Based on top selling manga "Hana Yori Dango", the story centres on an elite high school where all of the students are from rich families, except one named Tsukushi Makino. The school is ruled by the legendary foursome of ultra-privileged boys dubbed "F4" (Flower 4). The group leader Tsukasa eventually falls for Tsukushi and plans to marry her by presenting a family heirloom - a tiara. However, the tiara goes missing and sets them off on a wild adventure around the world to retrieve it.

If you're a big fan of the Domyouji-Makino relationship, this movie will be an exciting experience for you as you watch both of them argue their way from Japan to America and Hong Kong to a deserted island in the South Seas in search for a family tiara called 'The Smiles of Venus' that was stolen from the couple. You'll laugh at the familiar jokes that have been "Boys Over Flowers" trademark - Makino's obsession over food, Domyouji's terrible English (some examples are 'extinguish' rather than 'distinguish', 'fallen leaf' rather than 'weed' and his pig-headedness in using the term 'wet feet') and F4's tendency to answer questions simultaneously.

You will also be all giddy and excited when you see all the F4 members together finally in one of the scenes and started to bully Makino as she wails her eyeballs out for losing money in a high stake gamble.

But here's the deal - that is if you are a fan.

Let's put off the 'fan' cap and see it from the outsiders' perspective - those who came to the cinema and saw a colourful movie poster and thought "Hmm, let's watch this movie". It started off great. The director put lots of effort to make sure that there IS a Domyouji Giant and that these guys are truly wealthy and famous and it is somehow believable. Then these non-F4 fans saw the adorable couple and their constant arguing and thought that Makino getting angry for having the picture of her eating a bowl of noodle posted all over the world as the future wife of the Domyouji family is cute.

But an hour later, it's nothing but another draggy Japanese movie. There are lots of 'thinking time' slotted in each scene, then there's the 'I-don't-know-if-this-is-the-best-thing-for-us' drama and then the film kind of goes on to - borrowing TV critics term - "jump the shark" when Makino accidentally punches a bear. And I don't mean teddy bears. I'm talking about real bears. Real black humongous bear that growl echoes around the island.

This movie is definitely for fans. For those who never heard of it, you might enjoy the first hour. Believe me, you have to cherish the first hour because that is what "Boys Over Flowers" really is. The second part just falls flat and turns into another cliched love story that may excite you, or - if you are just not into happily-ever-afters like me - make you yawn. Easier to say, this movie is not for the cynics, the sarcastics, the high-and-mighties, film snobs who snare at every light-hearted romance and of course, MatsuJun-haters.