I’m curious if I’m the only person alive right now who experiences superhero fatigue. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the Marvel movies, the Arrowverse shows, and the DC movies. I even have a habit of revisiting old favorites every now and then. I still go to get my pull weekly from my local comic book shop. I still read comics, just about every day. Here’s the common misconception about the medium – it’s more than just superheroes. Even right now, I’m working my way through Tim Seeley’s Hack/Slash, which is a horror comic. No superhero within sight.
Superheroes are such a blockbuster industry for us here in America. They seem to be the lifeblood of our total box office accumulation. Last year alone, four out of the top 10 movies of the year were comic book movies. All four of them garnered over a billion dollars. Double that for Avengers: Endgame. The year before that, the top 10 featured six comic book movies in its ranks. I would go on but I think you understand where I’m going. For me personally, it’s interesting to see how other countries interrupt our cinematic phenomenon.
Let’s see how Indonesia handles the genre. The character of Gundala debuted in 1969 and is a creation by Harya “Hasmi” Suraminata. He’s basically a young man with an origin story similar to Batman but who can harness the power of electricity through thunder. So, yes, Batman meets Thor but his original design looks closer to Captain America. For his cinematic debut, however, Gundala faces off against the sinister Pengkor (Bront Palarae) and his attempt to create a generation without morals. Yes, that’s the villain’s actual grand master plan. How he sets it up is pure genius but the motivation of the character is a bit lackluster, which is sad because Palarae, who brings the villain to life, is nothing short of incredible. He balances the line between sinister and charisma with utter ease, almost to the point where it’s kind of disturbing how well he does it.
While the movie may be lacking in the department of a villain, it more than makes up everywhere else. Gundala takes its time to truly establish the characters, especially the hero’s alias in Sancaka (Abimana Aryasatya). It beautifully unfolds a narrative that breathes tremendously. The childhood aspect of Sancaka takes up the entirety of its first act – not even meeting adult Sancaka until almost the forty-minute mark. That first act of the movie is tragically necessary. Obviously, the formula for a superhero is that tragedy has to befall them in order to set them on the path of heroism. For Gundala, it feels a bit different. While yes, you still have tragedy, there is a twist within the third act about it.
Thematically, writer-director Joko Anwar manages to weave much of the character development into this first act. So much of how the world is shaped or how Sancaka is or what he is afraid of are birthed within these first thirty minutes. They echo marvelously throughout the film, some of which give the funniest moments within the film later on. With it being a superhero movie, the use of action seems inevitable. Gundala meets that expectation and then some. This movie has to have some of the best fight choreography of the year. There is such grace in the way which Anwar moves the camera throughout these sequences – an elegant fluidity which is a rarity in the superhero movie genre.
Overall, Gundala is a refreshing approach to a tired genre. The Indonesian superhero movie will make international waves with its breathtaking fight choreography, elegant narrative, and brilliant leading man in Abimana Aryasatya. Gundala is without a doubt one of this year’s finest movies. Bront Palarae brings to life our villain. Even though he walks the line tightly between gruesome and charismatic, he feels wasted on this film. His ultimate motivation feels tonally out of place and squanders any potential this villain carries. Palarae, once again, makes the best of the situation. Gundala is a beautiful marvel within the superhero genre that can’t be recommended enough.
RORSCHACH RATING:
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Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by), Caless Davis, Dan Rockwood, & Brandon Miller. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Gundala is property of Well GO USA. We do not own nor claim any rights. You can pick up Gundala now on digital and physical starting July 28th, 2020, simply click here.
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