Sociable Movie Guy
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A Classic Action Film that Looks Stunning but Feels Bland Indonesian cinema has been loaded with plenty of action films since The Raid burst into theaters back in 2011. Now comes Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza (both are very well known for their previous films such as ‘Petualangan Sherina’, the phenomenal ‘Ada Apa Dengan Cinta’, ‘Laskar Pelangi’, and ‘Sokola Rimba’ to name a few) producing their own action film titled ‘Pendekar Tongkat Emas’ or ‘The Golden Cane Warrior’. Directed by Ifa Isfansyah (best-known for his award-winning ‘Sang Penari’), the film tells the story of Cempaka (Christine Hakim) as the legendary warrior and owner of the great golden cane. She wants to inherit the golden cane to one of her four students, Biru (Reza Rahadian), Gerhana (Tara Basro), Dara (Eva Celia), and Angin (Aria Kusumah). But then betrayal appears and the golden cane is stolen. Some of her students must find the only person who can help them retrieve the golden cane, Pendekar Naga Putih or The White Dragon Warrior. The film is shot in East Sumba, Nusa Tenggara Timur which is famous for its exquisite scenery. And the film really does justice to that place! The cinematography by Gunnar Nimpuno is nothing but amazing. The costume design by Chitra Subiyakto is also very beautiful to look at and complemented by the film’s decently detail production design. But the champion here is the choreography that looks real and convincing. Kudos to Xiong Xin Xin as the choreographer and the committed actors and actresses in preparing and doing all the action scenes. One of the actors, Reza Rahadian, is reportedly spent 7 months just to prepare for this film. 7 freaking months! Things are going well in the acting department too. Christine Hakim is as charismatic as always despite her limited amount of screen time. But the most valuable player in this film is Eva Celia. She steals every single scene she’s in. The way she delivers her lines, which are not easy due to the heavy use of formal words, is so smooth. She embodies the portrait of a young and determined woman warrior so good you just can’t take your eyes off of her. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast give watchable performances.
Unfortunately, the script by Jujur Prananto, Seno Gumira Ajidarma, Mira Lesmana, Riri Riza and Ifa Isfansyah is just too weak to hold all of the greatness I mentioned before. There are quite much plot holes that make the film less enjoyable. It’s like all of the events occurring in the film are not sewn neatly which lead to some questionable and confusing moments, such as (SPOILER ALERT!) the sudden appearance of Gerhana's child in the climax fighting scene. All in all, 'Pendekar Tongkat Emas' is a technically sophisticated film that may not be able to touch your deepest emotions. But still, the film is nonetheless another breath of fresh air for Indonesian cinema. Score : 3/5
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AuthorA self-acclaimed movie guy who likes to socialize |