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Like a powerful magnet in the sky, a huge ball of light hoists up and absorbs into itself four
pre-teen kids, Rita (Cathy Villar), her brother Boy (Ken Kurillo), Kulas (Ryan Yamazaki) and Pepe (Franklin Cristobal). After a while, they are hurled down a beautiful land of
wide expanse, luxuriant foliage and limpid waters. They realize this is a strange world when they encounter gigantic frightening creatures. In their confusion while escaping
from these, the pair Pepe and Boy get separated from Rita and Kulas. Pepe and Boy witness the capture of Camilla (Ina Raymundo), a tribeswoman, by horned humanoids but by an
ingenious trick manage to free her. Rita and Kulas see a gang of prisoners maltreated by their monster jailers. Lawin (Fernando Poe Jr.) one of the prisoners, rebels and
attempts to help another prisoner, but to no avail. The four kids are reunited and are told by a voice from a lamp of their mission: to retrieve a magic "balaraw" or sword
from the bottom of the lake. According to the legend, the sword is intended for Lawin and only he is destined to free the land and its tribes from the injustice and cruelty of
the monster-rulers.
Ang Alamat ng Lawin is an enjoyable and entertaining fantasy/adventure movie for children but
a letdown for avid FPJ fans who expect to see more of the reputed fighting prowess of their swashbuckling hero. The inclusion of four kids as little heroes may be an
indication of the producer's intention to give priority consideration to children's interests. All newcomers, the child actors can be credited for trying to act out their
roles well enough. However, with the exception of Fernando Poe Jr. and Ina Raymundo, most of the cast are amateurish. The fighting sequences and the swordsplay are reminiscent
of the skirmishes in the traditional komedya or moro-moro. Nothing is expected to be real in the movie's make-believe world populated by creatures intended to be
frightening but turn out to be mostly comical. The dialogue is awkward and the prosthetics blatantly artificial. There is a lack of appropriate sound effects. Like other FPJ
movies, the story revolves around the exploits of a folk hero, but this time, it is given a little touch of magic. The beautiful scenic spots and landscapes exquisitely
captured by excellent cinematography make every Filipino viewer feel proud of his country.
This movie does not deviate from the usual "formula" presented in FPJ movies: the poor, the
weak and the oppressed are vindicated and protected by a fearless, selfless and compassionate hero who is willing to take all risks for others. In our time, we hear a lot of
cynics say that it is no longer "fashionable" to be selfless or a martyr for others. Hindi na uso ang magpakamartir. Now that a lot of people think only of themselves most of the time, it is refreshing to see a hero depicted on screen as appealing because he is imbued with these admirable characteristics. The "formula" in this kind of story may be old and overused but the values it presents are never dated. Very inventive and imaginative movies nowadays have all kinds of protagonists with many of them of questionable morals, so there is a need to counteract their insidious negative influence by holding up a simple hero as a kind of alternative or better model for our young people. If for no other reason, this kind of movie should continue to be made and shown.
(Date reviewed: January 10, 2003)
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