Fridae

This wish-fulfillment fantasy-comedy starts off well, telling the story of a fat and unattractive restaurant owner (Muga Tsukaji) looking for love. He fancies the new waitress he's hired, but she - like every other woman before her - rejects him.

Out shopping one day, he finds a magical suit that transforms him into a slim and handsome man. Immediately, he has women trailing him everywhere, offering sex and marriage.

But Muga soon feels that he wants to be liked for who he really is�

Despite a likeable turn by the lead actor, this Japanese comedy is too long (two hours) for its own good, and loses much of its initial charm when it starts to get preachy and politically-correct in the second half. Director Tsutomu Hanabusa employs many of the kawaii devices that define slapstick Japanese comedies, but they feel shopworn and stale.

Skip this.