Today (August 20) would have marked Fernando Poe Jr.'s 78's birthday. The Filipino action legend has found his way into Filipino pop culture and the hearts of millions of Filipinos with his trademark swagger and charisma, and people fondly remember the man even today.
Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko pairs FPJ with Judy Ann Santos. FPJ has had a number of leading ladies, ranging from sexy stars like Amanda Page to actresses like Sharon Cuneta. When Isusumbong Kita Sa Tatay Ko came out, Judy Ann was the queen of soap dramas, starring in such series as Mara Clara and Esperanza.
The movie follows a simple father-daughter story, where FPJ is a tough guy mechanic with a heart of gold, and Judy Ann is his plucky, rambunctious daughter Joey. Things come to a head when Joey catches the eye of bratty kid Archie (Kier Legaspi). The movie has its share of twists and turns, with a major dramatic turn near the end that I think is done pretty well (it almost comes as an afterthought, which magnifies the shock value).
The movie has its share of trademark FPJ action: you really haven't seen an FPJ movie without seeing him get into a fistfight with some thugs, with him doing the trademark FPJ flurry of punches to the gut at the end. But there's a lot of other things for fans to love, too: there are multiple musical sequences (most notably a rendition of Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko) and lots of comedy, too.
The restoration job is quite good, though some restored scenes are better than others. The soundtrack sounds like it was remastered, and that's pretty impressive as well.
A crowd pleaser through and through, there's a lot of nostalgia and heart in Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko. It's quite sad if you think about the fact that this is one of FPJ's final movies before his untimely death only four years later. But I think the legendary actor has left enough of a legacy that fans new and old will remember him for many years to come.
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