Raised in a secret factory scheme that pumps captive children full of additives that boost their intelligence, Si Zhe (Harashima Daichi) is the public face of children’s food company Super Baby. While the firm has reared Si Zhe to get an IQ of 180, the boy has never experienced love or unhappiness - and he wants to learn more in the outside world. When the chance comes, Si Zhe escapes the company’s clutches, meets schoolgirl Xin Tong (Cho Jeongeun), and moves in with her and her dad. While Si Zhe’s freedom could be short-lived - Super Baby wants their star child back and has sent men to find him - and adjusting to society is no mean feat for a kid hooked on an artificial diet, the boy finds himself bringing change to a dysfunctional family unit.
Taking an uncommon stab at local live-action children’s filmmaking, director Cha Chuen-yee keeps Superkid suitably cartoonish to entertain the kids but throws in meatier material for the adults in the audience too. Overblown characters, comic sound effects and bright colours should appeal to youngsters as Si Zhe’s adventure plays out, and a theme song gets a run too. Xin Tong’s home life meanwhile includes her dad vying for a One-Parent Happy Family contest without knowing his daughter’s true feelings, and the Super Baby company’s practices play on GM-food fears and dietary supplements marketed as brain boosters. Harashima Daichi (Lost In Time) and Korean child star Cho Jeongeun play up their lead roles with fun support from Lam Ka-tung as Xin Tong’s dad and Crystal Tin going overboard as Super Baby’s evil boss Chloe.