Globally, superhero movies seem to be at a crossroads. Creative writing for beloved heroes has waned in some recent output, while critics and audiences alike have also experienced similar fatigue regarding them (see: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania).

But interestingly, the Indonesian superheroes’ cinematic pursuit has only started its run. When Marvel lovingly waved goodbye to its core characters in 2019’s Endgame, famed filmmaker Joko Anwar was just preparing to release Gundala, kicking things off for the Bumilangit Cinematic Universe (BCU) which he spearheaded as a producer. When The Batman was released to critical acclaim and Black Adam was panned internationally last year, Indonesia was just coming out with its female-led Sri Asih, BCU’s second installment by filmmaker Upi.

Enter Virgo and the Sparklings, the third installment of the universe. With screenplay by Rafki Hidayat and Johanna Wattimena, it is directed by auteur Ody C. Harahap, known for 2000s Indonesian romances like Alexandria and Selamanya (Forever), as well as 2010s feel-good comedies such as Kapan Kawin? (When Are You Getting Married?). If Ody’s filmography is not already a sign, Virgo’s colorful poster reveals the tonal shift the film takes from the previous Bumilangit films: instead of grown-up figures in a grim metropolis, we get a teenage superhero-rock star in a world full of music and adolescent charm.

Pure fun

Virgo tells the story of Riani (played by 2019’s Two Blue Lines wonder Adhisty Zara) a high school student in Bandung, West Java, whose uncontrollable firepower from her bare hands often gets her into trouble, being transferred from one school to another. Now at SMA 3 Bandung, her umpteenth school at this point, she befriends jokester drummer Monica (Ashira Zamita), cheerful band manager Sasmi (Rebecca Klopper) and rather spiteful Ussy (Satine Zaneta), a line-up that becomes their zodiac-inspired band The Virgos. The band joins a competition to win against their idol-slash-rival rock band Scorpion Sisters, fronted by Carmine (Mawar Eva de Jongh).

The film’s freshness not only shows in its bright, romantic setting but also in its decision to focus on Riani’s adventure with her bandmates first, letting the evil force take the backseat for the first act. Riani and the gang jam to some catchy tunes (and a sweet cover of Potret’s “Salah”) while a ghastly black whirl seeps into the mind of unguarded social media watchers and turns them rabid, eventually finding its way to one of the girls.

Here is where all the girls shine: as they practice within the band, their bond grows stronger after learning of Riani’s power and deciding to help her. It is a sweet reminder, as Monica, Ussy and Sasmi all train Riani to be a better superhero, that the film’s title is about these four girls who bring each other out, whether in high school uniforms or vigilante masks.

The struggle that Riani faces in balancing her teenage life and using her power to help others is a dilemma as old as Spider-man, if Peter Parker could sing and had more than one friend. With the cast’s playful chemistry and their Totally Spies’ color-coordinated wardrobe, the story manages to spark joy from their warm friendship.

Colorful world, black-and-white story

In concept, Virgo seems ambitious. Adapted from the comic character by Jan Mintaraga in 1973, and initially turned into a Webtoon comic of the same name by Annisa Nisfihani and Ellie Goh in 2017, the film might remind some of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World due to its similar comic frames and music-driven arc. Whether it intentionally draws influences from it or not, Ody’s attempt to frame the film does hint at filmmaker Edgar Wright’s cinematic techniques with quick cuts, character blocking and unrelenting camera directions to capture the story’s bouncy comedy.

However, the attempt does not quite live up. Aside from the shortcomings in its production with often-gloomy lighting and muddled sound mixing, many camera directions in Virgo appear merely whimsical, if not ragged. When Riani and her bandmates help Sasmi in her wheelchair, for example, the wobbling camera pans all the way to the right with no discernible intention. And during an effort to do character blocking, like when The Virgos perfectly line up to see Scorpion Sisters enter the studio, the camera barely tries to follow the characters, leaving Ody’s effort, while commendable, falling short of Wright’s attuned style of comedy staging.

But the film’s biggest downfall might be the story’s lackadaisical attempt to create conflicts and reach conclusions. The band’s pianist Ussy, seemingly disgusted by Riani’s lack of will to play in the band, suddenly turns cheerful and friendly in the span of a second, a lazy characterization that trickles throughout the film. In another weird moment during the band’s public performance, Riani, who was chasing the evil culprit, returns to the stage location only to be uncharacteristically berated by her bandmates for not being able to save someone, perhaps designed to make Riani aware of her “great responsibility” and works away at her powers almost to death just to drive the plot forward.

This kind of nonsensical storytelling is often a weak point that audiences could let slide in the early 2000s or even 2010s Indonesian movies, especially with some of the hilarious jokes that this film produces, which recall the great local comedies like Get Married or The Tarix Jabrix. But Virgo portrays itself as a superhero film wanting to be taken seriously, and at times it does not get far from cardboard scenes and clunky dialogue, the (unfortunately) usual narrative potholes of our local blockbusters.

Controlling the fire within

The story’s great strength, however, lies in Riani’s character and superhero backstory, or its lack thereof. Unlike Gundala and Sri Asih, Riani has long known about and struggled with her superpower. It is a fresh and ingenious move to start the story at the mid-point of her teenage years, where the causes of her sudden firepower are never known, even to her.

Similar to what makes Spider-man great in separating the heroic figure and the struggling teenager Peter Parker, Virgo is able to show that Riani’s struggle in juggling her power and passion for music is a worthwhile fight. At the end of the day, she can produce the biggest sparks when it comes not from a place of anger, but of love, be it for music, her romantic interest Leo (Bryan Domani), or her friends. The spark is one of the several iterations of her power; it could be a blazing fire, blue flame, or punchy fire blast this side of Iron Man’s Tony Stark.

This spark is what differentiates Riani, or Virgo, from the previous Bumilangit heroes so far: If Sri Asih’s struggle is to suppress the fire she inherited from The Goddess of Fire herself, Riani is wise enough to control it for the greater good. And that character arc should be more relatable to young kids growing up with hotheaded parents, whom the film rightfully takes a jab at.

Virgo and the Sparklings is now playing in theaters across Indonesia.

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