Sri Asih is Bumilangit Cinematic Universe's (BCU) second movie after Gundala (2019). It gives a good impression after watching it.
There are many aspects of Gundala that Sri Asih fix. The pacing is consistent, unlike Gundala, which has a good start in the first half but is rushed at the end. The fight and action scenes are also much better when compared to Gundala, with more "hard" fights.
The most noticeable thing, of course, is the use of CGI. The use of CGI in Sri Asih is more majestic and neat. By this, CGI quality in Sri Asih is the best in Indonesia for now. But, of course, it is still inferior to some Hollywood movies.
Pevita Pearce's effort in preparing to play Alana/Sri Asih is extraordinary. Her performance reflects the physical strength training she has been undergoing. Reza Rahadian and Surya Saputra manage to bring out their respective characters well.
But the character that caught my attention was Jagau (played by Revaldo). As Prayogo's right hand, he has the potential to be a more important character in the future. I will look forward to future stories from this character.
The world-building is also done quite well and gives viewers an understanding of what it's like to be in the BCU. Viewers can feel Sri Asih is part of a much larger and interconnected world. The exposition is done with the right portion, so it doesn't make you bored or sleepy.
The unfortunate thing is the lack of time for the viewers to know Alana more closely before she goes through the "hero" phase in her life. Gundala gives the audience time to get to know who's Sancaka and how his life was before becoming Gundala. One of the effects is that the emotional closeness between Alana and her mother has not developed well enough.
Pevita's acting is quite good, but my concern is when Pevita is acting sad. It's like something is missing from her expression. The sadness feels too bland.
From the cinematography aspect, some shots make the atmosphere feel more cramped. But Sri Asih also has good cinematography, one of which is Alana's fight scene with Mateo.
As usual, Joko Anwar's produced movies always have social commentary. But Sri Asih didn't deliver it very well. It feels not smooth.
There are also two sarcastic dialogues from Sri Asih that don't seem to fit the circumstances. Tangguh also has not contributed enough to the development of the plot.
One more thing that I love about Sri Asih is the audio. Often, Indonesian movie audio dubbing is not aligning with the visual. In Sri Asih, it not happen.
Sri Asih is a superhero movie that is fun and well-presented. Sri Asih has succeeded in making the new standard of superhero films in Indonesia. But it doesn't mean it's perfect. There are still a lot of problems that Joko Anwar and the BCU team need to fix in future movies. One of which is a more focused and grounded origin story.
Good job, Sri Asih, the best Indonesian superhero movie to date!
Score: 7.5/10
P. S.:
- My score for Gundala was 7/10
- Lots of easter eggs and one mid-credit scene, so don't miss it!
- The final battle scene is my favorite!
