Funny and entertaining, that's all I got to say about this movie. But it's not fair for me to write a short review for such a good movie right? So here goes nothing.
Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula (or Gang: The Adventure Begins in English) is a Malaysia CG animation movie produced by Les' Copaque which recently opened in local cinemas with huge success. It follows the adventure of a group of people (teenagers & kids) in discovering the mystery behind the mass dissapearance of durian (a unique type of fruit that are planted in Malaysia and some other Asian countires) in their village's orchards.
Overall, as I said, the movie is funny and entertaining. It has diverse and likable characters with unique characterisation. When I said diverse, I mean racial and behavior wise. The movie accurately shows the environment and surrounding of a village in Malaysia and how people with different race and religion live together in harmony. It's so typically Malaysia and I love it. If this movie gets to go overseas, it can really be a stepping stone in introducing Malaysia to the world through the medium of animation.
The characters that steal the limelight in this movie, of course, the naughty twin boys, Upin and Ipin. These 2 boys are already famous among kids and adults alike in Malaysia because they already have their own animated TV series. Although they look alike, audience who are not familiar with them can still distinguish between the two not just physically (Upin has a bit of hair on his head while Ipin is bald) but also through their characterisation (Upin is obviously the leader among the two).
Characterisation is what makes this movie so diverse and unique. One character is not the same with the other. Each character also has its own unique style and habit. There is not one character that I didn't like. The voice acting is also good and helps to emphasize more on the difference of each character. The storyline is also good with humor, horror, adventure all mix in 1.
With all those praises, however, there are some few things that could be improved. While the animation is still good, but it still looks stiff when it comes to movement. I don't mind when a character run, jump, roll over, laugh, cry, et cetera2 coz they all look good to me but when it comes to dancing (yes, there is 1 part in the movie where all the villagers were dancing and singing), they look just a bit awkward. Other than that, I have nothing else to say about animation coz it's PERFECT.
Another thing that bothers me about the movie is the horror element in it. I find that the scenes involving monsters are a bit scary for kids. I love the scenes but I'm an adult so that's fine for me. One more thing is the scene where the 2 monsters fighting (the 'mother' and the giant snake) were a bit too long. I would enjoy it so much better if it was cut a bit shorter.
You can read more about the movie in Wiki and also from the official website (please note that the official website is in Malay language). You can check out the trailer of the movie, learn more about the characters, and download bunch of stuff at the site. And if you are interested to know more about durian, just click here to read about it in Wiki. ;-)
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