DCRJ's Movie Review - DAYO : SA MUNDO NG ELEMENTALIA

Ah, nice to be back. After week long vacation we still found time to watch 'Dayo' last Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia. Here's a my review of the film:

Here's an animated film I can truly relate due to familiarity on all Philippine culture. The huge wooden spoon and fork are there as well as the image of Christ's Last Supper and the Philippine mythical creatures, the giant billboards of EDSA, sari-sari stores, typical Philippine houses, Philippine Airlines plane and the SM Mall of Asia with its fireworks.

The story centers on Bubuy's determination to save his grandparents abducted by mythical creatures from an enchanted land called Elementalia, with the help of a cute manananggal named Anna and a self-admiring Tikbalang named Narsi (as in narcissism, get it?).

The animation uses the same 2D and 3D techniques used by animators abroad. The Dayo animation is a a wonder to behold for a locally produced film yet still, overall, it felt like a cartoon network episode and the film is light years away from the smooth flowing animation of a hand-drawn-on-paper work from Disney classic animated film of the 1940s. Despite of that, the animation still manages to give an emotional impact specially during a moving scene when Bubuy cried over his grandparents' motionless bodies. Overall, it makes me proud and appreciate the Pinoy talents who have given their creativity for the whole Philippines to cherish and hopefully for the whole world. Kudos to the Dayo team, Robert Quilao and Eric Cabahug etc.

The fine addition of Lea Salonga singing the 'Lipad' theme song moved the film several notches up. Lea Salonga's voice gave the film a Walt Disney feel to it and brought thoughts of her singing stint in Walt Disney classics such as Mulan and Aladdin. I was waiting for the song 'Kapit' by Moymoy & Roadfill at the end credits when the songs were changed to a Christmas melody by the bozo assigned at the screen projector room of Cinema 1 at the SM Mall of Asia...geez!

I've heard that the the Dayo team will prepare for 'Dayo 2'...yippie ! and the DVD will be released next year...count me in to buy the original copy. Don't buy pirated copies please.

I hope 'Dayo' did made a lot of money and still making more at the box office. Only 4 of us were watching the film at the orchestra section of Cinema 1 although the Premiere section was full.

BTW, DAYO won awards at the concluded 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival
Best Sound: Albert Idioma and Wally Dellosa
Best Visual Effects: Robert Quilao
Best Musical Score: Jessie Lazatin
Best Theme Song: Lipad by Jessie Lasaten and Artemio Abad Jr., performed by Lea Salonga

Ratings : 4 out of 5 Biscuits