cameo)
• Jack Neo as Mr. Liu reprising his role from I Not Stupid. (cameo)

Production

Lensing ceremony was held on 13 June 2023.

In an interview, director Jack Neo said that the education system in Singapore has gone through numerous changes since the release of I Not Stupid in 2002 and I Not Stupid Too in 2006, and the film will explore the consequences when certain things remain unchanged.

90% of the filming took place onsite at a local school, with filming taking around 10 hours per day and with no night shots. The film centres around the four child actors Zhou Yuchen (age 11 as of July 2023), Goh Wee-Ann (age 12 as of July 2023), Camans Kong (age 12 as of July 2023) and Joseph Ng Zhiyang (age 11 as of July 2023). More than 2,000 people reportedly participated in the auditions for the film. Among the 4 main cast members, the film marked the acting debut of Joseph Ng Zhiyang.

Filming began from late June and lasted until early August 2023. The screenplay was partially written by two Chinese scriptwriters who are based in Singapore. On the cast members, Hu Jing is a Chinese actress from Chuxiong, Yunnan, China and child actor Zhou Yuchen is also from Shanghai, China. Child actor Camans Kong is from Malaysia while newbie child actor Joseph Ng Zhiyang is from Singapore and previously resided in China for a couple of years. Child actress Goh Wee-Ann is active in the local television scene and has won the Star Awards for Young Talent twice.

Release and reception

Neo revealed that the film was released on 6 June 2024 during the school holidays in Singapore. It was also released in Malaysia on 13 June 2024, in China on 16 August 2024 and in Taiwan on 20 September 2024.

Critical reception

Tay Yek Keak of 8days gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, opining that the film, "despite good performances from both sets of mothers and sons, is long, long-winded and, like a dreaded year-end exam, it gets stuck kinda in the same old loop", and that the long-windedness of the film feels "like an exam checklist and sends [the storyline] to an average, unremarkable graduation."