Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles

Wanting to be more patriotic to the Philippine cinema, and to keep the local films alive, I made it a point to watch these local films in the cinemas. So this month, our family opted for the film Tiktik: The aswang chronicles by GMA films. I watched the trailer and it looks mysterious. The fact that this film is also done in front of a green screen made it a must-see(if not for the movie, then for the effects).

I thought it was going to be a shriek-enducing, heart-palpipating movie. Man, it was no near that. I didn't even feel scared. The movie turned out to be an adventure-comedy (in my opinion), similar to 'The mummy' films. Although I did feel a bit queasy with all the graphic scenes of intestines and other internal organs.

Good thing aboutTiktik: The Aswang Chronicles: 
-The special effects are quite awesome. Lighting, background, computer effects. It's cool to think it's made in the studio and turned out somewhat real.

-They got the folklore's weapon for the aswangs quite right. To keep aswangs from making a person its prey, it is essential to have the garlic bulbs and the salts. They didn't leave out the 'lana', or the special oil, and made an accurate description of it having some boiling effect when the aswangs are near; and let's not forget the wicked buntot pagi.

-Obviously there are sponsors, or whatever you call it. Companies which would like for their products to be seen on the film. I think they made a pretty good story with it. The products didn't seem out of place, and they certainly give that humor effect.

Now for the bad things about Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles: 
The Aswangs don't really look like...well... aswangs.

-Ok, they did get the weapons for aswangs quite right, but not the aswangs themselves. It seemed the movie is just in for an action, kill-it-first-before-it-kills-you theme.

My parents grew up in the province of Leyte, in Visayas. They do have their own stories about aswangs and I often hear them as a child. And they they do tell the distinctive features of these creatures. So what's the point? Here:
-Aswangs are shapeshifters, yes, but what sets them apart from other animals, is their size. In the movie, one of the aswang transformed into a pig, a small pig. Oh please, have that straight. Anecdotal evidences would tell you that in the province, when people see an oversized whatever animal, then that would probably be an aswang. But the film presents a pig that is as ordinary as the others.

-Next, why the heck the did the 2nd batch of aswangs looked like burned monsters. Really, I don't get it. They looked like bunch of dogs from Resident evil. Not to mention the pterodactyl-like transformation of the leader. Funny. Had it been a large raven, I would've believed it more.

-Here's another, the 2nd batch of aswangs were the ones who confronted and attacked the protagonists. Has history been changed? Decades of aswang films would have you in the totally opposite situation. Town people hunt aswangs, not the other way around. Really, when you analyze it, that part of the film is laughable.

-Which brings us to another point: Aswangs, try to be stealth as much as possible. They don't want to be exposed, because they know the consequence. But the aswangs in this films are quite bold in their attack. No fear for their identity. It seems like they can massacre the town and the situation is at their mercy.

Ok, so much for that stuff. I'm not here to rant about the movie. As I said, the story is fine. It touches the sensitive issue of pregnancy out of wedlock, and how important it is to stand up for what is important for us. And with the humor that the film brings, we had a share of good time while watching it.