Hailed as a watershed moment for Asian American representation in Hollywood, the new romantic comedy ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ has been given a more muted reception in Singapore, the setting of the colourful tale of glamour and excess.

As the first Hollywood movie to feature an all-East Asian cast in 25 years, it has been widely touted as a progressive win for Asian Americans who have long been shortchanged on US screen time.

The film has an impressive 92 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics praise it for having “a terrific cast and a surfeit of visual razzle dazzle.” Jon Chu, the director, has described his creation as “more than just a movie, it’s a movement.” But in Singapore, where the movie will premiere on Wednesday, locals are watching the glowing reviews unfold with bemusement and a more critical eye of how their tiny Southeast Asian city-state is being portrayed to the world.