Nujum Pak Belalang

This movie might be a stretch for some but just like you have fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella, we have Nujum Pak Belalang. The storyline is quite familiar and as quite often, the ending is a happy one but P. Ramlee has lots of other sad-ending movies so bear with this one. Ahmad Nisfu, once again, demonstrates his extreme flexibility in characterising the kind hearted but sometimes distracted Sultan (King). P. Ramlee's two other constant acting buddies, Aziz Sattar and S.Samsuddin, turn in different roles here as the villains and to fine taste as well, managing some balance between evil and hilarity. Malik Sutan Muda, who stars as the Penghulu (Mayor) doesn't get substantial supporting roles like these too often but proves how well he can deliver when given the opportunity. This is a perfect movie to get a glimpse of how real kampung life is like as this folklore wasn't set anytime in the modern era. It's mostly a comedy but there's a lesson to be learnt at the end of the movie, just like how most fairy tales have. It may be a little too simplistic but it's a good movie with good actors, good direction and good storyline.