It probably was the best decision ever by Falcon Pictures to pass the baton of its Warkop DKI Reborn series to award-winning Rako Prijanto. The director, who is known for his previous works Sang Kiai (The Clerics, 2012), Bangkit! (2016), and Teman Tapi Menikah (2018), gave a new life — or its old soul, to be precise — to the latest installment of the series, which will hit theaters on Thursday.

Warkop DKI Reborn 3 stands in stark contrast to its predecessors. While Warkop DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss 1 & 2 were adaptations of the old Warkop film, but with a time travel twist, Warkop Reborn 3 has a new plot but keeps the retro feel throughout its 100-minute running time.

It follows the trio of Dono, Kasino and Indro, all of whom work as DJs at a small radio station before being scouted by a commander of the secret police. They are assigned to find evidence of a money laundering operation involving a production house run by Amir Muka (Ganindra Bimo). For their undercover mission, the three have to get into the entertainment industry as actors and join auditions.

At a party hosted by Amir to announce his production house’s new comedy series starring Dono and TV series darling turned movie star Inka (Shalsabila), their quest for clues leads the three undercover cops to a mysterious high-tech chamber. Their investigation, however, is foiled and they find themselves waking up in crates in the middle of the Moroccan desert.

They realize that the fourth crate, which was supposed to be Inka’s, is empty and set off on a thrilling adventure.

There is no direct reference to the setting, but judging from the wardrobe of high-waist flare pants and disco shirts the three wear, it must be set in the 1970s, when the real Warkop DKI trio — Dono, Kasino and Indro — reigned in Indonesian theaters.

The dozens of films they produced in the span of three decades could easily fall into the B category due to excessive slapstick and the overexposure of body images, especially women’s, but serious movie buffs would argue that the films were actually parodying the zeitgeist under the authoritarian regime.

As part of a group of university students who created a comedy radio show to address social, political and economic issues back then in light conversation people usually have over a cup of coffee — hence the name Warkop — a portmanteau of warung kopi (coffee street stall) — the three might have not realized the impact of their films until today, 46 years after they started it all.

The only surviving member, Indro, said on Saturday after the premiere of the latest movie, which was screened simultaneously at theaters across the country, that Reborn 3 was a reminder to the trio’s heyday and legacy. “It’s a gift for our 46th anniversary, and I wish that, through this movie, the children of Dono and Kasino realize that their fathers are heroes.”

Rako, who cowrote the script with Anggoro Saronto, made the film with the sensibility of a fan. The quirky but well-structured plot, which screams for a sequel, the jokes that feel organically developed, the color tone, camera angles and how scenes are captured, as well as the soundtrack can all walk long-time fans down memory lane.

But this movie is more than just nostalgic; it also appeals to the younger generation. Rako parodies a bunch of popular movies and TV series, including the Reborn 3’s predecessors, in the two-minute animation at the beginning of the movie. (The animation needs its own series, please.)

The cast of young heartthrob actors would also be of big help to make it the most-viewed movie this year, besides the bold marketing strategy run by the film powerhouse, a repeat of the success of the previous two.

Unexpectedly, Aliando Syarief (who wears fake teeth for his role as Dono), Adipati Dolken (Kasino) and pop band Nidji keyboardist Randy Danistha (Indro) show sufficiently decent acting to imitate the facial expressions and gestures of the real-life titular characters and make them their own — with or without props. Veteran comedian Mandra and seasoned actors Ganindra Bimo and Khiva Iskak were definitely scene-stealers.

The women’s role and the character arc the actresses played, however, were yet clearly shown in the movie, which hopefully would serve as a new challenge for the next one. Otherwise, it should be rated as an adult film.

That said, I have high hopes for a better sequel and the rise of quality comedy that both upgrades and revives the legends.

— Photos courtesy of Falcon Pictures

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