This is kind of an odd way to start today's review, but I genuinely haven't seen this many eye-catching posters in a while, especially from local films.
And these are rarer than any diamond in the world. I'm jealous of anyone who managed to snag them while they lasted. I only managed to get the most generic one, but I'm happy regardless.
And if anyone out there has extra posters or cards they're willing to part with, please hit me up! I'm open to buying, trading, or negotiating.
OK, now on to the review =
In all honesty, I didn't have much expectations for this movie, but the casts looked cool and they're not too many of them, so I can focus on a lot more things when I watch them.
I'm too lazy to explain it but here's a summary haha.
First of all, I don't have high expectations for this movie. I have to admit that's because, with Tarung, I set my expectations too high and ended up feeling about 50% disappointed.
However, this movie did lift my spirits a bit. I was pleasantly surprised by how realistic and heartfelt the performances were.
Was I expecting poor performances from the ensemble cast?
However, I did expect to be disappointed in some aspects, largely due to how Tarung was written, though that comparison isn’t entirely fair, since they aren’t even the same type of film nor are they directed by the same filmmakers.
Sky really gets to show off his acting chops here, from playing a soft-spoken ustaz in Good Boys Go to Heaven to roles like this. He seems to have a natural talent for it, backed by hard work.
His portrayal of Hakim was strong. You get a clear sense of who the character is and why he behaves that way. It comes across with such sincerity that I can’t help but praise it. He really disappears into the role quite effectively.
Ikmal Amry as Danial was good too.
In all honesty, I don’t have much knowledge of his other roles, but he played an arrogant prick of an influencer pretty well. I just wish the character had more depth, though in 2026, a character like this doesn’t feel like a particularly unusual concept anymore.
Zul Ariffin as Firdaus is also good. There’s not much to say about a well-seasoned actor like him at this point.
He gave it 110% and honestly, I don’t have much else to add lol.
This movie is fairly simple, but it really speaks to what matters in a family: the mistakes we make and what comes after.
If there's an opening for forgiveness and reconciliation, of course you'd take it. It's very much a character-driven film, with a straightforward story as the summary suggests.
However, there's a problem with that, at least for me.
Hakim is disproportionately the character who suffers the most, and while I don't want to downplay what the other characters go through, a deeper reading of the film suggests that Hakim never really had anything that belonged to him in the first place.
1) He is taken from Malaysia to the Philippines, where he has to navigate a broken system. It’s unclear how he survives or adapts in a completely different cultural setting.
2) He eventually returns home to Malaysia to honour his father.
3) In doing so, his return provides emotional closure for the other characters.
And yes, I’m aware that Hakim wanted his family, obviously.
But it's important to remember that he had no real anchor in his life. He was desperate to find his worth and direction, relying on strangers in hopes of building a boxing career, but none of it ultimately came to fruition.
I’m not saying the other characters didn't suffer as much as Hakim, or that he should have been given something different.
Rather, it feels like his character is written around the need to accept things as they are. While his decision to return home and confront Daniel comes from his own agency, it ultimately places him at the mercy of fate and the writer— particularly with the spinal cord injury.
That choice limits the possibility of a more balanced reconciliation, especially between him and his mother.
I just wish the peace between them hadn’t come in that form. I wish Hakim had actually been given something for himself in the end.
Yes, it's a story about family, but at times it feels like Hakim exists more to serve the emotional needs of others, rather than his own.
I need to remind you, though, that even Alia, Firdaus’s daughter, only asked the internet to help search for Hakim because her grandmother was grieving and missing her son so much, always looking at pictures of him and staring at nothing.
In that sense, it’s never really about Hakim himself; it’s about how his absence affects others.
And in the end, it was Firdaus who earned his title as The Furious back. Which, again, is fine - fine, I did find his arc of trying to seek revenge for Hakim quite moving.
But still, Firdaus gets the legacy and resolution, not Hakim, and that imbalance leaves Hakim feeling like a vessel for everyone else's story rather than the centre of his own, the imbalance just feels a bit strange to me.
The action sequences and fight scenes are strong and very engaging. I'm not entirely sure how to critique this aspect, but the camera work is phenomenal. I genuinely admire it, and I hope more local action films continue to make use of Sunstrong Entertainment’s talent
I’d rate it 8/10. There are some minor hiccups, such as certain supporting performances occasionally feeling a bit robotic, but it doesn't detract from my overall enjoyment.
Though you will notice it if you're as overly critical as I am lol.
Go watch it my brother and sisters! 💜💜💜❤️💕🎂💐
baratheonpilled
stormborns
jacobvanloon
yousharknotpass
2087
