Film Review: Shake, Rattle & Roll 14 etc.

In this month (December 2012) I saw four local films. I already wrote about Himala, which I saw during the the first week. It was also during the same week that I saw a Claudine Barretto/Rico Yan starrer called Got 2 Believe on cable TV. Then came Christmas break: I saw Shake, Rattle & Roll 14 (The Invasion), an entry to this year's MMFF, in a commercial theater, and a Reyna Films classic called Kung Mawawala Ka Pa, starring Christopher De Leon and Dawn Zulueta.

Shake, Rattle & Roll 14 (The Invasion) (Chito Rono, 2012)

For the first time in so many years, all Shake, Rattle & Roll episodes make sense. The episodes in the past SRR's were either cheap entertainment or simply dumb, trying very hard, with ridiculous results, to scare. Of course, there were (very) few exceptions, like the Punerarya episode two years ago. This year, all three episodes were directed by Chito Rono, a master in the genre. And he delivered. The scripts, I suppose, were good, in the first place. Good scripts make good films. Ricky Lee wrote the Pamana episode, Rody Vera the Lost Command episode, and Roy Iglesias the Unwanted episode. Janice De Belen, Herbert Bautista and Arlene Muhlach, who appeared in different episodes of the very first Shake, Rattle & Roll shown in 1984, starred in the Pamana episode. Good thing about the episode - all three acted well, with special mention to Janice De Belen. The second episope reminded me of Apocalypse Now and of soldiers-turned-cannibals, which made the news in the '80s. This, too, was an ensemble acting. Dennis Trillo did well. The third episode is memorable in that it's special effects are impressive.

Rating: Pamana - 3.0/4.0; Lost Command - 3.0/4.0; Unwanted - 2.5/4.0.

Kung Mawawala Ka Pa (Jose Avellana, 1994)

I only watched this because opening credits showed Reynal Films produced it and it showcased the acting prowess of Christopher De Leon and Dawn Zulueta. I don't want to go into details of what's it about. It's forgettable. The storyline is a rehash of a lot of films you'd seen in the past 30 years. I actually managed to read a book while watching it and still got the whole idea of the film. Even the acting of Christopher De Leon was a shame. Too amateurish.

Rating: 1.0/4.0

Got 2 Believe (2002)

I never knew who directed the film. I'm not interested. The movie was a hit in theaters. It starred Rico Yan and Claudine Barretto. I don't want to write what it's about. It's not bad. Actually, I was entertained. Rico Yan and Claudine Barretto looked good together on screen.

Rating: 2.5/4.0