Sancaka (Muxakki Ramdhaan)’s life is thrown upside down when his father is murdered during an Indonesian factory worker’s protest. After moving to a new apartment, his mother leaves him to find work. But work doesn’t come and it seems like Sancaka is left to be on his own. He grows up homeless in the rough part of town while corruption starts to spread. Years later the town is still a pit of greed, and the now-grown Sancaka (now played by Abimana Aryasatya) spends his nights working as a security guard and his days as a loner. 

His whole life he has lived in fear of lightning storms. That is until he is struck by a lightning bolt and given mysterious powers.  He decides to help stop the thugs on the street and the greater evils of the corrupt government and mafia. Now using the name Gundala to strike fear in the hearts of baddies. 

Gundala (2019) is a bit of a milestone in Indonesian cinema. Based on the 1969 comic book by Harya Suraminata, this is the second on-screen version of the popular character. The first was a 1981 movie called Gundala Putra Petir. From the stills and reviews I’ve seen/read, it looks like a fun time. The 2019 movie is a bigger budget movie that aims for Marvel Studios’ style of success and craftsmanship. It’s the first in the BumiLangit Cinematic Universe (BCU) and it promises to be an interesting development in International cinema. Gundala shares many of the issues I have with modern comic book movies, specifically Marvel Studios’, but still manages to give an interesting new take. There is the overlong origin story, the loose ends for sequels, the fan service teases (or in this case, possible fan service since I know nothing about Indonesian comics), and mid-credits teases. 

The movie is directed by recent international hitmaker Joko Anwar, whose recent remake of Satan’s Slaves (2017) has gotten great buzz from horror fans and critics. His direction is ambitious and exciting. The action is fast and intense.  He keeps the camera moving and is still able to keep on the character’s emotions. Anwar’s horror roots are used to great effect during a shocking death scene where a new politician jumps to his death while under a trance. The cinematography by Ical Tanjung is also stunning with lots of flare added to a low budget movie. At about two million dollars, this movie’s budget could hardly be compared to Marvel’s advertising spending. 

The shortcomings come in the form of the screenplay also by Anwar. The first act is way too long, and the climax is rushed just like many American comic book movies. The threat is also too conservative for my taste. The Villian’s plan of drugging pregnant women so their future kids will be immoral is too silly but handled in a scare tactic way. Maybe it’s my American point of view, but the threat is too outlandish to worry about. The rest of the plot is trying too hard to be epic, with dread and speechmaking. Hopefully, this will be fixed for the sequel. 

Another issue is the outcome of the villain. Pengkor (Bront Palarae) is an interesting villain with a tragic backstory. Growing up in an orphanage, where he was tortured and disfigured, he becomes a cruel crime lord with hundreds of trained henchmen that he recruited from his youth. Sadly this element of the plot isn’t focused on enough to mirror all the corruption we hear about throughout the movie.  

Gundala is messy in parts, but the overall picture is a fine attempt at a Marvel styled blockbuster. It’s universal in all the big set pieces yet still uniquely local for its audience. 

Well Go USA brings this recent hit to the US. This blu-ray looks stunning. The colors are bold and the focus is sharp. The 1080p HD picture is painting light with its delightful colors. The 5.1 Indonesian DTS-HD Master Audio is also spotless with no pops or hiss. English subtitles are included.

Extras included are:

• Trailers for Gundala
• Trailers for other Well Go USA released titles
• Production vlogs
• Behind The Scene video gallery.

Hopefully, this release means we will be seeing more Indonesian movies get a US release. Maybe some classics too. For Comic Book movie fans, Gundala comes recommended. 

Director- Joko Anwar

Cast- Abimana Aryasatya, Tara Basro, Bront Palarae

Country of Origin- Indonesia

Discs- 1

Distributor- Well Go USA

Reviewer- Tyler Miller