- Director : Randolph Zaini
- Actors : Khiva Iskak, Muzakki Ramdhan, Kiki Narendra, Paul Agusta, Gilbert Pattiruhu
- Media Format : Subtitled, Widescreen
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : Indonesia
- Number of discs : 1
- Run time : 1 hour and 32 minutes
- Release date : September 27, 2022
Often it is more significant what the protagonist
does in an action film, rather than what they say. For this reason, the hero
being deaf in Preman: Silent Fury allows for the emphasis to remain on the
action elements. For much of the buildup, the protagonist is a silent observer,
until he decides to make his stance known through violence. This is a wonderful
setup for an action movie, but it is unfortunately let down by the execution of
Preman’s narrative.
We join Sandi (Khiva
Iskak) as an adult, working as a paid thug for a criminal mob in a small Indonesian
town. Despite being warned by loved ones near him, Sandi continues this
lifestyle until it threatens to endanger the life of his son, Pandu (Muzakki
Ramdhan). Although the criminal organization Sandi works for began as a social
justice collective, they are corrupt and prone to unjustifiable violence. After
Pandu witnesses the murder of an innocent man, Sandi finally pushes back
against them to protect his son.
While a solitary
man going up against a criminal organization is not a new premise, Preman does
have the distinct cultural characteristics of Indonesia to set it apart. There
are even a few viciously violent sequences, though they have the misfortune of
inevitable comparisons to other Indonesian action movies like The Raid
franchise or The Night Comes For Us. Although Preman has a few memorable sequences,
including one in which a scissor-wielding assassin nicknamed “The Barber” (Revaldo)
tracks him down for a bloody fight, it never comes close to reaching the level
of recent Indonesian action films.
The Blu-ray for Preman only comes with a trailer
and optional English dubbing. The high-definition presentation only makes it
more apparent that this is on the lower end of Indonesian action releases.
Action fans may enjoy a sequence or two, but are likely to find more excitement
in other films, not to mention better storytelling.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 1/10
No comments:
Post a Comment