Merantau
(2009/MagNet/Magnolia Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B- Extras: A Feature: A-
A young
man named Yuda journeys to Jakarta
to seek his future and fortune. But life in the big city was not what he
thought. Seeking to teach Silat, he finds
the place he was going to teach and live gone. Suddenly homeless and alone, his life takes a
turn when he meets a brother and sister, Yuda discovers the world of vice where
the poor are controlled by the wealthy, a European man who controls the city's
sex trafficking. Yuda takes a stand for those who can't and becomes their
protector, but when the traffickers declare war on him, can he fight an army of
hoodlums?
Merantau (2009) is an
action drama about people growing up in the city. Based on Indonesian
culture and martial arts, it tells a story about how the strong prey on the
weak and how one man tries to change that. The main character Yuda, a Silat master, life
is forever changed after his wallet gets taken by a young city pickpocket named
Adit, after chasing him and catching him, he meets Adit's sister Astri. Yuda then proceeds to save her from her
'employer' abuse, which opens a whole new world of trouble for him. As a result the Europeans then seek
revenge and retribution on Yuda, and becomes determined to return their
'merchandise' Astri into the sex slave ring.
The story's setting is in Indonesia,
however, its story is not anything new. A young man seeks to enter city life,
but then realizes its vices and must somehow survive or get out of it. The 'Merantau' is a coming of age tradition
where the young teens go to experience the outside world, depending on their
own skills, cleverness, wit they test themselves as mature adults. I would recommend this movie for those who
like martial arts or karate, it reminds me of the films of Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, where one man faces
incredible odds and has choreographed fights with many men.
The 1080p
1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image was shot in HD and may have not be
always razor sharp, but I really enjoyed the way the color was pumped up and
how the Blu-ray delivered it. The DTS-HD
Master Audio (MA) lossless Indonesian 5.1 mix is the best choice here and
though some of the sound is unusual and does not always work, but it is as
stylized as the image and that matches well enough. Extras include delete scenes, bloopers,
making of the film, behind the scenes stunts, video production, storyboard, and
trailer.
- Ricky Chiang
