Time for more MMFF reviews. I'm not planning to see My Big Bossings and Praybeyt Benjamin any time soon, so this will be the last of the reviews for now.
***
I enjoyed the hell out of Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles. It was full of action, it was funny, it was entertaining as hell. Visually it had a distinct style thanks to extensive visual effects and green screening.
The sequel, Kubot, the Aswang Chronicles 2, takes the franchise in a direction that feels different and innovative enough that it doesn't feel like a simple retread of the previous installment. It's also really fun stuff from start to finish.
Storywise, Kubot picks up immediately after the end of the last movie. Unfortunately things get really bad for our main characters, who barely escape the town alive. Two years pass and a maverick aswang begins to engage in several taboo activities that gain the attention of the aswang elders...
Kubot is mainly an horror action comedy in the vein of Peter Jackson's Braindead (1990) and Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1992). It's at times logic defying, wacky even. But it's all really well done and supremely entertaining. The film's fun factor is helped immensely by the dialogue and script, which ranges from darkly funny to silly without being corny or forced. Dingdong Dantes' Makoy is snarky and confident, Nestor is neurotic and weirdly funny, and additional characters join the fray, notably Lotlot De Leon, who give a great performance..
The movie is a technical marvel and a benchmark for what Philippine cinema can do with visual effects, with a mix of CGI and practical effects in the fray. There were a few scenes that were a bit too dark to make anything out, but it may be an issue with the projection rather than a color correction problem.
Kubot is a prime example of what a good mainstream movie can do to entertain, using a witty script and great performances instead of going to the lowest common denominator to elicit laughs.
***
Many films based on history strive to tell the truth with as little bias as possible, some succeed, and some fail. But if the end of Bonifacio, Ang Unang Pangulo is any indication, what happened is not as important as why they did it.
The film tries to do this by establishing Bonifacio's motivations for his decision to engage in armed conflict by mixing some fictionalized elements with historical fact. I'd say this attempt was at least partially successful. As a historical film, the film basically consists of a sequence of slightly disjointed events - an outline of this man's history. Despite this, the film makes the argument that Bonifacio's heart and soul were for his country, and all the decisions he made were solely for the goal of freedom and prosperity for his people.
Any person who has read the legit textbooks on what really happened to Bonifacio (that he was arrested and executed for treason by Emilio Aguinaldo and his cohorts) will see that there is no attempt to whitewash the whole thing or paint one side or another as comically villanous or bloodthirsty. We don't really see Aguinaldo's motivation for doing the thing he did, but then again this isn't his movie.
The acting is overall okay, some plot threads from the present day are kind of left out, and there aren't many action sequences. The end of the film is really good, however, and ties things together quite well. Also, when was the last time we saw Vina and Robin together? Oh yeah!
It's worth showing (and discussing) in a history classroom setting. Bonifacio asks us: what have you done for our country lately?
***
Shake, Rattle and Roll used to be THE reason for going to MMFF way back. I often considered it synonymous with the fest when I was a kid. Now on its fifteenth iteration, Shake, Rattle and Roll XV is a bit uneven, but overall it's quality stuff compared to some entries from years past. Since the film is split into three, let's look at each part separately:
Ahas is the first part and deals with an urban legend I've been hearing since I was a kid. The titular monster is played by Erich Gonzales who also plays the monster's normal twin sister in a dual role (why Gemini didn't do something like this baffles me) and she laps it up. The half snake-half man Sarah desires to live in the human world, and even forms a crush on someone. The problem is, the world isn't that accepting of her true self, and as the movie itself posits, a shark that doesn't kill people is still a shark. The visual effects range from decent to wonky (especially when Sarah is moving around) with the makeup and practical effects looking really good. I also have a newfound appreciation for Erich Gonzales. Wow.
I'm going to come out and say Ulam is the best part of the three. It's best experienced blind, so I won't say anything about the plot other than a married couple moves into the house, where strange things happen. It's all the right parts tense and creepy without overdoing it. Visually it manages to use darkness and focus right for creating that atmosphere. Acting wise props have to be given to Chanda Romero who owns the film. The makeup for some creatures look a bit too artificial, but effective use of lighting really helps conceal some of the imperfections. It's a solid piece that can stand on its own.
The last segment, Flight 666, is more comedy than horror, although it does deliver its share of blood and gore. The premise is basically Tiyanak... in spaaaaaaaaaaaaaace! (Actually, no, it takes place on a plane. I just wanted to say that.) It's fun at parts, but overall the segment feels clunky. None of the characters are developed further than caricatures to be maimed and/or killed, and there's not a lot of tension going on. It's the lightest out of all three segments. Visual effects are hit and miss, and the practical effects are minimal but effective.
Overall Shake Rattle and Roll XV is worth watching for the previous two segments (even just Ulam alone) and I'm looking forward to what they can bring forward next year.
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