The Singaporean film industry was not well-established, and Goei had to rely on friends, such as actress Tan Kheng Hua, who served as casting director.
China on Screen authors Chris Berry and Mary Ann Farquhar attribute this to its mix of Eastern and Western values, symbolized by the use of both Bruce Lee and John Travolta as Ah Hock's heroes.
[7] Derek Elley of Variety described it as "a cheeky and thoroughly engaging riff on Saturday Night Fever that even manages to wear some smart subtext beneath its tight pants".
[8] David Noh of Film Journal International called it a ripoff of Saturday Night Fever that is "an Asian equivalent for 'Uncle Tom-ing'".
[12] Writing of the film' homage, Steve Daly of Entertainment Weekly rated it C− and wrote, "Despite the America-friendly 'Singlish' dialogue, which requires only occasional subtitles, the conceit doesn't export well.