everything you have heard about this movie is true.

An absolute waste of money

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

"The Fruit Is Swelling" is a weird Category III skin flick with a premise it not only does nothing with, but seems reluctant to acknowledge.It's about a fairly charmless, annoying eight year old girl who makes a wish that she can grow up because she is tired of being fobbed off over things sexual. Eg., her beautiful older sister goes out with boys and won't let the irritating tyke tag along.Anyway, she makes a wish to grow up (by a "sacred tree") and wakes up the next day to find her role played by an older actress.This older actress is pretty, but doesn't have a whole lot of sex appeal, which is weird since this is basically a soft-core porn flick.She isn't alone in this escapade: her best friend, Fatty Girl, also gets an older body, though she probably should have also wished for a skinnier one. This character serves no purpose to the plot; her presence does nothing but make you ask questions such as, "Is that her real name, or a nickname? If it's her real name, how did her parents know she was going to be fat when they named her as a baby? If it's not her real name, isn't it cruel of Peach (the sort-of main character) to keep calling her Fatty Girl?" I guess the most pressing question of all is: what is she doing in this movie, since the movie does nothing with her? The movie really doesn't have a plot. You would think that the story of an 8 year old suddenly becoming 18 would have some obvious comedic and fantastic potential, but the movie doesn't really go for it. Instead, most of the time is spent showing people around Peach, such as her sexy older sister and horny, bald-headed dad, having sex. The sex is typical soft-core fluff and mostly pretty boring.The ending has a swimming pool sex scene stolen straight from "Showgirls". It's the only part of this presumed "sex comedy" that could potentially raise a laugh.

The Fruit is Swelling (1997) was one of the last official category III films to come out of Hong Kong. This strange adult film is about a young girl who wants to become an adult. One night she takes her best friend and they make a wish to the blessing tree. Remember the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for.."? I can't explain the rest of the movie. it's one of those "you have to see it to believe it". A sweet movie that'll entertain and please you all at the same time. Elvis Tsui and Yuen King Tam co-star as the little girl's weird parents. A.K.A. When the Sweet Peach Ripens.What a way for the category III cinema to go out. One of it's best films made it's debut on the tail end of it's production. I guess all of the genre stars will have to adjust to making normal films.Highly recommended.

This has to be the perfect soft porn flick; Not only is there plenty of great sex with hot Asian babes, but it's a great story as well, with plenty of chuckles. And as other reviewers have mentioned, there are heartwarming scenes too, and I really cared about the characters.Chun Chung is absolutely adorable in the lead role, and the little girl version of herself is cute too. Shu Qi is the first thing we see in the movie, and the fact that things manage to go uphill from then on is a testament to just how good 'The Fruit is Swelling 1997' really is.US soft porn films are almost always horrible, with sex the only redeeming factor.But 'Fruit' is so much more! A must see!

I second the views of the previous reviewer - this is a romantic comedy that seems a little warped to most Western viewers (particularly the mixture of sex and childhood innocence), but it has distinct pleasures for anyone interested in the wild world of Hong Kong Category III cinema. Shu Qi makes a brief but welcome appearance at the beginning and the end to introduce the film and conclude it with a moral message, kind of like a public information broadcast, but on a beach in a bikini. For those of you who like to play the nerd's game of spotting scenes stolen wholesale from Hollywood films, I don't think I'm spoiling anything by hinting that the romantic climax of the film is a shot for shot repeat of the legendary (!) swimming pool sequence of Showgirls. Special mention, as ever, must go to Elvis Tsui - I can't remember the last CAt III romp I saw without him showing up. Why's he called Elvis? Because he's the King...