Chapter 3 of Roque Mendez, Debt Collector

Roque Mendez exited out of the building after successfully taking a mound of Cliff Daniels' money from his supposed safe. It was filled with money after all, and he took just the right amount ( by estimation) to cover Daniels' debt. He took out his phone and then called Roberts' number. It didn't take too long before it was answered. "Who is this? How did you--" "It's me, your number one debt collector." "Didn't I told you to--" "Well in case you haven't noticed, we haven't got a place to do a transaction." "Of what?" "The goddamn money, man. I've got it. Cold, hard-earned cash. I could've just prevented myself from calling you, ran away with the eight hundred grand, and make myself a happy man. But hey, I've gotsa respect my business. Negócio é um negócio. So I'm asking you again: where shall we meet?" "I'll call you back." The other end of the phone was hung up. Roque sighed. 

Mendez hefted the duffel bag filled with the money and headed to the nearest coffee shop. The way Mendez recalled it, it's no further than two blocks. There, he sat and ordered a cup of coffee. While lounging and taking a couple of sips at a time, he noticed something. Many, if not everybody, at the coffee shop took more than a second look at him. He immediately figured they were actually eyeing his bag. Of course a duffel bag that big would've attracted anybody, mugger or not. He immediately finished off his coffee and took off. A couple of steps from the coffee shop, his phone rang. It was Roberts. "Meet me at Tuck Street. Look for the white muscle car. I'll be inside an alleyway." Mendez knew the place. It wasn't far. 

Minutes later he was on an alleyway, the kind shady drug deals took place or some bored middle-class workers stop for some seemingly good time he's gonna spend with an attractive girl from the side of the road. That kind of alleyway. Mendez saw the said white muscle car, and then he saw Roberts. He looked like a big shot-- an upper class businessman, at least by his looks, wearing a white set of suit, trousers, loafers, and even his fedora was white. The only thing that contrasted with white-ish colour were his pair of sunglasses and a black sweater underneath his blazer. "Well, Mr. Mendez? I assumed the job was well done." "Yeah, it's not like every road don't got their fair share of bumps, but yeah, it's well done enough." "I also assumed you got the money, yes?" Mendez zipped open the bag to expose a tempting sight of lots and lots of green papers inside his duffel bag, before handing it to Roberts. Mendez asked, "You do remember about my cut, right?" "Oh yes. About the cut--" Roberts took out a gun and aimed at Mendez. At a split-split-second, Mendez was startled, thinking how could this guy suddenly attempted to gun me down? Instead, at a split-second, Mendez dropped the bag and charged at Roberts.
Roberts  was stunned by the lightning movement Mendez presented, and discharged a shot. The shot instead hit nothing, as Mendez had swiped the gun away from himself with his right hand and jabbed Roberts' face with his left. Roberts flinched but not out cold. Roberts did a backhand, trying to bash Mendez with his gun, yet missing again. This was due to Mendez ducking under his backhand. Mendez stood straight and in a quick motion booted Roberts on the chest.
Roberts was knocked back, but his gun was still on his grasp, something Mendez was disdained about. Roberts raised his hand, training his gun at Mendez again, finger on the trigger. Mendez did not wait long to disarm Roberts; he kicked upward, hitting the aiming hand, flinging the gun high above their heads. Roberts was shocked, yet again. In between his startled look, Mendez did a roundhouse kick with his right foot, knocking him flat to the ground. Finally, Mendez thought.
About the gun, Mendez caught it firmly on his palm the second it approached the ground.
Mendez caught sight of Roberts' muscles trembling, flinching, looking submitted. He could have just shown the ultimate irony of getting-shot-by-your-own-gun to Roberts. He could have just taught this crook a lesson of a lifetime, something he would've maybe acquired had he survived the gunshot. Had he not, maybe at afterlife he'll think how experience is your best teacher.
But no.
Mendez disassembled the gun. Discarding the gun magazine, jerking away the slide, and throwing the gun away. Then he crackled his knuckles. "Sorry about the gun, I'll make it up for you. For now, why don't you show me what you got?"
Roberts got on his feet, swiping away the blood splattered around his mouth. He was taking a fighting stance when Mendez interrupted, "Oh, and why don't you take that nice suit off? I'd hate to mess your fine tailoring." That taunt just made Mendez' victorious grin a lot wider.
Surprisingly Roberts  did as Mendez said, albeit with an obviously disgusted look. He threw it on the ground, tainting it with dirt. But Mendez won't give a mind to that.
And with a battle cry, Roberts, in his fedora and his rolled-up sleeve shirt, charged at Mendez.
Surprisingly, Roberts' punches and jabs were quick, at least compared to countless low-rent thugs Mendez had put down. But Mendez was ultimately faster. For the majority, Mendez rarely countered, he instead just blocked, parried, ducked, and sidestepped from Roberts' supposed hits. Mendez quite enjoyed the dissatisfaction of his opponent as he failed to hurt Mendez. But Mendez himself was getting bored, as this particular opponent was, so to say, quite relentless. Roberts hadn't shown a pint of fatigue. Mendez almost thought about countering and ending this tiresome battle once and for all, but then he saw it.
Roberts, after a missed swing, took a step back, and inhaled a deep breath. It was brief, but it was the brief moment Mendez needed: his opponent losing strength. After that deep breath, Roberts charged at Mendez, this time he attempted to boulder Mendez a wide hefty jab to the crown. It was heavy and overcharged, lest its slow motion.
Mendez exploited it.
He caught Roberts' hand, and knee'd him on the rib. It was all before he shoved Roberts' to the side doors of his white muscle car. Roberts' made contact with the car body in an ensuring, at least to Mendez, thud. Mendez took two wide swings across Roberts' face, both unblocked. The second one knocked his white fedora off. When he was taking the third, Mendez' rhythm of beatdown was halted.
Roberts blocked his hit.
Mendez didn't have time to react, as Roberts punched his abdomen. He took the pain and cleared his reflexes. It didn't hurt that much, but it sent a jolt he hadn't felt in quite a time: the pain of getting punched. His reflexes were back on when Roberts swung his fist again. He saw this coming, and ducked. He felt a boulder of knuckles passing over him harmlessly. He gave Roberts another jab on the cheek. Roberts retaliated, this time Mendez perfectly anticipated.
Roberts attempted to kick Mendez' hip. But instead, he caught the thigh, and used the momentum of the kick to swing Roberts clockwise, away from the car and to the ground. Roberts landed on his back. Mendez briefly saw Roberts poking his head from his lying position, in the middle of Mendez doing something.
Shooting his foot to Roberts' face.
Blood splattered to the wall behind Roberts. He, sadly, was not out yet, but he obviously just experienced pain. He held his bloodied face, covering it with both his palms, in either shame or, just plain pain.
On the other side, Mendez just pulled out his engraved revolver, and casually aimed it at Roberts. "Who are you working for?" As cliche as it sounded even in Mendez' head, he just couldn't find a more badass quip. Roberts, still dazed, spat out blood. He then faced his would-be murderer. "F--"
Mendez pulled the trigger. "At-ta-ta, senhor Roberts. Língua. Watch that mouth of yours."
Nicely enough, Roberts didn't respond.
Mendez stepped away from his assailant and walked to the fedora Roberts dropped earlier. He wiped the dust off it, and fitted it on his head. Not my style, he thought. Instead of hauling it away as a loot, Mendez gently put said hat on Roberts' chest, as a sign of honor. Given Mendez' attitude, it was just one last taunt from Mendez to his adversary.
Not to forget, the loot. That is, the debt ripped from Daniels' pitiful hands, and Roberts' deceitful arms.

Roque arrived at his apartment, after depositing a three quarters of his take to the bank. He'd put the rest into the stash in his apartment, the one those unlucky muggers tried to pry open. Unfortunately they didn't even came close to even getting a bead on it. Then he went to his kitchen to get himself some snack, only to find his fridge morbidly empty. He realized he'd ran out of grub stock since three days ago, the time he went to collect a debt from a kitchen-knife wielding Japanese deadbeat. So, he went down to the streets and went to the nearest mini-market from his apartment, just across the street.

Roque was now at the cool drinks fridge at the side edge of the mini-mart. He'd greeted the Indian shopkeeper before as he does everyday. Both had went along well, with the hospitality of the shopkeeper kept Mendez' prejudices of Indian people at bay. "So, have you stocked the tequilas?" "Ooh, I apologize Mr. Mendez, I'm really sorry but we haven't stocked at tequilas for the day? Shall I--" "No, it's fine. Don't bother yourself, man. I've had a really bad hangover from drinking 4 shots of tequilas straight, so I don't mind having a break from tequilas." "Ah, Mr. Mendez. I don't feel so good for not being able to oblige to a customer's request. Are you sure you're okay with this?" "Man, Eu não me importo." "Excuse me, what  was that?" "Eh, I just said 'I don't mind it'." When Roque just clamped his hand on a pack of beers, suddenly a shotgun fire was heard. "THIS IS A ROBBERY! EVERYBODY GET DOWN AND DON'T EVER GET ANY IDEAS!" Roque said silently to himself, "Ach, seriously, twice in two days?" Roque heard the shocked shopkeeper, his words shaking. "Wh-wh-what are you doing?" There were two robbers, as there was a second voice, different as the one shouting to everybody to get down. "What do you think are we doing now? Health inspecting? Now you get all the cash out of that register machine, or I'll get all of your brains out from your head. With this thing." Roque saw the guy with the second voice pulling out a gun. Not a bigger threat than HIS gun, actually. He also noticed the other guy got a shotgun, sawed-off one, then it looked like this one was heading his way. He playacted and pretended to browse items from the freezer. "Hey you! Blondie! Didn't I tell you to get down!?" Roque slyly replied, his back was on the man. "Oh, what was that? Thought I heard two sanduíches bisteca de porco walking into this fine business." "What did you say?" Now he sensed the shotgun pressed on his crown. "Ah. Nothing." Then he abruptly spun his arm around and deflected the shotgun's aim from his head. The robber was caught off-guard. Roque gripped the shotgun and gave the robber a solid, hard headbutt. Now the robber was dazed. While the robber stumbled, Roque seized the opportunity to lay down some serious beatdown, such as grabbing the robber by the hoodie and shoving him into the freezer he opened. After that, he swung the door closed, hitting the robber the robber with a very thud. Roque was somewhat dissatisfied with the fact that the robber's body prevented the door from being successfully closed. But, the slam from the door had stunned the robber and knocked him flat.
Roque picked up the shotgun and then aimed at the other robber, who was standing near the counter. The latter noticed something went wrong with the crowd control and started to ready his gun at Mendez. Mendez pumped the shotgun, shouting, "Yo, senhor shopkeeper! Get down!" and started firing at the robber. The distraught shopkeeper was startled, but immediately did as he was told. Roque fired a shot, of which a little amount of the pellets grazed the robber. He screamed in pain, but he still stood tall. Instead of firing back, he immediately got into cover at the end of one of the aisles. Roque fired again to suppress the robber and preventing him to return fire. When he pulled the trigger for the third time, the gun only clicked. It was jammed. The robber taking cover heard the click, and stepped out of cover, aiming high at Mendez. "What my man told you about getting any ideas? You got some balls and a serious deathwish man.. amateur." "Man, you are the amateur. Well, at least your friend is. You don't go on a simple stick-up job with a goddamned jammed shotgun! And no, I don't got a serious deathwish. I've had at least ten deathwishes since I signed up for my job." "What job, blondie?" The reply was the shotgun hurled towards the robber. The robber, as Mendez didn't expected, was fast enough to dodge the flying shotgun. Mendez instead charged to the robber and pulled the gun-holding-arm, snatched the pistol, and whipped it to the robber's face. He also didn't forget to knee the robber on the chest and punched him across the face. The robber staggered sideways. Roque then kicked the robber on the chest with his heels, sending him flying backwards, to the aisle behind him. The aisle took a sudden shock, and the aisle went down due to the robber's weight, much of the structure broken, with the robber on top of it. The robber was still trying to get his eyes straight when Roque grabbed him by the shirt and threw him to another aisle headfirst. He bashed the robber's head against the aisle once then released the shirt, only to gave the robber an uppercut with a canned food from the aisle.
The robber, surprisingly still up, crawled on the floor, trying to create some distance between him and a scrawny leather jacket clad man giving the two the opportunity to experience eating from a straw. But, it's not like Mendez was satisfied with his work. He grabbed the robber by the shirt, got him standing, lifted the robber using his momentum and shoulder, and put him not-so-gently on the cashier. After he landed, the last thing the robber saw was Roque's fist launched against his face. Finally, to wrap the daily-grocery-shopping gone wrong, Roque slid the robber from the counter to the floor.
And after all the cahoots, Roque'd just recalled he hasn't even grabbed the pack of beer he was actually trying to purchase. So he fetched the pack and then put them to the counter. The shopkeeper, his face was a combination of relief and astonishment, said, "No need to pay, Mr. Mendez! It's free! This is the only way I can thank you!" Mendez was flattered. "Não. I've seen here that you've had a very bad day at work, and paying for these are the least I can do to make it a little better. Besides, I've gotta pay you for a good service through and through. And uh, I'll pay for the damage. How much?" "Ah! Er.. oh.." the shopkeeper did a transaction and checked out the items Roque bought. "That would be ten dollars, sir." "And the damage?" "You don't need to pay for that, Mr. Mendez! You paying for the beers are far more than enough!" "Ah, eu sou tocado. But like I said, you'll need a pick-me-up after a bad day at work and a payment for your good service." And with that saying, Roque put one hundred fifteen dollars on the counter and left the mini-mart.  The skies outside was getting dark, as it was approaching evening, but Roque didn't actually mind, as he got what he came for. He practically left the mini-mart in shambles.     

Chapter 4 of Roque Mendez, Debt Collector

Mendez had had a good time snoozing with a good supply of beers. Not to mention going back to the mini-mart, still in shambles, and grabbing some tortilla chips and a pack of canned sodas. He then laid on the very same couch he slept on before the Cliff Daniels job. He thought about the stunts he'd pulled off in the last two days and three nights, how lucky he was to still be breathing, much less laying on his apartment, in this line of job. But he thought that, he didn't actually fit in the society after his duty in the Gulf Wars. He once tried to be a janitor in a taco place, but he was fired when he viciously beat a fellow co-worker who was being a racist to Hispanic people, like him. And then countless other occupations, such as a taxi driver, a mechanic assistant, an underground fighter, and a civil worker. He got sacked from all, save for the underground fighter thing, he retired after discovering his price money was rigged by the manager because he'd just defeated his favorite, ten-fights-not-beaten-yet fighter (whom Mendez thought was a little less in a disarray than those mini-mart stick-up artists). 

Then he recollected the last two days, and then was fast asleep. 

Sunshine broke through the windows, and the sounds of the cars roaring, honking, and skidding on the streets was heard well enough from Roque's apartment. Mendez woke up, stretched, and then stepped from his impromptu bed. He realized he hadn't changed for the last three days; so he dug his wardrobe and changed his white t-shirt to a olive green t-shirt, and his black trousers was changed to a pair of woodland camouflaged cargo pants. But he kept the black rolled leather jacket and his brown boots. He still hadn't removed his double gun holster, he thought, it would look good on his appearance. At least intimidating, with that .44 Taurus Raging Bull. But he thought a touch of truculence would fit. He removed the mattress off his couch, to reveal a chest just as long as the couch beneath. It was locked with a combination of four numbers: 8736. He opened it, and then unveiled a weapon of choice: a machete with a wooden handle, long and thick  silver blade, with intricate engravings on each side of the blade. The size of it was enough to make a meat cleaver look like a fork. Of course, with a sheath, of which would be carried on his back. In a flash, it would've looked like a quiver, but it's actually a machete sheath. 

All things considered, that would've made street muggers think way more than twice to rob him. He was thinking about his when a call went into his phone. Big T, a city contact who hooked him up with jobs. And mostly, the closest to a friend he had since he moved into the city. "Yo yo yo Rocky, it's T man. What is up?" "Oi, Big T my man, you doin' good?" "Hell  yeah my boy! Doing good as everyday. So, that mysterious dude, you met him?" "You mean Roberts?" "Oh yeah! Wait, the dude's name is Roberts?" "You told him about me, right?" "Uh-huh. He do any good to you?" "As a matter of fact, he immediately gave me a good ol' job. Same shit, different day. Then get this thing man, he tried to rip me off." "Aw shit man! For real?" "Yeah, sério. Tried to kill me, even." "Holy shitcow man! Literally, man?" "Sadly, yes. But it's  not like he succeeded, anyway." "Haha, who am I kidding here? The best one in the business! Look man, I'm really sorry this happened to you. Honestly man, I don't know this would've happened, man. Carter just told me--" "Back it up a sec. Who's Carter?" "Oh right, forgot to tell you. Carter is my new employer. Ran some mob of hoodlums, protection, stick-up jobs, that kind of shit. New name on the streets. Pays nice." "Yeah, well some low-rent hood who pays nice ain't the thing I had in my mind for your future.." "Bro, at least I got someone who pays me now! Rather than looking up names that need light whacking for some light cash. Not that I said the game we've been playing didn't pay nice, but.. I need to step up the ladder, bro. Make some real and steady flow of cash. " "Not gonna argue with you. This game I'm playing is fine by me." "Whenever you wanna step up the food chain, you can always let me know! Anyways, I got a job for you. Di-rectly from Carter boss himself." "What's the deal with Carter anyways? What you just said about him?" "Dude, real sorry for the botched deal. But Carter told me someone wanted some debt collection job. He told this.. who this guy called?" "Roberts. As in, Robert De Niro, with an s." "Right. Roberts. He told Roberts, the someone, to ask me and see if I can hook him up to you and get the business done." "Well you better tell this Carter boy his Roberts pal kicked the bucket. Otherwise, he would've thought it's either me, or you, or both of us." "Yeah, I'll see to that. Should I mention who kicked his bucket?" "That's a good question.. can't you make something up? 'Some two-bit rent-a-hood shot him in an alley.' Or some shit like that. Você me pegari?" "What?" "You get me?" "Oh. Right. I'll come up with something, man. Don't you worry about nothin'. In the meantime, I'll text you Carter's number, and contact him when you're ready for a job." 

After taking out the trash, the laundry, and the impressions of him being a scrawny, frail-looking blond Hispanic, Mendez went out for some fresh air. Then he arrived at the mini-mart. Looks like police line were everywhere, in spite of the fact that no actual murder was committed. There he saw the shopkeeper, standing in front of who seemed to be a detective of some sorts. He wore nothing resembling those police officers on duty doing crime scene investigation inside. Those inside wore dark blue investigator jackets with 'CSU' in capital letters with smaller 'Crime Scene Unit' written below, and matching dark blue caps. Those outside wore standard beat cop uniforms complete with batons, police dispatch on shoulder, and hosltered guns. While this guy wore striped polo shirt, blue casual slacks, brown loafers, and a digital watch. Roque identified him as a detective due to his police badge strapped on his hips. He was being interviewed by the officer, as it seemed. He mustered the guts to greet the shopkeeper, with the risk of him getting interviewed as well, and then getting booked for gravely injuring those poor thieving souls. Honestly, he thought, the freezer-door-bashed guy wasn't going to recover anytime sooner than two weeks. 

But he did, anyway. 

"Bom dia, my shop man. How is it going?"

The Indian turned around to see the vigilante who just either saved his life or probably dissolved two others. 

 "Hey, Mr. Mendez. It's been somewhat fine since last night's incident. The police are here to run an investigation on the robbers whose fine stick-up job you just terribly botched. Oh, by the way, have you met Mr. Detective yet?" "Actually no, not yet." Mendez and the detective, or at least the officer in charge, shook hands for an introduction. "Detective Callum McConley." "Roque Mendez, prazer em conhece-lo." "I'm sorry, what was that again?" "Nice to meet you. That's how they say it where I came from." "Oh. What's with the machete, anyway?" "Ah, just a reminder." "Of?" "It's more of a 'to', actually. A reminder to people who got a glint of idea to try to rip me off." "Well, Mr. Mendez, that was less to a reminder than to an impression. That you're not to be messed with. Remind me that, will you?" "You don't need any reminder. You seem nice enough. Anyways, senhor shopkeeper here told you who acted in self-defense and took down the muggers?" 

"Yeah. You."

"Oh, so he's already told you alright. Why did nobody gave me a call for an interview last night? It's not like I'm gonna be like 'go eat donuts and to hell with your mini-mart robbery case' if you guys actually called." By saying that, he knew the risk of this man actually attempting to background check him back at the precinct after the interview. But then again, he recalled haven't been booked for the last nine months for any crime. Any known crime, anyway, considering he just killed one and heavily injuring eight in just two days. "Well that would be because the call for robbery in the mini-mart just came in this dawn. But anyways, I would appreciate any insight you can lay down for us in this case. After all, you and this shop guy are the only witnesses we got." "Very well then. When shall we start?" They started right there and then, and Mendez told him exactly what he did in the last chapter. 

A call came in after Mendez waved goodbye to McConley and good old shopkeeper. "Mendez, isn't it?" "Yeah, and who might you be?" "Carter." "Ah, you're Big T's boy." "I say you control the words comin' outta your mouth, pretty boy, coz' first, Big T is MY boy, and second, I'm in charge here. You answer to me, and you talk nice to me when I'm talking to you. Got it, pretty boy?" Mendez' blood went lukewarm, but his voice stayed calm. "Look, you want a job done or a lump of cash gone? Just get on with it and you'll get your money soon enough." "Watch it, pretty boy." Roque tried to pretend his words are made of anything less than a sound. "How much does this human being owe you?" "Seven hundred seventy five thousand." "And who was it?" "Trey Becks." 

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW: Crows Zero

Starring: - Shun Oguri as Takiya Genji
             - Takayuki Hamada as Tamao Serizawa
             - Sousuke Takaoka as Izaki Shun
             - Kenta Kiritani as Tatsukawa Tokio
             - Kyōsuke Yabe as Katagiri Ken

             - Motoki Fukami as Rindaman

             - Watanabe Dai as Bandō Hideto

Rilis: 27 Juli 2007

Box office: $ 22 juta
Genre: Action 
Lama: 2 jam 9 menit 

Kali ini gue menyajikan sesuatu yang sedikit berbeda. Biasanya gue me-review (trus THIS IS NOT A REVIEW apalah artinya?!) film terkenal yang jelas udah pernah nongol di bioskop. Yah, anggeplah macam The Raid 2, atau Big Hero 6, atau Breaking Daun The Maze Runner. Tapi, seperti yang udah gue bilang tadi, gue akan menyajikan sesuatu yang berbeda. Gue gak tau apa ini film pernah nongol di bioskop Dua-Satu ato enggak, tapi satu hal: film ini greget banget. Nope, judulnya tidak menyiratkan film horror asal Jepang (percaya sama gue, Jepang dan Thailand adalah pakar film horror). Greget dalam arti: tema yang dibawakan. Kita sebagai orang Indonesia mestinya udah familiar banget sama tema ini, tapi yang gue suka adalah film ini bisa merubah perspektif kita terhadap tema itu. 
Apaan sih? Kasitau woy!! 
Tawuran. 
Yah tahu aja kan, golongan pelajar Indonesia terbagi atas dua hal: alim dan bengal. Bengal sendiri terbagi atas dua kategori lagi: nakal dan anarkis. Di sini akan gue bahas anarkis, yaitu semacam nge-geng dan kurang lebih jadi mafia sekolah. Anarkis sendiri bisa (bila mau) dibagi menjadi dua hal: intra/antarsekolah. Golongan anarkis jelas udah menjadi sumber berbagai keresahan di masyarakat, apalagi kalo masalah mereka dibawa ke luar komplek sekolah mereka. Jalanan tempat banyak mobil motor gerobak lewat jadi ring tarung mereka. Bisa aja toh, gara-gara sepatu setengah juta mereka kecirit tokai langsung tawuran? 
Kurang lebih tahun lalu, atas rekomendasi temen gue, gue berhasil menemukan film greget ini. Tapi, ada satu hal yang jelas berbeda. Kita semua tahu betapa peserta tawuran reguler di masyarakat udah kayak granat. Kita gak pernah tahu kapan mereka bisa meledak, dan masalah macam apa yang bisa bikin mereka meledak. Seperti yang gue bilang tadi, kecirit tokai bisa jadi salah satu alasannya. Intinya, mereka bisa hajar-hajaran kapan, dimana, dan dengan siapa aja. 
Apa bedanya dengan disini??

Welcome to Suzuran 
Setting utama di film ini adalah SMA Pria Suzuran, yang jelas gak ada di Indonesia (tapi diam-diam diimpikan ada). Menurut film ini, Suzuran ini udah semacam kandangnya remaja tawuran. Bahkan selama satu film, gak ada adegan murid-muridnya belajar. Yang ada, nongkrong sana sini, corat-coret piloks sana-sini, ngerokok pula. Guru? Satu-satunya alasan guru tidak jadi korban tawuran anak-anak adalah karena predikat mereka sebagai guru. Dari tahun ke tahun, selalu ada perebutan kekuasaan mutlak atas seluruh anak murid di Suzuran. Bahkan, ada aja remaja yang cukup ngide buat daftar ke Suzuran buat ngebuktiin kemampuannya gebuk orang lain. Yah intinya, kalo mau jadi manusia yang bermartabat dan berguna bagi masyarakat dibandingkan jadi tukang bogem, ya jangan ke sini.
Sampai pada film ini, penguasa (atau yang paling deket ke pangkat 'penguasa') Suzuran adalah Tamao Serizawa, antagonis utama film ini. Serizawa sudah menguasai sebagian besar dari Suzuran, dan juga punya paling banyak pengikut. Versi simpelnya, dia adalah yang paling mendekati sebagai raja anak-anak greget Suzuran. Padahal, postur dia gak segede anak-anak lainnya. Rada pendek gimana, gitu.
Semuanya berubah saat ada murid pindahan yang seangkatan sama Serizawa. Takiya Genji, anak Yakuza (wajar aja sih kalo Yakuza ngirim anaknya ke sekolah yang mendidik muridnya menjadi Yakuza). Genji pindah dengan mandat dari bokapnya (Yakuza, jelas) untuk menguasai Suzuran, suatu pencapaian yang tidak berhasil dicapai si bokap itu. Tapi TERNYATA *jengjengjeng* sebuah rintangan besar berdiri di hadapannya! Siapakah dia? 

Saksikan setelah pesan-pesan berikut ini.

Tamao Serizawa, tolol. 

Dan dimulailah petualangan Genji, dibantu oleh Ken Katagiri, untuk menjatuhkan Serizawa dan menguasai Suzuran. Gimana, sih, Genji ini, dia sampe berani buat ngadu dirinya, anak baru (tapi gak ingusan) melawan Serizawa yang sudah punya kekuatan bonafid di Suzuran?

ki-ka: Rindaman, Tokio, Serizawa, Bando, Izaki, Ken, Genji

The Immorals

Genji adalah anak pemimpin Yakuza.

Itu kurang?

Genji sebagai protagonis tergambarkan sangat ambisius dan dalam beberapa adegan, arogan. Jelas, lu ngirim anak Yakuza ke sekolah isinya anak tawuran semua, gimana gak cocok? Meskipun dia berperan sebagai protagonis, peran yang dia jalani di film ini setara sama anti-hero. Ayolah, semua protagonis di semua film di semua jagat pasti baik-baik, atau minimal punya nilai moral, kan?

Genji ini pengecualian. 

Ya, dia berusaha menggulingkan Serizawa. Ya, dia berusaha melawan tirani yang mengepalai semua golongan Suzuran. Tapi tujuan sebenarnya Genji bukan mengalahkan Serizawa. Melainkan jadi penguasa Suzuran. Dia sebenarnya gak peduli, sejauh mana dia bakal bertindak untuk menguasai Suzuran. Intinya, sebagai anak Yakuza, dia punya tingkat ego yang sangat tinggi. Bertindak berdasarkan insting, dan berani menghajar siapa saja yang dia anggap menghalanginya, bahkan teman sendiri. 

Trus, Genji ini ada baik-baiknya gak, sih? 

Genji, dibaliknya kesombongan tulennya, punya sisi agak baik. Misalnya egonya yang sangat tinggi membuat dia sangat setia kawan dengan teman-temannya. Dia (menurut gue) menganggap teman-temannya sama dengan dirinya. Kalo ada yang dihajar, dia menganggap dirinya yang dihajar, dan dia bisa nuntut dendam. Yah, interpretasi lain adalah dia gak pingin geng-nya kekurangan tenaga kerja. Kalo ada yang dihajar secara licik, berarti kekuatan geng-nya melemah, dan dia menganggap itu adalah kecurangan. Intinya (lagi), Genji adalah orang yang peduli dengan orang-orang yang dekat dengannya. 

Bagaimana dengan Serizawa, antagonis yang semestinya jahat?

Serizawa punya anak dari segala karakter seorang antagonis: sombong. Ya mikir aja sih, sebelum Genji dateng, Serizawa udah di atas angin. Suzuran entar lagi udah punya dia. Trus ada si anak ingusan (pernyataan yang salah, buuung) ini dateng. Bisa apa dia? Mikir gitu kali, si Serizawa ini. 

Tapi beda dengan Genji yang sangat ber-ego dan sangat temperamen, Serizawa sangat kalem. Serizawa kalem dalam arti ketika Genji udah mulai menarik perhatian dan menggalang kekuatan, dia gak panik. Dia pede dan yakin bahwa Genji ini, mau sebanyak berapapun orang yang berdiri di belakang dia, bakal kalah. Dia, menurut gue, adalah seorang good sport, tidak merendahkan Genji ketika si anak Yakuza ini berusaha melawan Serizawa.

Makin mirip dengan Genji adalah sifat Serizawa yang tidak segan. Dia gak segan menghajar orang yang dia anggap tidak sejalan dengan pikirannya, meskipun itu adalah temannya sendiri. Dia tidak segan menghajar orang yang menantangnya. Dia tidak segan membela temannya yang lebih lemah. Dia tidak segan membogem orang yang sembrono dan curang, meskipun-- ah sudahlah, intinya dia tidak segan. 

Pada akhirnya, dua manusia utama tidak bermoral di film ini adalah dua sisi dalam satu koin. Makin deket lu ngeliat mereka berdua, mereka sebenarnya sangat mirip. Paling pertama adalah mirip dalam hal kemampuan mereka menjotos orang lain. 

UUUUUURRRRREEEEEEAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

Sayang sekali, gue gak sedang ngebahas pupuk urea disini. 

Yang gue bahas adalah murid Suzuran teladan pasti tereak-tereak sebelum tarung. Ya kan biar semangat. Lagian, kalo senjata tarung lu adalah jotosan lu sendiri, masa lu letoy? Ntar lu tarung letoy juga. Ntar lu baru lima menit muka lu udah kekubur ke tanah. 

Oh ya, tadi gue sebut pake jotosan?

Yep, beda dengan generasi ngawur yang kita sering liat di TV, di Crows Zero iki, mereka tawuran tanpa pake senjata dalam bentuk apapun. Yah, kecuali satu adegan tawuran, tapi itu gak termasuk tawuran, karena lawannya adalah geng motor. Ya namanya adu jotos antargeng. Tapi seriusan! Mereka disini bertarung hanya gebukan, jotosan, bogem-an, tendangan, dan tentu saja, teriakan yang bisa bikin lawan terkencing-kencing. Ya di sisi baik dari jenis tawuran yang anak-anak di TV praktikkan, mereka pinter, bisa berimprovisasi, barang sehari-hari (macam kaki kursi dan gear sepeda) bisa dijadiin senjata. 

Jadi, terpenting di film ini adalah sebagaimana kuat jotosan lu terhadap muka lawan lu. 

Dan apakah jotosan itu bisa sekuat sampai kerasa di luar layar? Jelas karena banyaknya adegan adu bogem di film ini, maka semua bogem-an yang melayang harus terasa, toh? Otherwise kita kira ini anak-anak Jepang lagi main tampar-tamparan. Ahh, kaya banci aja.

Bagusnya, film ini berhasil membuat tinju-tinju yang melayang kerasa. 

Kayak, kalo ada kepalan tangan mendarat di muka, kita sampe ngerasa betapa sakitnya pukulan itu. Setiap kali kena, kayak, JDUAAAKK!! Mukul pake perasaan, gitu lho. Apalagi kalo udah adu jotos berjamaah. Gak tau kenapa, gue waktu nonton jadi semangat sampe rasanya mau ikut tawuran juga. Dan gak lupa, sambil teriak-teriak. 

Di sisi koreografi, gak mungkin tertata ala The Raid 2. Ayolah, mau sekolah kurikulum tawuran juga muridnya kan bukan anak Karate semua! Yang ada adalah para murid tonjok sana tonjok sini, sampe orang yang ditonjokkin jatoh, tepar. Terutama para tokoh utama. Pokoknya tokoh figuran yang digebuk tokoh utama pasti kalah. Pasti. Kalo gak kalah, berarti figuran itu bukan figuran. 

Again and again, menurut gue, meskipun terkesan berantakan dalam hal koreografi, it's a beautiful mess. 

(+) - Tema yang dibawakan (pertarungan antarpelajar) dibawakan dengan ultra-greget.  

     - Musik yang membawakan suasana dengan baik. 

     - Karakter para tokoh terlihat diantara aura action yang tebal.

(-) - Protagonis yang terlalu antagonis.

    - Adegan dramatis yang tidak mengharukan (saking machonya film ini).

    - Kalo tidak hati-hati, film ini membawa pengaruh buruk ke generasi muda (nonton dulu, lahh).  

NILAI: 87/100

Conclusion: Faktanya, Crows Zero berdasar manga Crows yang dibuat oleh Hiroshi Takahashi. Crows Zero adalah prekuel dari manga greget ini, dan menurut gue, membuat gue menjadi semi-tertarik terhadap cerita Crows sesungguhnya. Action yang ngebakar semangat penonton, cerita yang fresh, dan tokoh yang unik adalah alasan film ini bersinar. Dua kekurangan diatas? Sebenernya tidak memengaruhi mulusnya jalan film ini. 

Until the next post, bungs! :D

 
 

Rebooted! Renamed! Remade!

Setelah sekian lamanya gue ini ber-hiatus ria dari blogging gue, akhirnya gue memutuskan untuk mengubah alter ego gue di internet. Mungkin karena gue merasa gue udah menetap dengan kerjaan sampingan blog gue, jadi butuh pijakan yang lebih mantab.

Pertama-tama, siapa, apa, atau makhluk macam apa Blinkyman ini. Lu pada masuk ke blog gue, dan ngeliat: Blinkyman's Blog. Blinkyman?? Nama macam apa itu? Lahir dari mana dia? Apa tujuan sebenarnya dia di dunia ini? Siapa aku? Kenapa kucing bekaki enam empat?? Loh? LOH?

Blinky (bling-ki, blinq-khi, bling-q) adalah.. MUSUH DARI PAC-MAN. Tepatnya, sebagai setan pengejar Pac-Man yang berwarna merah. Man adalah.. MANUSIA/ORANG/PRIA PUNYA SELERA/LELAKI. Yah kenapa dari sekian banyaknya tokoh gaming yang lebih layak gue pilih, gue malah pilih setan-setanan warna merah yang jadi warna biru klo Pac-Man salah makan obat? 

Ini dimulai dari sejarah gaming gue sebelum beralih ke PC Gaming: Xbox 360. Bagi man-teman yang belum familiar dengan sistem X360, ada yang namanya user di X360. User, ya semacam user di komputer. Ada admin, ada user dengan nama-nama aneh seperti PENUNGGU KAMAR 35, dan sejenisnya itulah. Prinsip dari User pada X360 kurang lebih mirip. Dan nama dari user ini dibawa ke dalam game, jadi kalo di game Call of Duty lu nge-kill atau di-kill, ya nama User itu yang muncul, anggeplah: ORANG_WARAS KILLED C4Y4N6K4MUCELALOEH atau C4Y4N6K4MUCELALOEH KILLED PLAYER1. Ya, itu emang alay kronis, mohon tidak ditiru di rumah. 

Akhirnya, gue setelah banyaknya kealayan, membuat User dengan nama: Blinkyman. Gue, faktanya dapet ini dari profile picture yang disediakan dalam membuat User. Gak banyak, gue harus jujur. Gak terlalu kece lagi, ini gue jujur juga. Akhirnya, dari banyaknya opsi yang disediakan, ada gambarnya si anu itu. BLINKY. Dhemit merah bermata biru yang kerjaannya ngejer-ngejer Pac-Man di game Pac-Man ras manapun. Gue pilihlah si dia, dan karena gue buat Username berdasarkan Profile Picture gue, yah beginilah jadinya. Blinkyman. Ya gue tahu gue gak kreatif. 

Loncat ke jaman 2010-an. Gue sekarang udah punya Steam, versi simpelnya: toko game online. Di Steam akhirnya pake nama-nama lagi pula, dan setelah berbagai kealayan lainnya, gue keinget Username X360 gue: Blinkyman. Gue pake lagi dah itu sebagai nick gue di game-game yang menggunakan add-on Steam (ini ngawur karena gue gak ngerti istilahnya). 

Sekarang loncat lagi ke tahun 2015. Blinkyman adalah nama yang jelas gak semua orang pake. Ya bukan apa-apa, tapi emang gak ada orang yang segoblok itu buat pake nama segoblok itu juga. Selain gue. Gue mikir buat ganti nama. Tapi, gue juga gak mau melepaskan sesosok hantu yang tumbuh bersama dengan jiwa gamer gue. Akhirnya, setelah sedikitnya pertimbangan, gue mengubah nama menjadi...

BLINQMAN. 

Ada apa dengan Q? Penjelasan terletak di Scrabble. Selain daripada Z, Q adalah huruf dengan skor tertinggi, mengingat betapa susahnya pake huruf itu. Z dan Q skor per hurufnya sama: 10. Ditambah lagi, per permainan Scrabble, dalam satu set huruf-huruf yang digunakan, cuman ada satu Z dan satu Q. Yah, itu menjelaskan betapa uniknya Q ini sebenarnya. Dan gue bertanya dengan diri gue sendiri, kenapa gak Z? Anggeplah, dengan huruf Z, nama gue bisa jadi Blinkymanz. Atau Blinkzyman. Atau ZblinkymanZ. Eh. Itu ide yang bagus juga. Atau Blinkymanzzz. Kan sama-sama uniknya. Gue beranggapan kebanyakan orang udah pake huruf Z, sekeren-keren atau sealay-alaynya dia. Penggunaan huruf Z kan, bisa dalam bentuk 'Duhhh ngantukzzzz bangettzzzz'. Q? Palingan cuma satu orang terkenal, yaitu Q dari serial James Bond. Tugasnya? Memberikan peralatan greget kepada Bond macam Aston Martin bersenjata mesin dan pena yang bisa meledak. 

Lagipula, bunyi 'kee' pada 'ky' bisa diganti dengan bunyi 'kee' pada Q, kan? 

Secara sangat waras dan terhitung, domain dari blog ini juga berubah. Menjadi blinqman.blogspot.com. Jujur, sebenernya domainnya sempet gue ubah jadi bloodphantom.blogspot.com. Wuusshhh, mantep toh? Sayangnya mendapatkan kritisi negatif dari berbagai pihak, termasuk nyokap gue sendiri. Bilangnya, 'terlalu serem', 'terlalu alay', dan 'terlalu drastis'. Drastis dalam arti kenapa gue yang fun, funky, dan ringan tiba-tiba punya nama BLOOD PHANTOM. Setan Darah, broooo. Itu udah kayak cerita-cerita serem yang ada di novel-novel serem yang ada di bagian-bagian terserem di Gramedia. Apaan tuh? Akhir cerita, blinqman.blospot.com.

Aneh, makin alay aja gue, ya?

Dan faktanya (lagi), judul post ini gak berarti. Yang relevan cuman RENAMED!-nya doang, karena nama ganti, domain ganti, judul ganti.. tapi isinya tetep. Mungkin ada tambahan-tambahan, tapi marilah kita bersama berharap gue bisa lebih baik dari gue-gue yang terpampang di blog ini di selanjutnya. 

BlinQman, ya? Okeeee?

Until the next post, bungs! :D

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW: Big Hero 6

Starring: - Ryan Potter (Supah Ninjas) as Hiro Hamada

             - Scott Adsit (Mary Shelley's Frankenhole) as Baymax

             - Daniel Henney (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Last Stand) as Tadashi Hamada

             - T.J. Miller (Transformers: Age of Extinction) as Fred

             - Jamie Chung (Dragon Ball Evolution, The Man with the Iron Fists) as Go Go

             - Damon Wayans, Jr. (Let's be Cops) as Wasabi

             - Genesis Rodriguez (Hours) as Honey Lemon

             - James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential, The Green Mile) as Robert Callaghan 

Budget: $165 juta

Box Office: $572,2 juta

Lama: 1 jam 42 menit

Genre:  3D computer-animated superhero action comedy

Mendadak band Fall Out Boy menjadi terkenal, padahal gue gak mereka sebelum tahun 2013, tahun lahirnya film Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters. Yang udah nonton dan bertanya-tanya lagu macam apa yang dimainkan waktu Percy loncat-loncat dan salto di awal film, ini gue kasitau. Judulnya adalah *tarik nafas dalem* My Songs Know What You did in the Dark (Light Em Up). Emang panjang banget kan judulnya, makanya gue tarik nafas dulu. Eh, kok gue ke sini?

Intinya, teman-teman, gue tahu pertama kali film ini adalah saat gue mau nonton The Maze Runner (yang ironisnya, seperti yang gue bahas sebelumnya, gue tahu saat sedang nonton film lain). Trus, ada semacam preview, trailer, ekstra, cinematic, apapun lah itu cara nyebutnya. Ternyata adalah trailer dari film ini, Big Hero 6, diiringi dengan chorus-nya MSKWYDITD (LEU). Waktu itu gue kira Big Hero 6 adalah film animasi *maap banget* low-budget yang sering nangkring di sinema-sinema lokal. Maksudnya, film animasi yang jarang orang tonton karena, yah, film animasi lainnya yang lebih terkenal. Lagipulaa, gue liat developer-nya, yaitu Disney. Tok. Yah biasanya ada Disney-Pixar yang hobi buat film-film CGI mantep macam Up, Wall-E, Cars, Toy Story, dan semacamnya. Buatan Disney, sendirian, secara khusus Walt Disney Animation Studios? Penghasil lagu move-on tergreget sepanjang segala abad, Frozen. 

Apakah film ini mampu membuktikan bahwa Disney memang bisa buat film animasi dewe?  

(Akhirnya) Bukan dari Dongeng

Salah satu kebiasaan Disney, buruk atau bukan, adalah kebanyakan film-nya (garisbawahi kebanyakan) adalah adaptasi dari dongeng terkenal. Bayangin aja, dari 2000-sekarang, tercatat 8 biji film Disney adalah adaptasi dari dongeng, klasik atau kontemporer, terkenal atau enggak. Belum lagi film-film masa kecil seperti Snow White, Cinderella, Pinocchio, dan kaum-kaumnya. Susah sih buat Disney, udah semacam mengakar dan menjadi tradisi untuk membuat film berdasarkan suatu cerita.
Sampai Walt Disney Company membeli Marvel Entertainment, 2009.
Oke jelas ini mantep banget. Marvel itu kan yang buat superhero kece macam Sapidol Spider-Man, Setrikaan Iron Man, Captain America, dan teman-temannya. Okelah kalo itu semua udah dibuat filmnya (huhu, jadi gak ada Spider-Man buatan Disney dong), tapi liat aja komik-komik Marvel yang belom dibuat filmnya masih banyak! Bejibun banget kemungkinan-kemungkinan film yang Disney bisa buat. Apalagi karena mereka bisa aja kehabisan dongeng-dongeng pengantar tidur itu, kan?
Setelah kurang lebih lima tahun setelah dibelinya Marvel Entertainment, Disney akhirnya membuat sebuah film berdasarkan komik Big Hero 6, dengan judul film yang sama.
Apa pendapat gue tentang (permulaan) perubahan source material Disney?
Yah kita mulai dari apakah mereka bener-bener setia terhadap sumber aslinya. Sejauh yang gue tahu, Disney memang secara umum setia, tapi sering sekali mengubah nada dan irama cerita. Jelas aja, biar gak terlalu gelap dan tragis, minimal setragis cerita aslinya, seperti The Little Mermaid (SPOILER: di cerita aslinya, Ariel bunuh diri). Lagian, Disney adalah pembuat hiburan untuk anak-anak, kan? YA KAN? Maap ngelantur, sekarang balik lagi ke pertanyaan: Apakah Disney tetap loyal terhadap kisah asli Big Hero 6?
Oke, anggep aja kayak film The Maze Runner (lagi). Team Big Hero 6, misalnya. Mulai dari Baymax, yang di film dibuat oleh Tadashi, sebenarnya di buat oleh Hiro sendiri di komik. Baymax sendiri juga bukan robot bantal kayak di film. Di komik, dia adalah semacam bodyguard dan ajudan bagi Hiro, dan dia bisa berubah wujud menjadi sebuah makhluk-mirip-naga. Meskipun dia tetaplah robot, tapi jelas gak ada deket-deketnya sama guling hidup yang ada di film. Sekali lagi, Disney, membuat segala source material lebih kid-friendly. Malahan, tim Big Hero 6 di film gak kalah gampang diserap dan tetep nyambung sama sumber aslinya, meskipun dengan wujud kekuatan yang berbeda.
Apa yang gue bilang soal film-film yang kayak beginian? Unwatchable. Oke, sebelum gue dirajam dengan tomat, batako, dan benda keras lainnya, unwatchable artinya unsur di komik tidak ada di film, oke? Bagaimanapun, film ini lebih berkesan sebagai reboot dari komiknya, dengan unsur-unsur yang lebih miring ke arah teknologi dibandingkan dengan kekuatan gege belaka. Ayolah, semua kekuatan Big Hero 6 di film berdasarkan iptek! Nonton dulu, wes.


The Immortals
Apa yang gue bilang soal terkenalnya Fall Out Boy secara tiba-tiba? Nampaknya selain MSKWYDITD (LEU), Fall Out Boy punya Immortals, yang menjadi soundtrack film ini. Lagu ini punya hubungan dengan tema film ini, yaitu sekelompok orang-orang biasa yang menjadi superhero luar biasa. Menjad, yah, dengan segala kekurangan gue membuat quotes keren, Immortals. Abadi. Dan, bagaimana dengan orang-orang abadi ini?
Duo Harada, Hiro dan Tadashi, adalah protagonis dan deuteragonis secara berurutan. Gimana cara lu buat orang yang gak punya kekuatan super menjadi jagoan? Hiro, jelas, badannya kecil, dan dia keliatan culun, meskipun gak ada sebanding sama komiknya. Tim-nya masing-masing punya kekuatan super, bagaimana dengan dia?
Kepintaran yang punya tingkat: PINTERNYA PINTERNYA PINTER.
Justru dari Hiro-lah, ada tim superhero Big Hero 6. Dia yang menemukan potensi-potensi dari masing-masing anggota tim (Go Go, Fred, Honey Lemon, dan Wasabi), kemampuan mereka masing-masing, dan memanfaatkan semuanya untuk dijadikan kekuatan super. Desain kostum, senjata, gadget-gadget canggih, terutama punya Baymax, idenya si Hiro ini.
Dan apakah orang yang sangat pintar berarti dia gak punya kelemahan? Yah Hiro masih muda, dan jelas, hal ini mengarah ke satu hal: kelabilan. Dalam film, sepinter-pinternya Hiro, dia, menurut Baymax, sering mengalami mood swings atau bahasa Indonesianya: kegalauan. Dan di situlah datang tokoh deuteragonis 6 Pahlawan Besar.
Tadashi Hamada, voiced by Daniel Henney.
Anehnya, Tadashi tidak hadir dalam konflik utama cerita, tapi menurut gue dia tetaplah seorang deuteragonis, dan yang bagus pula. Tadashi adalah kakak Hiro, dan adalah pelengkap yang sangat bagus bagi Hiro. Meskipun dia punya, seenggaknya, taraf kepinteran yang setara dengan Hiro, tapi dia adalah semacam moral compass bagi Hiro. Dia adalah pemotivasi Hiro, dan juga sebagai satu-satunya pendukungnya di tengah kemelaratan. Padahal, kaya yang gue bilang sebelumnya, tidak hadir dalam mayoritas film. Gimana caranya, tuh!?
Dan bagaimana dengan yang lain? Fred, Go Go, Honey Lemon, dan Wasabi? Masing-masing punya watak yang sangat unik, padahal pemunculan watak tersebut sangat singkat. Fred yang funky dan Go Go yang tangguh dan berani (padahal kaum hawa, lagian Go Go juga bukan nama wanita yang kewanitaan banget). Honey Lemon yang penuh gairah, dan kedengeran adalah satu-satunya tokoh di film yang menyebutkan nama Hiro dengan benar. Wasabi, meskipun memiliki badan paling besar di tim (di bawah Baymax, jangan salah), tapi sebenernya sangat rapi, terkendali, dan (mungkin) terlalu patuh sama peraturan.
Mantepnya, karakter mereka sangat terlihat dan sangat hidup, padahal tidak terlalu sering dimunculkan. Ini disebabkan oleh cerita yang lebih berputar diantara perkembangan karakter Hiro dan chemistry yang dia punya dengan Baymax. Tapi, tokoh-tokoh sampingan ternyata bisa punya karakter yang unik, kan?

Light 'Em Up!
SO LIGHT EM UP UP UP LIGHT EM UP UP UP I'M ON FIREEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
Ah maap kebawa suasana.
Asal tau, tadi itu adalah chorus dari lagu trailer film ini, MSKW.. ah sudahlah. Dan ngapain gue menghubungkan lagu itu dengan pembahasan gue kali ini?
Yah akhir-akhir beredaran film animasi dengan tema yang super-berat. Yah, anggeplah seperti Wall-E, Frozen, dan Up. Wall-E menggambarkan bagaimana manusia bisa sangat maju dalam hal teknologi tapi sangat mundur dalam hal kemanusiaan. Up menggambarkan bagaimana usia bukanlah rintangan dalam menggapai mimpi. Frozen menceritakan bagaimana tidak harus selalu pangeran yang menyelamatkan sang putri. Maksudnya pembawaan tema yang bisa menggugah hati dan akhirnya film ini nyasar ke piala-piala Oscar, meskipun film ini juga nyasar ke sono, sih.
Gue di sini bukan buat nguraiin tema yang dibawakan di film ini, tapi CARA PEMBAWAANNYA.
Ngomong-ngomong tema dari film ini (minimal menurut gue) adalah yang terpenting bukanlah di film, game, atau komik jenis apapun, motif balas dendam endingnya gak pernah baik.
Nah, jelas itu adalah tema yang dalem banget dalam film kayak ginian, karena faktanya tema itu adanya di game macam God of War, atau film John Wick. Dua-duanya punya genre action tingkat tulen, bukan animasi. Namun, pendapat gue mengenai film ini adalah film ini gampang dicerna oleh penonton sasarannya, yaitu semua umur. Ringan, istilahnya.
Kenapa?
Yah pertama-tama karena dialog antartokoh yang simpel. Gak banyak pake majas, penyiratan, subliminal message, dan semacamnya. Dan percaya gue, klo materi BI gue mengandung majas, gue nyerah. Dialog tidak terlalu bikin bosan karena hidup dan penuh ekspresi. Di sisi lain, juga tidak terlalu ekspresif dan terlalu indah sampe-sampe setara dengan Shakespeare. Halah. Dialog juga gampang ditangkep dan bahkan, dengan kata-kata simpel dapat menunjukan dengan baik perasaan dari tokoh-tokohnya. Bahkan Baymax yang notabene adalah seekor sebuah robot, koplak banget! Padahal robot, dan selama film, nada bicaranya datar.
Lainnya adalah adegan, sequence, dan scene dalam film tidak terlalu berat. Gue akuin, gue gak terlalu suka genre drama, atau action drama. Kalo ada adegan mengharukan dalam film, gue biasanya rusak keadaan mengharukannya dengan perkataan semacam, "Yah, mati deh dianya." Ada adegan mengharukan dalam film ini, yang sayangya gue rusakin juga. Tapi bagusnya adalah cara mereka memanfaatkan adegan tersebut. Bukannya dengan eksploitasi yang setara dengan memeres seperes-peresnya susu sapi. Biasanya film drama itu kalo ada adegan mengharukan, ada aja si tokoh utama sampe tengadah ke langit (cuacanya ujan-ujan gitu), terus tereak "TIDAAAAAAAAAAAAKK!" Kalo berhasil, ya bagus. Kalo gagal, malahan ketawa, bukannya nangis.
Cara mereka di sini adalah adegan mengharukan yang mengagetkan penonton terjadi, lalu bukannya itu adegan sampe berlarut-larut, tapi efek dari adegan itu dibawakan dalam cerita. Kalopun misalnya ada adegan yang mengungkit lagi adegan mengharukan itu, gak terlalu panjang, tapi jelas. Jadinya, penonton gak nangis, tapi ya terharu juga. Lagian, ini film anak-anak, kan?

(+) - Sekilas beda, tapi tetep setia sama sumber aslinya.
     - Karakterisasi yang bagus  dan keliatan dari semua tokoh.
     - Pembawaan tema berat tidak membuat penonton kehilangan fokus dari nature film yang kekanak-kanakkan.
(-) - Antagonis yang kurang jahat.
    - Ada unsur film yang tidak terselesaikan (nonton dulu wess...)

NILAI: 95/100

Conclusion: Pertama kalinya Disney mengadaptasi bukan dari cerita panjang, atau cerita pendek ternyata berbuah kecut manis. Banget. Storytelling yang ringan tapi cerdas, tokoh yang unik dan tridimensional, voice acting yang manjur, dan masih banyak lagi unsur mantep dari film ini. Semoga ini mendorong Disney Animation untuk membuat adaptasi komik lagi, dan gue dengan sabar menunggu masterpiece mereka selanjutnya.

Until the next post, bungs! :D

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW: The Raid 2

Starring: - Iko Uwais (Merantau) as Rama

             - Arifin Putra (Rumah Dara, Hati Merdeka) as Uco

             - Tio Pakusadewo (Habibie dan Ainun, Java Heat) as Bangun

             - Alex Abbad (Merantau (lagi), 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa) as Bejo

             - Yayan "Mad Dog" Ruhian (Merantau (kebetulan tolol macam apa ini?)) as Prakoso

Lama: 150 menit

Budget: US$ 4,5 juta

Box Office: US$ 6,5 juta

Genre: Martial Arts Action Crime Thriller 

Setelah hampir 17 tahun berleha-leha (baca: hidup) di Indonesia, gue sampai kepada sebuah kesimpulan. Tentang dunia layar lebar Indonesia. Bahwa dua genre film yang paling marketable terhadap masyarakat penonton Indonesia adalah dua: Percintaan dan Hantu. Kadang dua-duanya digabung menjadi sebuah fusion yang lebih serem dari genre Horror itu sendiri. Yep. Hantu Bercinta. Gue baru aja bertarung dengan hasrat tubuh gue untuk langsung muntah ke layar laptop gue setelah menulis kata tersebut. Sampai akhirnya pada tahun kiamat 2012, gue menemukan genre baru yang membawa angin sejuk terhadap perfilman Indonesia: Action. Dalam bentuk The Raid: Redemption. Film action yang gak tanggung-tanggung dalam setiap adegan actionnya! Dar! Der! Dor! Jdug! Croot! Emang bener-bener sadis sih, tapi gue udah terbiasa sama adegan sadis saat masih bertualang dengan game-game gue. Lagian, jarang-jarang, toh, ada film Indonesia yang bisa menghasilkan salah satu meme paling terkenal di 1Cak? Yah, klo gak ngerti silakan ke www.1cak.co.id . Intinya, The Raid: Redemption merupakan salah satu film action terbaik yang pernah gue tonton selama gue idup. 

Dan gue tetep antusias, malahan rada kayak kesambit, waktu gue denger sekuel film greget ini diumumkan. Dengan judul The Raid 2:  Berandal. Mungkin The Raid 3 punya subtitle Gelandangan (ini lagi-lagi gue dapet dari 1cak), tapi gak tau ya. Gue bener-bener seneng dan langsung kepincut bahkan ketika baru liat trailer-nya doang. Pas waktu BARU dirilis di Indonesia, deket-deket ulang tahun gue, gue langsung nonton. Kata adek gue sih, sadis-sadis sampe orang bule yang nonton muntah di bioskop gitu. 

Apakah gue tetep muntah, seperti gue muntah ketika melihat perfilman Indonesia yang yah begitulah, atau apakah gue puas sama seperti gue puas sama The Raid: Redemption?

Now with a STORY!

Mereka bilang The Raid yang pertama memiliki sebuah kelemahan mayor, yaitu cerita yang mendingan-gak-usah-ada-sekalian. Gue bilang, cerita di The Raid memang menjadi latar belakang action yang ultra gila dari film tersebut, dibandingkan action yang waras menjadi latar belakang dari cerita yang semi-waras dari film-film action biasanya. Intinya, fokus dari The Raid bukanlah cerita, melainkan action. Tapi nampaknya sutradara Gareth Evans (kapan nih, kita bisa punya The Raid sutradara asal dalam  negeri?) mendengarkan orang-orang yang bercuap ini, sehingga di The Raid 2 kita punya cerita yang lebih dalam. 

Cerita bermulai beberapa jam setelah peristiwa pembacokan, penembakan, dan penggorokan di The Raid berakhir. Rama disarankan oleh Andi untuk menemui seorang petugas polisi bernama Bunawar, dan memberikan bukti bahwa Tama, antagonis The Raid, sedang menyuap pihak kepolisian. Bunawar setelah menerima bukti langsung mengajak Rama menjadi anggota tim rahasia kepolisian yang bertugas menyelidiki korupsi dalam kepolisian. Bunawar sendiri menjadi kepalanya. Rama awalnya menolak, tetapi setelah mengetahui Andi dibunuh (maap banget spoilernya, tapi ini spoiler udah ada di beberapa menit pertama film, jadi begitulah) karena membantunya, ia akirnya setuju, dengan alasan Bunawar memperingatkan Rama sang pelaku bakal mengincar Rama dan keluarganya. 

Dan masuklah Rama ke dunia kejahatan yang lebih greget dari Mad Dog. Sebagai petugas yang menyamar, Rama ditanam dalam organisasi Bangun, salah satu organisasi kejahatan tergege di Jakarta. Caranya? Mendekati Uco, anak Bangun. Dengan ini, ia bisa mendapatkan kepercayaan Bangun, dan diterima dalam organisasinya, sambil melakukan penyelidikan terhadap dugaan penyogokan Bangun terhadap kepolisian. 

Dalem, kan? The Raid memiliki cerita yang cenderung eksplosif dan blak-blakkan, sedangkan The Raid 2 condong ke arah sembunyi-sembunyi dan subversif. Tapi jangan kira gak ada  bunuh-bunuhannya, ya...

The Return of the Mad Dog
Bahasa Indonesianya: Kembalinya si Asu Edan. Ooh, maap, itu bukan bahasa Indonesia beneran, sih. Apa yang gue bahas disini? Kita semua yang udah nonton The Raid yang pertama pasti inget tokoh Mad Dog yang diperankan oleh Yayan Ruhian. Mad Dog, seperti namanya, adalah serba anjing gila. Berantem ya kaya anjing gila, ngomong ya kaya anjing gila (meskipun gak sepenuhnya gila), dan aktingnya ya lebih gila lagi. Hanya Mad Dog yang mampu menyaingi tokoh utama Rama dalam bertarung, bahkan kalo bukan karena lampu neon nyasar mungkin Rama udah dipotekin lehernya sama ni orang (nonton dulu!)
Kenapa orang kaget akan keberadaan Mad Dog di The Raid 2?
Dia udah mati.
Emang bener, lampu neon nyasar memang telah menyelamatkan Rama-- dan mengakhiri hidup Mad Dog yang gue gak peduli sebenernya lahir dari dewa tarung macam apa. Intinya, Mad Dog tewas, jadi gak mungkin dia ada di The Raid 2, kan?
Siapa yang bilang itu si Mad Dog yang diperanin Yayan Ruhian di The Raid 2?
Yayan Ruhian memerankan Prakoso, ahli bunuh yang bekerja di bawah komando Bangun. Yang gue suka dari Prakoso adalah  betapa berbedanya dia dengan Mad Dog yang ada di The Raid. Mad Dog, seperti yang lu tau, saking gregetnya dia sampe dia punya meme sendiri. Prakoso, mungkin kalo berantem memang seganas Mad Dog. Tapi, karakterisasinya, seriusan, bener-bener beda. Mad Dog mungkin kalo dia dibolehin sama sutradaranya abis bunuh orang pasti dicabik-cabik trus dihidangkan dengan saus lemon trus dimakan sama dia. Intinya, sadis bener.
Prakoso, di sisi lain, kalem. Aneh kenapa dia bisa sekalem itu, padahal diperankan oleh orang yang sama dalam serial film yang sama. Prakoso terlihat lebih cool dan terkesan tenang dalam setiap adegan yang melibatkan dirinya. Terutama adegan dia ngomong-ngomong sama istrinya (edan, cantik banget! Emang bener istrinya ya?) dan juga adegan dia ngomong sama Uco. Nada bicara dia jarang banget naik, tapi dalam akting Yayan Ruhian terdapat juga Prakoso sebagai pembunuh bayaran yang, err, baik. Ya, emang Prakoso tidak berperan dalam sisi antagonis cerita, tapi baik dalam arti disini adalah baik yang gak mungkin lu lihat dalam seorang pembunuh profesional. Lemah lembut, lah. Akting Yayan Ruhian dengan baik memberikan kesan bahwa si Prakoso itu sebenarnya juga punya sisi halus juga.
Salut gue sama si Mad Dog ini, pekerjaannya bukan aktor tapi dia bisa ngebuat karakterisasi seorang tukang bunuh-bunuhan punya sisi yang tidak terlalu suka bunuh-bunuhan. Mantabh.

Nothing but the Kills
Dan ini adalah fitur yang paling gue suka dari film ini! Betapa semua unsur yang terdapat dalam The Raid di-upgrade! Unsur yang orang suka, seperti koreografi joget adu gebuk yang lebih indah dan lebih rapi, darah yang mencrat-mencrot dan terlihat seperti darah betulan, dan tipe adegan action yang lebih penuh variasi! Mengenai darah betulan, gue pernah bahas masalah darah yang kayak Fanta abis dikocok (The Man with the Iron Fists), atau yang belum pernah gue bahas, darah kayak saus tomat (The Raid: Redemption). Sekarang efek darah, ya kayak darah gitu. Encer dan bener-bener merah, dan keluar seperlunya dan serealistis mungkin.
Unsur yang orang kurang suka, seperti cerita yang terlalu transparan, semacam bersih bening kayak gak ada cerita (yep, nyolong dari Cling). Soal cerita, gue bahas di atas.
Yang gue perhatiin dari blockbuster Indonesia ini adalah fokus yang bener-bener sama yang namanya cerita, dan apa yang terjadi dalam cerita tersebut. Mikir aja sih, kalo misalnya semua unsur diperhatiin, penonton bingung entar. Latar kebanyakan, tokoh kebanyakan, konflik kebanyakan, orang bakal bingung sebenernya ini nonton The Raid ato film konspirasi macam The Departed. Jadi, detail-detail yang tidak terlalu penting ditinggalkan dalam film ini. Latar kota tempat semua kejadian The Raid 2 tidak dikasitau. Meskipun semua orang tau jelas ini adalah Jakarta. Bagaimanapun pada menit ke 81 akan dipertanyakan dengan sungguh-sungguh sebenarnya settingnya di mana.
Intinya, sepertinya Pak Sut Gareth Evans menebalkan, menggarisbawahi, memiringkan, dan mengcapslock action di sini. Gak. Banyak. Bacot. Gue suka.

(+) - Action yang lebih kreatif dan lebih rapi (meskipun lebih banyak darah).
     - Yayan Ruhian yang minim pengalaman akting membawakan Prakoso dengan baik.
     - Cerita yang lebih nyambung dan lebih solid.
(-) - MENIT. DELAPAN. PULUH. SATU.
    - Lagi-lagi ending nggantung.

NILAI: 93/100

Conclusion: Peningkatan di kurang lebih semua unsur terdapat dalam sekuel The Raid ini. Jarang gue temuin sekuel yang lebih bagus dan asik dibandingin film pertamanya, dan bagusnya, ini adalah salah satu dari sekuel-sekuel itu. Ending yang ngegantung bikin dongkol, emang, tapi itu adalah pemicu gue untuk mantengin The Raid 3, kapanpun ia akan datang.

Until the next post, bungs! :D

Chapter 2 of Roque Mendez, Debt Collector

Those light stunt with the burglars had him at least pulling himself up from his couch, Mendez thought. After he disposed of the unconscious thieves, tidied up his apartment and cleaned any blood stains left behind, he went for his couch-- again. Mendez lied on his couch, and tried to close his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. After achieving full tranquility and finally starting to drift from consciousness, his phone rang. Mendez was startled, and thinking his phone was inside his pants' pockets, tried to fetch it from there. Then he realized his phone was located on the small table his wartime photo was also located. He sat upright, trying to reach the phone, of which was still ringing. Due to him actually being terribly drowsy, he accidentally nudged his own phone, sending it to the floor. He heard the impact of his phone, and cursed silently. When he tried to reach his phone on the floor, which is still ringing in spite of the fall, Mendez lost his balance on the couch, and tumbled on the floor, crashing down with a solid thump. When he finally got hold of his phone, it was no longer ringing, the call was missed. Infuriated, he decided to sleep on the floor right there and then.

When he came around, it was already morning. The sun shone through the only window his apartment got. He was still on the floor, lying. In his black leather jacket and all. He even still had his brown boots on. He felt stupid. One second he became a home defender, jabbing those thieves out cold. The next second, he stumbled from his own couch, half-asleep, all for a cell phone. It was two significantly contrast behavior one man could've done in one night. He rose from his position, and fetched his phone. He looked at his phone call log, specifically the one he missed last night. It was a set of jumbled numbers with the area code at the front. Curious, he called the number. 

After a couple of seconds, someone picked up. Male. "Who's this?" are the words Mendez heard first. "The guy you called up at 12 AM. Jesus man, didn't you know one irmao is asleep?" "I thought your business did not know any boundaries on time of appointment." "Yeah that applied when I'm definitely not asleep! From whom did you get this number?" "It doesn't matter, Mr. Mendez. What mattered are your competence in this occasion. I've heard from the person who gave me your number that you are very skilled in... collecting debts." "Oh, that person must've been Big T. I've done a couple of jobs for 'im recently, mostly in collecting debts from--" "Am I correct?" There was a brief pause before Mendez replied, "Well, if that's how T is going to put it, you can say I'm capaz." "Well, I've got a proposition for you." "This better be good." "I do hope you are interested in my offer. Someone owed me big time." "And how much is this 'big time' we're talking about?" "Eight hundred thousand dollars. Goes by Cliff Daniels. Sucks at backroom poker. If you manage to pull this off, I'll give you thirty percent of the money he owed." "And how will I know this is not some poor pateta whom you just thought deserved to suddenly owe you eight hundred thousand bucks?" "I'm sending your number his bank records. In advance, I'm telling you that from his investments in various businesses around town, he had already acquired three million dollars. Of course, in case you don't understand math, three million dollars is more than enough to cover up the money I loaned to him." "Ah, entendo." "Don't ever contact this number again. And before you proceed, Mr. Mendez, Daniels had used some cash he had on him to hire some muscles, in case someone like you showed to collect something that isn't  rightfully his." The other guy hung up. Mendez put the phone in his pocket, then took out from his all-along-hidden gun holster a revolver -- Taurus Raging Bull, with some intrigue carvings on the barrel. His signature gun, where pulling it off from his shirt was intimidating enough for his opponent to throw away their guns. Roque thought, muscles? Just the way he liked it.

Along with the bank records (which did not lie about Daniels' wealth) sent to Mendez was two addresses. One was Daniels' home address, and the other was supposedly the place Daniels' usually hang out and play some poker. Minutes later, Mendez was at the debtor's apartment doorstep. No sound was made from inside of the apartment. It should have occured to Mendez- Daniels' supposedly hired muscles weren't around. At least, when those tough-guys-Mendez-hadn't-met were around, they were there to protect something of Daniels' possession - be it cash, lucky poker chip, or even himself. So he tried breaking down the door. A couple of hefty kicks had almost broken the door down. When Mendez went for the third, he heard footsteps that weren't there before, and a shriek. It was Daniels, surrounded by two men, full of muscles (hence the term muscles) both seemingly eager to punch Roque in turns. "Hey! You trying to break my apartment down? Roberts sent you, didn't he?" Roque dryly replied, a pint of laid back attitude was heard from his voice. "Bem merda, I didn't even know his name was Roberts. You owed him three hundred grand, didn't you?" "Well, if he was to take it from me, he was gonna get it by himself, instead of sending off some chump from you!" Roque felt this was at least the six hundred time he was called a chump and felt different from the first time he was called that. He felt energized instead of humiliated. After all, in this line of job of debt collecting, it's the first thing he'd expect. Still, his reaction was still the same. He whipped out his revolver and shot Daniels' at the leg. Of course he'd shot his tall goons if he'd make it quick, but he slipped the gun into his holster and marched to kick the bodyguards in the ass.
The way Mendez saw it: Tank Top and Muscle Shirt. Both were similarly burly in build and looked eager enough to smash Mendez' head into the wall. Tank Top walked upon Mendez slower than Muscle Shirt, but he seemed to be more calculative; seemingly examining and deliberately anticipating Mendez' movement.  All while Muscle Shirt approached Mendez faster, more reckless, and seemed to have his nostrils blowing out hair like a bull in a bullfight, ready to charge on his matador. Only now it wasn't some enthusiastic bullfighter with a red cape. Just a downsized adversary. But Roque thought, not like that. He's had so much of goons thinking him as a frail blond guy oblivious to trouble. Fact is, he's had so much now he had gotten used to it.
Muscle Shirt gave a hefty swing on Mendez only for his fist to hit nothing. Mendez had ducked and almost instantly gave Muscle Shirt a blow to his crotch before moving up on Tank Top. Tank Top sent Mendez an upfront kick only to find it being blocked by Mendez. That is, before Tank Top jabbed Mendez in the face. Mendez raised both his forearms fast enough to block Tank Top, and then punched him across the face. Tank Top was thrown to the wall, his face came crashing into the the concrete. For good measures Mendez grabbed him by the crown and then shoved Tank Top's face to the wall. Tank Top surprisingly still budged, which made Mendez kicked his thigh, sending him on his knees. He was about to grab Tank Top's crown again when a pair of hand locked itself on his arms. Mendez couldn't see, but he immediately knew this was Muscle Shirt. The lock was very good that Mendez' struggle was not enough to break himself free. Instead, he took some step back until he pinned the wall hard. He heard a loud thud, hoping it was Muscle Shirt impacting against the wall. The grip on his arms suddenly loosened. Knowing he'd somehow hurt his captor in some way, he immediately knelt and bowed his head. This resulted in Mendez flipping Muscle Shirt over his body, sending him to the ground on his back. Muscle Shirt was stunned by this turn of events, but one last thing-- Roque Mendez' fist landed on his face, and suddenly he went dark. Mendez saw Tank Top attempting to get on his feet, and he instinctively kicked him in the face. It dazed Tank Top, making him whimpering in agony on the ground. Mendez wanted to make sure him not getting up, so he stomped on Tank Top's chest, shutting off the whimper. Now he's going for Daniels.
Two reasons for Mendez  shooting Daniels on the leg: He didn't want to off him, due to him the only being to know the location of his thirty percent. Second, Daniels would've left a noticeable trace of blood, or at least limped due to a .44 round crashing into his leg. Either way, it wouldn't be hard to find him. The blood traced to a level below; then into a room. Mendez banged on the door. "DANIELS!" No answer. "DANIELS!" Silence. "Daniels! Eu sei que você está aí!" Then he considered Daniels not understanding a thing he just blurted out. "Daniels! What I just said is, 'I know you're in there'!" Not even a sound from inside. "Seriously Daniels, have you considered the blood from your leg leading me to you!? Ah, never mind, this is gonna end one way or another anyways." With those out from his tongue, he kicked the door down. He found Daniels, obviously startled, on the center of the room. Near  him were an Asian family; mother, father, even a little girl. Suddenly Daniels took out a balisong from his pocket and clutched the little girl. He held her in front of him, pointing his folding knife at her, using her as a human shield. "Back off!" he shrieked. Mendez took out his revolver and readied his gun, setting his sights on Daniels. The latter responded, "Put that down! Put that piece down or this little gal is going to buy it!" Mendez replied, "We both know I'm not gonna do that. There's no need to drag some poor little girl into our business! Either you let her go, or instead, YOU are going to buy it." The little girl cried, and her parents spoke to her in Mandarin, trying to reassure her 'it's gonna be okay', by the looks of it. Daniels saw this and then turned to the mom and dad. "Shut it! Don't you ever give her any ideas. pal. I'm not kidding by slicing this girl's neck in front of you!" But the parents kept on talking, now evidently at Daniels, obviously talking him into letting their only daughter go. "I said shut it! Don't talk to me like that, or--" Daniels put his knife close to the girl's neck "'-- she's really gonna get it!" Roque was still aiming at Daniels, thinking Daniels might have done nothing more than bluffing, but judging by the situation, he was obviously put to the edge. It's not like he's going to slit the girl's throat, but it's also not like talking him out of this is going to get the job done. Roque saw Daniels still shouting at the family, distracted. He quickly took aim and discharged his gun.
Gunfire shook the room like thunder. Daniels howled, his right hand letting go of the knife and his left letting go of the daughter. Roque shot him at the same leg, only now he shot Daniels at the thigh, instead of at the shin like before. Daniels went down on his knee. Mendez walked to him, trying to subdue him before Daniels took the balisong and backhanded him. Roque was faster. He managed to drop his gun and grabbed Daniels' arm, then used the arm as a leverage to Daniels' body and sending it against his knee. Daniels' was knocked back, now bleeding heavily at the nostrils. Roque held him by the shirt and then put his gun on Daniels' wound. "Now, Senhor Daniels. It's not like I'm not gonna put another hole in your body. So you tell me, are you going to give Roberts his eight hundred grand?" Daniels was weak, but still managed to answer. "How am I gonna give it to him? You've beaten me to a pulp. I'm weak enough to be unable to get out of my bed, much less deliver that Roberts bastard his cash. Have you thought about this?" "Yeah then you better tell me where do you keep the money before I make you pulpier." "Ehh.. screw you." Daniels spat blood at Mendez' face. "Well, if that's the way you're gonna put it.." Mendez pressed his gun on Daniels' leg wound. The latter wailed in agony. "Tell me again. Where is the money?" Roque said as he loosened his gun. "AARRGH! Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!" Roque leaned to have a good listen. ".. in your mother's underwear cupboard." Roque now stepped on Daniels' wounded foot. He wailed even louder, his scream tore through the room. "Have I ever told you about talking trash about my madre? I don't normally make anyone paralyzed for life, but you're not even making this easier for yourself." "Stop it! STOP IT! AARGH! MY GOD! STOP!" "Anytime after you tell me where the money is.." "HOLY-- AARGH! MY APARTMENT! THE SAFE INSIDE THE BEDROOM! CODE 9367! JUST STOP!" Roque lifted his own foot from Daniels' leg. "That wasn't so hard, wasn't it?" "The cops are not gonna let you walk after this!" "I didn't murder you and feed your remnants to dogs, did I?" Roque walked away from Daniels, now slipping from consciousness. Roque saw the Asian family, terrified on what they had witnessed in the last five minutes. "Look I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. I'll pay for the door damage--" he pulled his wallet and gave some of his dollar bills to the father "-- and make sure to call the ambulance for this poor bastard. Again, I'm really sorry the sumbitch entered the wrong apartment and almost killed your daughter. I do hope you not having a vendetta against this deadbeat. He's just being pushed to the edge is all. Have a nice day." And with that, Roque left the apartment, leaving the family in complete shock and Daniels in complete unconsciousness.  

  

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW: The Man with the Iron Fists

Starring: - Robin Fitzgerald Diggs (G.I. JOE: Retaliation, Brick Mansions) sebagai The Blacksmith

              - Russell Crowe (Gladiator, The Next Three Days) sebagai Jack The Ripper Knife

              - Rick Yune (Olympus has Fallen) sebagai X-Blade

              - Byron Mann (Street Fighter) sebagai Silver Lion

              - Dave Bautista (Smek Daun WWE) sebagai Brass Body 

Budget: 20 juta Dollar

Box Office: angka-diatas-ditambah-0.25 juta Dollar

Genre: Martial Arts

Setelah sekian banyaknya film adu gebuk ala China dan Hong Kong yang gue tonton dalam hidup gue, datanglah si satu ini. Dari judulnya aja, kita udah tahu tokoh utama (atau minimal, tokoh) dalam film ini. Seseorang dengan tangan, atau seenggaknya, tinju besi. Jujur, udah banyak istilah Iron Fists atau Tangan Besi dalam dunia film yang gue tonton, bahkan ada di game juga. Yah Tekken itu. Bahasa Jepang dari Tangan Besi adalah Tekken. Pengetahuan Baru! *JRENG*
Apa sih yang sesungguhnya membuat film in beda dari film CIIIAATTT! lainnya?
Gue sempet kira ini adalah jenis-jenis film itu yang bener-bener stylistic, dan menurut gue mungkin menggambarkan dunia Asia Tradisional dari sudut pandang orang bule. Anggeplah kayak 47 Ronin.
Gue juga ngira film ini orientasinya lebih ke arah light-hearted kayak film-berantem-apapun-yang-ada-Jackie-Chan-nya. Semua jenis film yang ada Jackie Chan-nya, atau mungkin kayak Kung Fu Hustle, seserius apapun tema atau cerita yang dibawakan, pasti ada aja lucu-lucuannya. Bahkan di adegan-adegan adu bogem paling tegang pun. Apalagi dengan tokoh utama yang bukan bule tradisional, kayak Michael Angarano di Forbidden Kingdom, atau Keanu Reeves di, yah, 47 Ronin. Tapi disini adalah seorang Afro, yaitu rapper RZA yang gue sebutin nama aslinya diatas. Maksud gue, come on, RZA!
Akhirnya, apakah beneran kayak gitu?

Rap Fu
RZA disini bukan hanya sebagai aktor. Dia juga pemeran dalam film ini. Dan bukan pemeran orang lewat. Dia adalah si protagonis Thaddeus Henry Smith, yang lebih sering dipanggil The Blacksmith. Dan dia bukan cuma protagonis. Dia kurang lebih yang bikin film ini. Yep, dia sutradara. Padahal ini sebenernya film pertamanya sebagai sutradara, dan sebenernya dia gak punya pengalaman di bidang ini dalam bentuk apapun. Lagian kerjaan dia juga bukan aktor, tapi rapper. Pencetus Wu-Tang Clan (yang sayangnya gue gak kenal). Gila, apa-apaan nih?!
Sebagai hasil dari latar belakangnya sebagai penyanyi-cepat, jelas dia menyalurkan, er, bakatnya dalam film ini. Yep, soundtrack dari film ini kebanyakan adalah lagu rap. Dalam setting China. Lagu dan score dari film ini kebanyakan berasal dari group-nya, The Wu-Tang Clan, RZA sendiri, dan Kanye West. Mikir aja sih, apakah dua unsur dari dua belahan dunia ini bakal nimbrung dengan baik?

Gue jelasin, ya.. 

Experimen RZA dalam memadukan unsur yang barat banget ke dalam unsur yang timur banget itu gak gagal. GAK. GAGAL. Harus gue akuin, memang adegan-adegan action dalam film diiringi oleh lagu rap kedengeran cocok. Maklum, dalam berbagai adegan action di film-film dimanapun, diiringi oleh score yang sesuai dengan suasana film. Kadang-kadang lagu berupa rap juga. Meskipun tidak semua lagu berantem dalam film ini terbuat dari unsur rap, namun mayoritas ya, rap itu. Dan score-score yang tidak terbuat dari rap dibuat oleh RZA itu sendiri, jadinya ada unsur baratnya juga, meskipun bukan rap. Bagus, pendapat gue. Lagu rap meskipun tidak membuat adegan action epic, tapi membuat adegan-adegan tersebut menjadi terkesan ringan dan asyik, betapa banyaknya orang yang terbunuh dalam adegan itu. Tidak terkesan terlalu serius, atau terlalu menegangkan, atau sadis. Jadinya sering ditaro di adegan-adegan yang hanya berperan sebagai sampingan dalam cerita. 

The Ripper and the Smith

Penokohan dalam film ini dibagi menjadi 2 (dua)(two). Orang yang ngegebuk dan orang yang digebukin. Semua sama aja. Minimal menurut gue. Kecuali dua orang. Yaitu The Blacksmith (RZA), dan Jack "Knife" C. Wales (Russell Crowe). Mereka ya secara kebetulan adalah dua dari tiga bule mayor di film ini. Yang ketiga? Brass Body (Dave Bautista), yang sayangnya masuk kategori penokohan pertama. 

The Blacksmith diperankan oleh Pak Sut dari film ini, RZA. Anehnya, meskipun dia adalah tokoh paling utama dalam film ini (bahkan teknisnya judul film ini adalah julukan dia), dia tidak terlalu terlibat dalam main plot dari film ini. Dia lebih berperan sebagai narrator dari cerita. RZA memerankan Blacksmith dengan lumayan, bahkan untuk ukuran Pak-Sut-sekaligus-aktor-yang-tidak-berpengalaman. Dengan pemeranan RZA, Smith terkesan kalem, tapi pakem. Dengan logat, suara, dan tampang yang selalu ngantuk, orang bisa ngira dia gak niat bangun dari tempat tidur. Tapi menurut gue, ini menyumbangkan sedikit saja untuk unsur badass dia, sebagai salah satu dari tiga protagonis dalam cerita. Singkat cerita, menurut gue, Iron Fists yang dia dapatkan di tiga perempat cerita didukung dengan baik oleh akting RZA. 

Dan ada Jack Knife. Dia adalah mantan perwira Angkatan Darat Inggris, sekarang menjadi utusan dari Kaisar di China untuk memecahkan masalah yang ada di film ini. Dia diperankan oleh Russell Crowe, si Robin Hood, dan dulunya si Gladiator. Jack Knife memiliki peran yang netral pada awal sampai pertengahan film. Crowe memerankan Knife dengan solid, maksudnya karakter yang kita tahu dari Knife semata-mata hanya berasal dari cara akting Crowe saja. 

Gimana sih, Knife ini?

Menurut gue, dia orangnya adalah gambaran dari bule-bule turis China. Cepat ramah dengan keadaan lokal, dikagumi dengan orang lokal, dan maklum dengan preman lokal. Yah minimal, dia nggak masalah karena dia memecahkan masalah dengan caranya sendiri, yaitu Pistol-Pelempar Shuriken-Pencincang-Pisau yang selalu dia bawa kemana-mana. Dia juga memiliki tingkat simpati yang lumayan terhadap tokoh Iron Fists saat mereka bertemu dan mulai berteman. Sayangnya, di tengah-tengah film yang penuh dengan adu hantam ini, Jack tidak terlihat seperti layak tarung, tapi lebih layak dikarung. Ayolah, dia, err, gendut, dibandingin dengan manusia-manusia lain di film ini. Adegan tarung dia tidak terlalu menggambarkan kemampuannya bertarung, tapi lebih ke kemampuan Russell Crowe dalam berakting. Lebih banyak ngomongnya. 

Blacksmith sendiri tidak mendapatkan banyak peran berantem dalam cerita sampai ke adegan klimaks dalam film. Yang gue sayangin adalah Iron Fists yang dia punya tidak punya gaya. Okelah, dia punya sepasang tinju besi, tapi dari semua persenjataan ngayal di film ini, Iron Fist-nya Blacksmith terlihat yang palling standar. Selama adegan-adegan dia pake begituan, itu keliatannya kayak terbuat dari batu. Kasih kilap dikit, lah! Untungnya masih bisa buat bogem orang. Dan mengingat latar belakang RZA baru dua kali akting (yang gue tahu), adegan berantem Blacksmith tidak memiliki banyak koreografi. Yah, minimal kita bisa ngeliat dua tangannya jotos orang. 

American Way of China

Apa pandangan bule terhadap China secara mainstream?

Film ini mewakili pandangan-pandangan itu. Jelas yang paling terlihat dalam film adalah adegan adu tonjoknya. Satu hal: pertentangan secara terang-terangan terhadap hukum fisika. Orang digebuk mental kemana-mana, atau yang ngegebuk itu yang terbang kemana-mana. Mikir aja sih, sejak kapan orang bisa rebahan bertumpu sama jari kaki doang? Yang udah nonton kemungkinan besar nggak ngerti blas ngerti sama maksud gue. 

Hal kedua: persenjataan dari kurang lebih semua pihak yang terlibat dalam setiap adegan adu gebuk dalam film. Ngayal abis, meskipun keliatan familier. Misalnya klan antagonis, Lion Clan. Mereka punya tongkat yang ujungnya bentuknya kayak ceker harimau. Gue sempet ngira itu alat penggaruk punggung, tapi sayangnya itu adalah senjata. Cara bunuh orang pake begituan? Ya garuk aja 'pala orang pake itu, susah amat. Dan senjata petarung lainnya, seperti X-Blade. Pemain DOTA yang nonton film ini pasti tahu satu hal: X-Blade adalah pemakai Blade Mail. Untuk yang gak, belum, atau tidak minat main, X-Blade dilihat dari baju zirah yang dia pakai. Terbuat dari pisau. Bukan berisi banyak pisau (meskipun senjata X-Blade adalah pisau, dilempar atau ditebas), tapi, ya terbuat dari pisau itu. Anggeplah dia bisa bunuh orang hanya dengan nyenggol orang doang. 

Dan pihak-pihak lain, misalnya Madame Blossom (Lucy Liu). Dia punya kipas yang ujungnya dihiasi pisau. Brass Body (Dave Bautista), punya tubuh yang bisa berubah jadi kuningan. The Gemini Killers (Andrew Lin dan Grace Huang), punya pedang pendek yang berbentuk Yin dan Yang. Bisa disatuin. Kayak puzzle piece, gitu. Ah, susah kalo belum liat. Makanya liat! Maap, kebawa suasana. 

Dan dikarenakan RZA sebagai Afro yang sangat bonafid, maka banyak adegan vulgar dan eksplisit dalam film ini. Adegan yang yah.. ngana-ngono begitu. Kadang gue nonton, dan gue mikir.. untung gue gak nonton ini di bioskop. Sama ortu gue. Kewarasan gue bisa dipertanyakan entar. 

(+) - Adegan adu jotos yang memuaskan 

     - Eksperimen film martial arts ala China dengan soundtrack Rap tidak mengecewakan. 

     - Style yang gila-gilaan dan unik, meskipun tidak benar-benar baru. \

(-) - Adegan-adegan Iron Fists tidak memuaskan. 

    - Banyaknya adegan vulgar membuat gue mempertanyakan film apa ini sesungguhnya

    - Efek darah (ya ini gak penting) yang keliatan kayak fanta abis dikocok

Conclusion: RZA yang jelas gak punya pengalaman sebagai Pak Sut tidak membuat film yang jelek. Tapi, jika disejajarkan dengan film-film setaranya, masih banyak yang harus diperbaiki. Style yang bagus dijaga, cheesiness yang jelek dibuang. Saran gue tu. 

NILAI: 76/100

Until the next post, bungs! :D