Ody C. Harahap’s new film Hit & Run yet again puts a spotlight on Indonesia's fighting scene strengths, showing that high-octane martial arts action is here to stay.

With Uwais Team, led by martial artist and action star Iko Uwais, and renowned action stars Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian, the movie delivers on well-choreographed action scenes.

Ody's background in comedy highlights another strength of the local film industry: humor.

In the film, Joe plays the role of narcissist policeman Tegar Saputra, who is also the host of a reality show. As such, Tegar is always followed by two cameraman, recording his every move while fighting bad guys.

After Coki (Yayan Ruhian), a drug dealer, escapes from prison, Tegar is assigned to find him with the help of a conman named Lio (Chandra Liow). Tegar also meets Meisa (Tatjana Saphira), a dangdut singer with a penchant for bombastic words, making his mission to capture Coki even more interesting.

Read also: Official trailer for 'Hit & Run' released

Hit & Run includes satirical takes on celebrity life and reality shows.

Ody said during a press conference on Wednesday that he and scriptwriter Upi Avianto did not plan to create a satire.

“Since the beginning, Upi and I [developed the plot] based on the characters,” he explained.

The cynical jokes, however, actually make the film more interesting, particularly for adult viewers.

Although the film combines comedy and action, viewers can instantly notice that it has its own style, particularly when compared to Hong Kong action comedy movies. Unlike Jackie Chan’s films, in which the action is the comedy, Hit & Run separates the two elements clearly.

Tegar the character is funny, yet Joe manages to maintain a police persona. Sadly, the antagonists are left unexplored, leaving viewers with a lot of questions.

“We did not want the fighting scenes to feel [too comedic],” said Ody, adding that Tegar served as the glue that fused the action and comedy elements.

Tegar is Joe’s first comedic role, and the former judo athlete has shown that, should he continue to develop his comedic side, he could be the next Stephen Chow. (wng)