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‘Gundala’ takes theaters by storm
Hero from home: The cast of Gundala, an Indonesian superhero movie, attends the film’s launch in Jakarta on Wednesday
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ero from home: The cast of Gundala, an Indonesian superhero movie, attends the film’s launch in Jakarta on Wednesday. The film, which was adapted from a comic book written by Harya Suraminata aka Hasmi, hit the silver screen nationwide on Thursday.(Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
After years of imported superheroes dominating Indonesian screens, homegrown Gundala is set to thunder into the hearts of local comic fans and moviegoers.
Based on the 1969 comic Gundala Putra Petir (Gundala, Son of Thunder) by Harya “Hasmi” Suraminata, the eponymous superhero hit the silver screens on Thursday.
Gundala electrified audiences on its first day, garnering over 174,000 views and collecting an average of eight out of 10 on the Cinepoint moviegoers review app.
Directed by Joko Anwar, the first movie in the Bumilangit Cinematic Universe (BLCU) stars Abimana Aryasatya in the lead role of Sancaka, a security guard at a printing press who takes the helm of Gundala after being struck by lightning.
After injecting himself into neighbor Wulan’s (Tara Basro) dispute with local thugs, Sancaka finds himself part of a wider conflict with influential kingpin Pengkor (Bront Palarae), whose influence extends to politicians and government officials. Meanwhile, the mysterious Ghani Zulham (Ario Bayu) schemes silently on the sidelines.
Gundala is chockfull of cameos from BLCU characters, which will presumably be part of future installments in the franchise. Familiar characters known by longtime fans of the series include Sri Asih (Pevita Pearce) and Godam (Chicco Jerikho), many of which made their cameo during the last act of the movie.
Author Sundari Mardjuki said that Gundala fulfilled the audience’s expectations.
“The cinematography and production design is cool, the CGI is smooth, the color tone is lovely, and the cast is great. Joko Anwar is awesome, the audience broke into applause as the credits rolled,” she said, adding that she hoped Gundala would begin a revival of other Indonesian superheroes.
In contrast with Sundari, cinemagoer Sekar Putri Pertiwi felt the CGI to be somewhat rough.
“I think Gundala can go toe-to-toe with Hollywood superheroes, but only when they brush up a bit more on the CGI,” the 23-year-old said, adding that the movie sparked her interest to read Gundala comics.
Writer Leila S. Chudori, meanwhile, lauded the inclusion of social and political messages in the film.
“By itself, this will resonate with a lot of the general audience who are sick and tired of Indonesian politics. The inclusion of mystical elements as part of the fantasy is also brilliant,” Leila said.
Henry Ismono, the author of biography Hasmi Pencipta Legenda Gundala (Hasmi, Gundala Legend’s Creator), said that Gundala was a strong contender in the superhero genre despite the foreign competition, adding that the hero was one of the most popular during his time.
“I’m very optimistic that [Gundala’s] unique characteristics can be beneficial by differentiating from other superheroes. That Gundala will have an international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival is proof enough,” he said.
The movie will be screened at the festival’s Midnight Madness program next month.
Henry, who is also a collector of Indonesian classic comics, noted that many Indonesian superheroes have taken a page out of their American counterparts.
For example, Labah Labah Merah is derived from Spiderman, along with Kapten Mar and Batman, as well as Putri Bintang and Wonder Woman.
However, Henry continues, despite Gundala’s similarities with The Flash, there is an adaptation process by injecting the character with Yogyakartan culture.
“Bumilangit is clever in tackling the conundrum. The Gundala costume in the movie is made different from the comic book version to avoid copyright issues. I think future superheroes will also take the same approach as Gundala going forward.”
Mujiyati, the wife of the late comic artist Hasmi, said that Gundala exceeded her expectations.
“I thought the film would be just one step forward from the 1981 movie adaptation,” she said reffering to the Gundala Putra Petir movie starring Teddy Purba.
“It turns out, Gundala is much more engrossing and lively. It is packed with action and fights, and supported by a solid cast and director.”
Mujiyati expressed hope that Gundala would pave the way for the revival of Indonesian comics.
“Our comic scene had been sluggish since 1982 and began to slowly rise again in the 2010s. I believe we can move forward. Indonesia has lots of creative, young talent who can make great comics.”
