I was really itching to view Urduja since its opening on June 18. I’ve read a lot of publicity and ads about it. Since it is the first ever Filipino full-length animation feature, there is a lot of hype about it. Let’s qualify that a bit. Some people are raising eyebrows about this claim that it is THE FIRST.  The first ever animation film blended with live actino is Star Cinema’s “Ibong Adarna.”

Lest we trigger a network war here, let’s give credit to where it is due. “Ibong Adarna” is the first Filipino film to use animation blended but it is a little similar to the 1988 film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. On the other hand, Urduja features 2D and 3D animation from beginning till the end of the film.

Finally, I got to watch the film at the Megamall with my girlfriend last Tuesday. I was expectant. I wore my critic’s hat. I fidgeted on my seat. I even took notes on my mobile phone. Hahah.

Last full show it was and there were just a handful of people in the Cinema. Perhaps, there were only around ten people at the Cinema. Good for me, if the movie was good or bad, I couldn’t help but air my comments to my girlfriend.

Here’s my take on Urduja, the first Filipino full-length animation feature.

Animation

The Urduja movie is a big success technically. The 2D and 3D animation are superb and shows great improvement from previous animation attempts. The 11-year production time-frame surely paid off. In some scenes, the images of waterfalls, Limhang’s ship sailing through a 3D ocean are captivating. The color schemes contribute to breath-taking scenes. They also help set the mood of the film.

Drawings were good. Some transitions were not flawless though. There were a bit of roughness in the edges of some movements and drawings. One particular unsuccessful scene, I should say, is the movement of leaves on the song number of Limhang before he was arrested by General Wang’s soldiers. At least the drawings did not look too much like Japanese Anime characters.

The shadow of the characters also needs a bit of refinement. Filipinos boast of a lot of animators here and abroad. Urduja is a huge step towards the development of Pinoy animation and bringing it into the mainstream of the Philippine Film Industry. Who knows, we may be able to develop animation series for TV.

Story

Urduja is fiction through and through. It is not historical fiction but a smorgasbord of cultures, language, and characters from history. It is loosely based on the character of Princess Urduja, whom the Pangasinense are very proud of. Limhang, the Chinese pirate that Urduja falls in love with, is based on Limahong, a historical Chinese pirate. Simakwel, on the other hand, is based on another historical figure, Datu Sumakwel, a strong and valiant leader who came to the Visayas in the 1200s.

Urduja (with the voice of Regine Velasquez) is the daughter of Lakanpati, the king of the Tawilisi tribe. She is strong and willful since she will become a ruler after Lakanpati’s demise. The king wanted her to marry Simakwel so that they could rule the Tawilisi together. When everything was already set, Limhang (voice by Cesar Montano) arrived in their village because he was fleeing the wrath of General Wang (Johnny Delgado’s voice). They fell in love with each other, defying the will of the King.

The Badjao tribe attacked the Tawilisi because the son of their king got captured by Simakwel (Jay Manalo). Limhang brings peace by giving back the child to the Badjao king.

To get what he wants, Simakwel strikes a deal with Gen. Wang. Too bad, he was betrayed. Wang still attacked the village because of gold. Thankfully, the Badjao’s went to the rescue and the Chinese army was defeated.

Limhang decides to stay at the village to be Urduja’s husband and “they lived happily ever after.”

Urduja and Limhang is joined by a colorful cast of characters. Her lady-in-waiting is Mayumi portrayed by the voice of Ruby Rodriguez. Daisuke, Limhang’s Japanese assistant, is played by Jeff Quizon. I say that the most colorful characters are Kukut the mouse and Tarsir, the Tarsier, portrayed by the voices of Michael V. and Allan K. respectively.

Without the comic relief and antics of Kukut and Tarsir, the story would have been dry as your typical and boring Filipino cheap romance flick.

Criticism

HIstorical Fiction? Like I said, the movie is not a historical fiction. It does not take into account the historical setting of Urduja. Pangasinenses and Badjaos are not in proximity with each other. The Badjao Tribe is located in Mindanao, thousands of kilometers away from Pangasinan, the province of Urduja. Limhang is based on the pirate Limahong who went to Pangasinan in 1575.

In historical accounts, Limahong is actually the villain because he crowned himself against the locals. Sumakwel is actually a hero, a great leader for his people. Well, given this, the movie certainly has no historical sense.

In an effort to reach out to modern-day audience, the movie also spurned the traditional language used by Urduja and the Tawilisi. Slang Pinoy words and expressions made their way to the movie. I feel that words like “gaga”, “HHWW” or “holding hands while walking”, and “di ko feel” among others do not really belong in a film that attempts to present historical fiction.

But then, what choice do the producers and writers have? This might be the result of our fragmented language that failed to develop through the years. If they stick to archaic Tagalog, I doubt if people would enjoy the movie. It was an attempt, really to make the movie reach out to modern audiences. In the process, an important aspect of the art of story-telling is compromised

The song numbers are a bit “Disneyish” in character but what can we expect? Pardon the comparison but we really do not have other points of comparison do we? Some viewers even said that the Urduja movie appears to be a cross between Pocahontas and Mulan. I say, that’s not so bad. Because literature, artistry thrives on getting various influences and “indigenizing” it. Improvisation is the name of the game. But I still feel that the story of Urduja is a bit thin and lacks depth.

On the whole

I may have some objections on the story but I am still glad that Urduja has finally arrived in Philippine Cinema. Hopefully, this will create a big impact on the Animation industry of the Philippines. The animation schemes, whether 2D and 3D are but a sample of what Pinoy animators could do. I just hope that the next full feature animation film won’t take 11 years to produce.

Kudos to APT Entertainment, the producers and the cast of Urduja.