URDUJA: Enthralling, trailblazing film inspired by Philippine folklore

PLUS: Comedians Pooh, Pokwang urged to apologize to Annabelle Rama for spoof on her twins; Film ‘Serbis’ tries too hard to shock 

Urduja received an A rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board last week. I can’t recall any other full-feature animation that got the same rating from the board. 

I’m not surprised at the critical accolade. “Urduja” is an enthralling film that draws its charm from the fact that its characters are inspired by Philippine folklore. Urduja, played by Regine Velasquez, is the princess of a Philippine tribe who must save her people from the evil foreign invader General Hwang. Limhang (Cesar Montano) is a pirate with a flair for adventure and romance who wins the princess’ heart. Simakwel is a tribesman scheming to usurp the datu’s throne by marrying Urduja.

But the scene stealers are the two lovable critters, Tarsir, a gullible tarsier, and Kukut, a scrawny but streetsmart rat. They provide the slapstick and the funny lines that add to the film’s allure.

“Urduja” brings back memories of such endearing cartoons as Mulan and Pocahontas, with their hardy heroines who are more than just damsels waiting to be rescued. That’s women power for you!

Even the songs are Walt Disney-ish. Performed mainly by Regine and Cesar, the tunes reflect strong influences from the works of the American cartoon genius.

Producer Tony Tuviera says Urduja was 11 years in the making and involved 400 Filipino animators. How much did it cost? He’s not telling but the estimates run from P50 million to P70 million. Quite a fortune to plunk down on a cartoon. Tuviera admits that he doesn’t expect to recoup his expenses, much less turn a profit, but adds that creating the trailblazing film is worth it.

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“Serbis”, the lone Philippine entry to last month’s Cannes Film Festival, got a B from the board. The film had been hyped as a strong contender for the Palme d’Or, but the critics were unimpressed by the generous display of squalor and squalid sex.

Maybe “Serbis” tries too hard to shock. The rundown movie theater, the focus of the film, is the microcosm of a world wallowing in misery and filth. The characters are trapped in this black hole, with its clogged drains and grimy walls, and have given up hope of climbing out of it. So they numb themselves in order to survive.

Compressing this dreary tale into one single day might be asking too much from the viewer. That could be its major flaw.

There are times when the director effectively hammers home a point—the frenzied chase for a purse thief through the labyrinths of the moviehouse, and, much later, a merry pursuit of a goat who strays into the place. But they are few and far between. Most of the time the characters flit in and out of view, like actors lost on a stage.

“Serbis” seems to just drift along until it gets to the final scene. Then it fades, mercifully, to credits.

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Annabelle Rama got all pissed off at Pooh and Pokwang for spoofing her twins Richard and Raymond Gutierrez in the comedy show Poohkwang at the Music Museum. “She should have spoofed me instead,” Annabelle fumed. “I’m a celebrity. But my sons are not used to being made fun of. My advice to Pokwang is: Don’t try that again or you’ll find out the monster mom that I could be.”

Even Ruffa Gutierrez joined the fray. “It’s okay if they make fun of me. I can take that. But if they ridicule the other members of my family, that’s another matter,” she said.

Fellow comedian Ai Ai delas Alas has suggested that Pooh and Pokwang apologize to Annabelle and Ruffa. “It’s all right to parody showbiz celebrities. But the entertainment circle is one big Mafia. There are sacred cows. So don’t make it too personal. Show some respect.”

Are Pooh and Pokwang ready to go down on their bended knee before Annabelle and Ruffa?

Stay tuned.