RPG Metanoia

The story of "RPG Metanoia" is very current and relevant. It tells about Nico and his friends who are computer-game addicts to an RPG called Metanoia. When an evil force that was destroying the world of Metanoia also threatens the real world, they need to forget their personal differences and band together in order to beat the common foe.

I liked the very real Filipino characters. I liked how the relationship of Nico (voiced by Santino himself, Zaijan Jaranilla) and his parents (funny to imagine Aga Muhlach and Eugene Domingo voicing them) was portrayed. The gang of Nico was also very realistically scripted, like how I remember playing with my neighbors back then, with the misunderstandings and getting back together as playmates. I liked how they had a Chinoy (Filipino-Chinese) guy in Nico's gang. I liked how they had a girl character May teach Nico and friends about outdoor activities, as well as play an important role in the RPG also.

I liked the characteristically Filipino imagery like Vigan houses used in the virtual world, the Moriones mask as the evil guy's avatar, the Filipino street games like Patintero, Tumbang Preso and Shato, etc. I liked the underlying message of warning to kids about addiction to computer games. (My 7-year old got that lesson!) The Filipino musical score by Ria Osorio and Gerald Salonga is also outstanding.

I also liked the international scope of the story, as we see the involvement of several foreign Metanoia characters in the virtual battles. There appear to be plans to distribute this to foreign countries, as the subtitles for the Korean and Japanese dialog were in English, instead of Filipino (even my 7-year old did find it odd though). I think we can be proud to have this film represent our country in festivals abroad.

OK, first of all, there is no point comparing this film to a Pixar, or even to a Dreamworks film. After all, this only the first full-length 3D computer-animated film from the Philippines, so we have to cut it slack for its pioneering efforts. The animation quality is certainly more than passable, the best of local animation I have seen. This is an action film that requires a high level of sophistication in order to pass muster, and "RPG Metanoia" does so with flying colors.

People keep complaining about the stagnation of Philippine cinema but they fail to support films that break the tiresome mold. This is your chance to make a difference. RPG Metanoia may be the first Philippine 3D animated film, but do not let the format nor presentation deter you from watching this movie.

It has so much depth that I have not seen in a Filipino movie, or in any animated film, for a very long time. It is an adept social commentary on the emerging role of technology in changing and shaping the modern Filipino middle-class family, and it manages to depict the nuances of the often misrepresented subculture of computer gaming with such newfound clarity and wit.

At its very heart, Metanoia is still a fantasy adventure movie, yet it explores its overarching themes with almost child-like wonder and a wistful touch of nostalgia of summer days spent playing outside on the street under the searing heat of the summer sun with neighborhood friends.

The movie has a lot to offer even to those who are indifferent to the finer points of subject and plot. The 3D rendering may not be the best- in-class but it can go head to head with most offerings from Disney, Pixar or DreamWorks. Any perceived lack in rendering is more than adequately compensated by the sheer genius of the action sequences. The battle scenes are breathtaking, and I often found myself forgetting that I was watching a Filipino film because of the very high level of quality and detail that was worked into the choreography of the fights.

If you're a parent who wonders why your kid spends all of his time in front of the computer, watch this movie. If you grew up playing piko, luksong tinik, tumbang preso, langit lupa, and other Filipino street games, then you definitely have to watch this movie. If you're tired of seeing cliché antics, tired comedy routines, or overdrawn dramas that persistently ruin any form of evolution in Philippine cinema, then this movie was made for you.

I, who have never been a big fan of Filipino films, went into the theater expecting to be disappointed, but I exited the theater a proud Filipino. This movie is a work of achievement that not only rivals, but far surpasses most of the multi-million dollar budgeted Hollywood animated movies.

If I have to sum up the movie in two words, it is this – Awesome. Epic.

A montage sequence in RPG: Metanoia reminds one of the days when the erstwhile hi-tech Nintendo Entertainment System (aka the family computer) fell victim to frequent blackouts and kids of those days had nothing else to do but go outside and play patintero and other such games. Kids playing real games is a strange scenario in a movie that's supposed to embrace and capitalize on the popularity of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). But it's a good thing, right? It may actually inspire the revival of Doctor Kwak-Kwak. Or maybe not.

It's actually this clever dichotomy done well that partly helps in making Metanoia become more than just the Philippines' first 3D-animated movie, moving sprightly between humorous scenes that involve an unnamed local barrio and a virtual world with pleasing visual styles. (Of course, if you're expecting something on par with Hollywood, screw you.) It also features adorable characters brought to life by vocal performances from Zaijan Jaranilla, Eugene Domingo, Aga Muhlach, and a few former Going' Bulilit tykes. Jaranilla voices Nico, an online-gaming geek who's never good in any real-life activity and chooses to dwell in the titular virtual world with his friends. As he puts it, it's the only thing he knows how to do well, so why not take it seriously? Things change when a malevolent program takes over the minds of virtual users, and render them in a zombie-like trance. It's up to Nico — Zero in Metanoia — and his gang of ragtag tweens to destroy the virus and save the world.

Metanoia engages with its inventive display of the local pop culture and surprisingly heart-tugging moments while not losing sight of its narrative. While it drowns in a wee bit too much mauling on believing in oneself (okay, we get it already) and the climax gets a bit preposterous, especially when it tries to explain the origin and mechanism of the virus, director Luis Suarez guides the film with a sure hand. It's an endearingly winning, creative piece of effort in a time when those qualities don't even seem to matter.

RPG Metanoia offers an imaginative dive into the world of online gaming, blending the excitement of virtual adventures with the warmth of Filipino culture. Nico, a shy kid who finds confidence in his Metanoia avatar, embarks on a thrilling quest when a dangerous virus threatens both the game and reality.

The film's animation is commendable for its time, with colorful visuals and an engaging game world. However, some parts of the story feel predictable, and the pacing could have been tighter. Despite this, the film excels in portraying the importance of friendship and teamwork, with a strong underlying message about balancing digital life with reality.

While it may not reach the level of international animated blockbusters, RPG Metanoia is an enjoyable and culturally meaningful watch, especially for those looking for a fresh take on the connection between gaming and real life.

I've been postponing my plan to watch this and finally when my curiosity is about to go berserk, I head for the most convenient cinema. And boy was I amazed! I even watched it twice! Never mind that I have work tomorrow morning. And twice I heard the audience clap at the end of the movie! Now there are a lot of exclamation points here. :)

The story evolves around a young kid, Nico, spending his summer vacation playing MMORPG with his neighbourhood friends. He sucked at outdoor activities that he ultimately learned to love through their new friend, May. When a virus that was affecting the gamers was discovered in Metanoia, their MMORPG of choice, the group decided to investigate and to solve the issue.

The best part of this movie is not only the graphics but the script itself. It creates a relation to the common society here in Philippines and it conveys our natural reaction to certain scenarios. The friends' bond is very well portrayed and the characters are well thought of. Of course there are cheesy parts, make no mistake, but the puns are well executed and even the soundtracks are note worthy! But take note of the graphics - the shape of Nico's CPU, the disinfectant alcohol's container, the cupboard, the tricycle, and others; it bleeds creativity. A part made me laugh when they ate ice cream; they placed it in a mug not in a bowl. This is so likely. Haha! I am thinking of buying its DVD as soon as it comes out; and if I did, this will be the only Filipino film in my collection, not to mention animated.