One challenge when we talk about adapting comic characters into live action is expectation. I warn you, expect nothing but prepare to explore into uncharted territory.
Gundala, the patriot-we-deserve, many people are still afraid that it won't live up the hype. Well, here's a thing, the very first minute I sit, they managed to build a bit of tension, penetrating heart-touching drama, and still turned out great in the end of the first act. Thanks to Joko Anwar who successfully crafted a brilliant storyline, eventhough it's not faithful to comic version.
From my personal standpoint, unraveling the comic's plot is essential in order to satisfy the audiences. He made it more grounded and believable to tackle down the assumption that superhero movie must be CGI-tastic. Instead of enrich CGI fakery like Marvel franchise, he strengthen the characters building. And instead of putting supernatural ability, which is convincingly unreal, he focus on connecting the dots between characters and their backstory so they make it in a perfect circle. It seems, he has a grand vision to upcoming movies in Jilid 1.
Let's dig deeper into the movie. Aesthetically, much like his previous movie "Satan's Slave" (surprisingly, he also make a reference to it), Gundala is quite good at painting the lights. The combination between visual, choreography and scoring make it even more dramatic in consistent pace. Honestly, I got goosebumps on several scene of this movie.
As I mentioned above, grounded story helps Gundala at making sensible issues; addressing topdog vs underdog, racial inequity, civil disorder, moral dillemas and even LGBT. And yes, in Indonesia's context, it's very much relatable. It did something no movie had ever done before.
And what about Sancaka? At a glance, his costume looks a bit silly. But, as it turned out, that's the most reasonable costume with realistic elements, considering what Sancaka has been through. One thing that I have to appreciate about Sancaka is Joko's ability to depict him in a more "human" side. Moreover, the lead-villain Pengkor, is treated in similar way. He's capable at sending shivers down the spine, but at the same time, he delivers something that we choose to believe is for good purpose. These appealing plot will eventually lead us to twist we never saw coming. However, some repetitive scenes throughout the movie just didn't work out for me.
To sum up, Gundala is definitely benchmarking the future movies in Jilid 1 and become the stepping stone of Indonesia's creative industry.
So, are you ready to watch? Here is some advice. Get to know all characters who were introduced in Jagat Sinema Bumilangit press conference last week is highly recommended. Pay close attention, you'll find many easter eggs, don't miss any of them. Stay put, because there will be post-credit scene which some kind of tease for what's to come.
See you in cinema, folks!
