Reception
I Not Stupid earned just S$46,000 during a limited sneak preview run, prompting Raintree Pictures to embark on a massive publicity campaign, including invitations for teachers to discuss the film. After showing for four months on 30 screens the movie earned S$3.8 million; it is Singapore's fourth-highest grossing movie after Money No Enough (1998), Money No Enough 2 (2010) and its sequel I Not Stupid Too (2006). Over 50,000 VCDs of I Not Stupid were sold and its sole distributor, VideoVan, declared it the "No. 1 selling VCD in Singapore". This claim was disputed by Alliance Entertainment, which said that 70,000 VCDs of Money No Enough were sold, but VideoVan called the comparison inaccurate, as Money No Enough was a mature title, rather than a new release.
Following its success in Singapore, I Not Stupid was released in Malaysia (on 28 March), Thailand (in 2004) and Hong Kong (on 20 June) – grossing HK$5 million at the Hong Kong box office. The movie also screened at a number of festivals in 2002, including the Pusan International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Bangkok International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Jakarta International Film Festival. In 2005, I Not Stupid was showcased in London during the "Singapore Season" cultural exhibition. The movie also won several awards, including the Best Chinese Film Award at the Golden Bauhinia Awards and the Best Chinese Humanitarian Film Award at the 2002 Taiwan Golden Torch Awards; it was nominated for Best Asian Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards, losing to My Sassy Girl.
Critics praised the film for its humour and uniqueness, noting that it touched a raw nerve among Singaporeans. For example, Sanjuro of LoveHKFilm.com wrote, "I Not Stupid covers a variety of serious subjects, but all the while maintains a light comedic touch. Jack Neo a clever, well-crafted social commentary and a damn good film to boot." Other reviewers described I Not Stupid as "one of the greatest cinematic feats I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing" and displaying a "simple and yet excellent execution". In contrast, FilmAsia reviewer Soh Yun-Huei, found it "most shocking...that the Singapore censors actually allowed this film through in the first place".
Despite its political satire, the film received a positive response from the government of Singapore. Goh Chok Tong, then Prime Minister of Singapore, commended Jack Neo's creative talent during his National Day Rally address on 18 August 2002. In 2004, Neo was the first local film-maker to receive a National Day Award, and on 21 October 2005, he and Dick Lee became the first pop culture artists to receive the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's highest arts award. The movie sparked public discussion and parliamentary debate about the negative effects of streaming. In 2004, the Ministry of Education decided to merge the EM1 and EM2 streams, and on 29 September 2006, it announced that the EM3 stream will be scrapped by 2008.
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