THE KINGDOM (2024) Review
Directed by Mike Tuviera
It’s true that stories or materials like this come by very often locally. Aside from being big budgeted, it’s almost hard to deliver what’s on the paper and translate it to the screen as promising and as ambitious as it looked on paper.
While its ambition is as big as the country it’s building, what’s good about Mike Tuviera’s ‘The Kingdom’ is it knows its motives and presents them with stories that everyone can relate to. From having family that has favoritism issues to a government that isn’t fair for everyone, ‘The Kingdom’ presents these issues in a palatable way.
It takes getting used to its world building, while still familiar, there are moments that they break the familiar elements in our world and give a different twist in it, a perspective of what our nation could be or could have been. It’s refreshing and at the same time makes you reflect on how much we have and how much we have lost. But what remains the same is how we Filipinos value our family.
What makes it impressive is that the country they’ve developed, while fictitious, feels authentic to the characters. It doesn’t feel half baked – the tradition, the objects in the film, how their government works, it’s a well-thought out family and political drama.
Performance-wise, there’s no complaints on its cast. Vic Sotto doing a dramatic role for the longest time proves he should also be taken seriously as an actor. Piolo Pascual being Piolo Pascual in action and dramatic scenes give the film more depth showing how he truly understands the role. Also worth mentioning is Cristine Reyes’ effective portrayal of a flawed and damaged daughter.
‘The Kingdom’ promises a different world but still familiar and they delivered. I wish the mounting felt more cinematic though. Some of the scenes feel like they are from a teleserye not that it’s bad, you just don’t feel the bigness of it all at times. They may have mentioned during their interviews that it was supposed to be a series, some scenes could have been written and shot to have the feels of the theatrical language.
But the story and issues presented in the film will be more than enough for the audience to reflect on how a government should be and how the people should not have the need to have their blood spilled to fight for their rights.
3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘The Kingdom’ is an official entry to the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival. Opening in Philippine cinemas on December 25, 2024 from MQuest Ventures, MZet Films and APT Entertainment. Rated PG by the MTRCB.