Movielogr

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Valentine (2017)

Directed by Ubay Fox, Agus H Mawardy

Overview

Batavia City, a beautiful city that can no longer be safely inhabited. Robbery, violence, and a variety of increasingly rampant criminality. In the midst of this chaotic city, Srimaya, a cafe waitress who dreams of becoming an actress never thought that dream would change her life. Her meeting with Bono, a film director, and his friend, Wawan, will take her on a dangerous adventure full of thrilling action with lives at stake. Turning her from an ordinary girl into Batavia City’s heroine of hope, Valentine.

Length 97 minutes

Actors

Viewing History (seen 1 time)


Date Viewed	Device	Format	Source	Rating
11/05/2019	TV	DVD	Library	5.5 stars
				(Average) 5.5 stars

Viewing Notes

I think this is Indonesian? Shoulda kept the Dark Avenger title. Kinda feel like any action flick shot and produced in Indonesia has a high bar to reach anymore and if it doesn’t come close then why bother. Case in point: VALENTINE, which features a young woman (Estelle Linden) plucked out of a cafe to become a star in her own action series of a vigilante crime fighter. She’s chosen b/c she has some skills and is attractive. Perfect for the series and to ultimately sell it to producers once she gains some fame from YouTube uploads of her exploits.

Eventually the lines blur and she becomes a real vigilante. This happens when a terrorist villain The Shadow is terrorizing this Batavia City. The Shadow has his own gang of women fighters, the Clown Gang, and he threatens the police because he really hates the police, which is revealed why in the conclusion.

This isn’t a bad movie (the premise is actually decent and Linden is a nice lead w/some charisma) but it lacks in the logic department and the overall production. Clearly they had some money to stage real explosions and crashes. But a lot of this looks like a made-for-TV movie (not a bad thing, of course) but it has that quality in the shot composition and framing. Felt as tho I was viewing an episode of television.

All that isn’t a big deal but there are some weird logic decisions that don’t add up. Like how they just throw this girl into real crimes to kick some ass and save the day like it’s fine never questioning the serious harm that could from all of it. Of course she trains some more to get better but even then how are her skills so much better to take down every criminal she encounters. The fighting / action choreography is okay yet again when there are stellar examples that already exist in Indonesian cinema, they gotta up that game.

I think what bugs me is that the filmmakers do these on-location setpieces and blow up cars and what not then chose to end the film what is clearly a set but is supposed to be set on top of a high building. It looks so fake and hokey. Then the final fight with The Shadow is the worst of the entire film. Then some general stupid plot things at the end that would not play out like it does (the sniper for one who just could end the entire thing but nope). Frustrating to watch such a poor screenplay around a solid premise.

Knowing they set up for a sequel if and when they get financing and care enough to do it, I’d like to see more capable hands involved b/c Valentine as a heroine is a cool thing and Linden is good in the role. She just needs better writers and action direction to showcase her talent.

I guess this is just me liking the flick yet being disappointed with what they delivered knowing it could’ve been a better film. Ah well.

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