As the Indonesian film industry proceeds further into this decade, more filmmakers have become willing to try their hands at the action genre. The success of The Raid duology in the 2010s could be accounted for in this recent cinematic infatuation.

However, as more Indonesian action-driven feature films continue to pile up, it has become clear that more than delivering a pulsating combat sequence is needed to continue drawing the audiences' attention. A few action films this year attempted to rise atop the archetypal swashbucklers and Iko Uwais-inspired choreography. Angga Dwimas Sasongko imbued heist thrill and Gen Z energy to Mencuri Raden Saleh, whereas Upi had her top combatant fistfight with a magical shawl in Sri Asih.

Now it is Timo Tjahjanto's turn to serve a creative spin on the action genre. Directed and cowritten by Timo himself, The Big 4 assembles a star-studded cast comprising Abimana Aryasatya (Gundala), Putri Marino (One Night Stand), Lutesha (My Generation), Arie Kriting (Ghost Writer), Kristo Immanuel (Teka Teki Tika), Budi Ros (Wedding Proposal) and Marthino Lio (Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash). The film premiered on Netflix worldwide on Dec. 15.

Battle royale: Marthino Lio (pictured) plays the main antagonist of 'The Big 4'. (Screenshot/YouTube) (Screenshot/YouTube)

Order of assassins

Petrus (Budi Ros) is the leader and mentor of a team of assassins infamously known as The Big 4, consisting of Topan (Abimana Aryasatya), Alpha (Lutesha), Jenggo (Arie Kriting) and Pelor (Kristo Immanuel). Wanting to spend more time with his estranged daughter Dina (Putri Marino), Petrus decides to dissolve The Big 4 and encourages his mentees to enjoy an early retirement.

Sadly, on the day of Dina's official appointment as a police officer, Petrus finds an untimely death at the hands of a mysterious assassin. Three years later, Dina, refusing to give up on finding her father's murderer, discovers a clue leading her to Bersi Island, where The Big 4 is now retired and scattered. When she meets Topan for the first time, she is unexpectedly pursued by a fleet of assassins led by Suranto, also known as Antonio Sandoval (Marthino Lio).

Desperate to find closure for her father's death, Dina recruits The Big 4 to come out of retirement and settle any unfinished business, including the one with her pursuers and Antonio Sandoval.

Guts and glory

By looking at the final product, it is unquestionable that Netflix is the perfect partner (and platform) for Timo's vision. The Big 4 is a gory and messy affair in which none of the characters are conservative enough to hold back their curses and bazookas. In other words, The Big 4 is not the kind of feature film that would pass the country's theatrical censorship.

Nonetheless, the 42-year-old writer-director understands that making blood-and-guts entertainment requires a different refinement. The Big 4 has no blood shortage, especially considering that most of the fight sequences involve weaponry and not bare hands. However, every blood spatter seems deliberately concocted, while every head-splitting fatality is presented with such detail and panache that it feels breathtaking as opposed to vomit-inducing. Complement those elements with some slapstick comedy, The Big 4 makes it clear that it is a fictitious diversion, not anarchical propaganda.

Timo's attention to detail is also commendable in his world-building. The writer-director considered that Indonesians would not be the only prospective audience who streams The Big 4. Timo's Bersi Island might baffle his fellow natives, but its quirkiness would be attractive enough for Western and Eastern cinephiles. To boot, his decision to place the camera in a different position during the bigger moments, at one point the camera works solely to illustrate Dina's point of view, is a small trick that works wonders for The Big 4.

The film's characters, narrative and sense of humor might be Timo's not-so-subtle ode to the classic action-comedy films that put Hong Kong on the map and, to a certain degree, the not-safe-for-work bloodiness made famous by the Mexican-American filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. This vision results in the film needing more originality, that and also the groin-kicking humor is one attempt too many. Still, the cast ensemble's flair for nuances and the meticulous fight choreography courtesy of Muhammad Irfan prevents The Big 4 from coming across as a rip-off.

Streaming now: Indonesian action-comedy feature film 'The Big 4' premieres on Netflix on Dec. 15, 2022. (Instagram/Netflix Indonesia @netflixid) (Instagram/Netflix Indonesia @netflixid)

Funny you should ask

Out of the already impressive cast, it is Putri Marino who comes out as the film's most indispensable artillery. On paper, the 29-year-old actress might have drawn the shortest end of the stick as she is the film's straight person surrounded by colorful characters. In another actress' hands, Dina might have been portrayed as a prosaic female sidekick to a dashing male lead or worse, a flavor-of-the-week female character who only exists to support the male lead's character development. Fortunately, Putri knows better.

In approaching Dina's straightlaced tenor, Putri steals the film's spotlight by instead putting herself as the audience's emotional anchor. When Abimana Aryasatya charms the audience with CrossFit-level physicality and his signature chiseled jawline and Arie Kriting keeps everything jolly with his reliable-as-usual comic timing, Putri's choice to present Dina as a visionary yet mentally haggard police officer is the reason why the audience would be willing to invest their emotions (and their time) in the whopping two hours and 21 minutes.

Moreover, a wickedly violent yet hilarious scene involving Dina and a dubious potion helps showcase Putri Marino's rarely-seen comedic instinct.

Unfortunately, the same comedic instinct is not found in Abimana's performance. Admittedly, thanks to the 40-year-old actor's ability to exude an everyman quality to his Topan, Abimana makes for a much better action hero than, say, the overtly boyish Iqbaal Ramadhan in Mencuri Raden Saleh or the overtly masculine Chicco Jerikho in Ben & Jody.

However, once it is time for Topan to switch from a gallant anti-hero to a kooky jester, Abimana finds himself in a deadlock. He is either making a clownish face or relying on his zany teammates to make him seem remotely laughable.

Throughout his filmography, Abimana has rarely tried dipping into comedy. His lack of comedic instinct, added with his lack of experience in the genre, is palpable in The Big 4. Is Abimana miscast in this film? Not necessarily. But is he the Indonesian answer to Stephen Chow? Not by a long shot.

Abimana is not alone in the too-dramatic-to-be-funny department. Marthino Lio gives his all to embody the film's villain. Still, when it comes to balancing his disdainful Suranto with his El Mariachi-wannabe baddie moniker Antonio Sandoval, the 33-year-old actor falters. Just like Abimana, Marthino seems more suitable for character studies such as Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash, for which he won his first Citra Award for acting, than a pop-corn whoopee like The Big 4.

The key players might have flaws, but the supporting cast is game-enough to patch up the holes. Despite being a newbie in the film industry, Kristo Immanuel can hold his ground against the award darlings in the ensemble. Lutesha's Alpha is a more engaging protagonist on a different battlefield than Abimana's Topan, thanks to the 28-year-old actress's natural charisma.

Last but not least, a brief, yet fierce appearance from Marsha Timothy indicates that, just like any action saga, The Big 4's biggest battle is yet to come.

The Big 4 is available on Netflix.