Movie Review : Jangan Pandang Belakang

I am reviewing Jangan Pandang Belakang. It is a much hyped about movie, with rave reviews and high praises. I though put it in the middle of good and predictable. It is totally expected and unexpected at the same time. It was scary and the sound effect was excellent. It was different from the normal Malay movie but somehow very much the same. It left me this feeling of an unfinished story and I regret how easy it was to get rid of the unholy entity.

Pierre Andre played the hero who lost his fiancée, due to accidental suicide. She foolishly picked up a bottle she found on the beach, took it home and from then on her nightmare started. After her death, Pierre ( or Dharma – what a ridiculous name ) went to her apartment with her twin sister ( who had the good grace for being identical ) and found the cursed bottle. He then pocketed it, took it home too and thus sealing his fate.

He went back home to his kampong to rid of the disturbance ( which turned out to be my kampong, Batu Gajah, Perak… waa…. Susah lah nak balik sekarang ) and surprise, surprise, he actually collected his late grandfather’s hantu.

Okay, to their credit, it is rather good and seram. Scenes like the hantu trailing his car from behind, sitting on the roof of his car, him picking up his Opah whom he found squatting on the floor, hungrily shoveling food and when he picked her up to put her to bed he found she was already soundly asleep and * gasp * his horror when he realized that and was too scared to look at what he was carrying in his arms ( it made me think hadn’t this guy heard any ghost stories in his youth ? That scene is a classic hantu scene that if I ever see my grandma crouching like that I would have legged it in a second ) was good. Numerous scenes were good actually, but when things have calmed down ( for me at least and that meant being at home and waking up in the morning ) and you start to reflect, you feel sadly unsatisfied and empty.

For one, the lack of sadness and shock of his fiancee’s sudden demise. Not just from him but her twin sister who seemed too cool and collected even after such a catastrophe event. I mean, suicide !! That is sooo terrible. Probably some time should have been allocated for that, to show them bawling their eyes out or something like that. However maybe because they were thrown the hantu angle very much soon after her death could be the reason why they couldn’t grieve properly. Well maybe. But when he went home to his family, no word of condolence or empathy came from his aunt and cousin. Like her death ( or even his engagement ) was not a known fact. To me there was no continuity.

Then he keeps returning to his house even after all the sightings and the voices that he heard. If it was me, I would have packed my bags and camped at my friend’s living room. I also feel the way they stumble on the existance of the hantu was not properly thought of. It was not that beleiavble and again, the proper reaction was missing.

Apart from that, the Pak Imam’s exorcism was too easy. I anticipated more resistance and seriously, something akin to head rotating 360°, you know …. the works. I expected at least 2 nights of orang kampong keeping vigil at his side or something like that. Basically, I want more action. It is like watching Die Hard minus the body counts.

And this complain comes from my mother. Since the kampong is in Perak so of course his family speaks in Perak dialect. Khatijah Tan’s was believable and had us thinking that she is a Perakian after all. Mak Mah’s ( Rosminah Sidek ) attempt was laudable but a few words here and there made it quite unconvincing and the lilt was just not fully there. Like when she asked for water, she said air when it is ayor to them. My mom who left her native Perak at a young age says air but my Wan still says ayor.

And here comes the boring part. I blame Ju-On for this. To me, after that film, most of the hantus in the world found it hard to float or walk anymore. They prefer crawling or slithering on the floor nowadays. It is like a trend.

What are welcomed though were the hilarious scenes. Cat Farish was good albeit a very short appearance. I also love the scene where Opah invited the hantu to enter the house. Dharma had just arrived at his family abode and Opah peered outside. She admonished her grandson for not inviting his friend inside. She then said “ Buruk bebenor ropanya kawan kamu tu. Rambut nya tak terurus…. “ or something of that effect. There was one scene when she screamed because Dharma’s ‘friend’ slept with her and was pushing her off the bed !!

Whatever it is, it is better than any other hantu movies that have been released in our mother tongue. Better than cerita Hantu Jepun and better than Kuntilanak that Amelia and I saw ( I am not gonna compare it to Pontianak Harum S***** Malam since the director is now my sister’s aunt ). It is a good effort but somehow looked hurriedly done. It lacks attention to detail, which is what Hollywood movie is very famous for.

But.... and there is this but, I will think twice before I pandang belakang now. Well at least for a few weeks.

Hmmm…………….