RPG: Metanoia is Officially My Favourite Filipino Film

Of course, I don't really watch a lot of Filipino films, so saying it's my favourite doesn't mean much. But this is one case where saying "It's a good Filipino movie" doesn't quite cut it.

It's a really good movie, period.

What they got right:


A story well told: RPG: Metanoia (by Thaumatrope Animation) tells a simple, but well-told tale. Nico is an MMORPG addict who is one of the best players in Metanoia, despite being 11 years old (he's apparently entering 6th grade after summer ends). The plot revolves basically around his addiction to MMO's and how it affects his relationship with his friends and his parents. And despite, retreading the "kids should stop playing too much video games" message, it neither demeans nor condemns the act of playing video games, instead focusing on taking things in moderation. It doesn't hurt that the dialogue is well-written, and lines come across as natural as hearing real-life Filipino (none of that Initial D Animax crap). The humor is absolutely spot-on as well.

Consistent Art Design: Thankfully, RPG: Metanoia has a rather unique style that isn't a Pixar or anime rip-off. The environments are impressive, with half of the film taking place in a regular neighbourhood that seems incredibly familiar to anyone who's grown up in Manila (Or probably Northern Metro Manila. It doesn't seem as suburban as the South). The animation on the characters is well done, especially the choreography on some of the action sequences. Especially nice is the look and feel of the titular Metanoia MMORPG (I love that login sequence), with an authentic-feeling GUI and exceptional backgrounds.

Sounds Superb: The music editing is absolutely phenomenal. The soundtrack is excellent with some nicely chosen songs and orchestral pieces, and it never felt that a specific tune was out of place. Metanoia scenes are suitably accompanied by grand overtures, and the real world has melodies that are more mellow. The filmmakers won an award for this, and it was very, very well-deserved.

What they could have improved:

Rub-a-Dub: The sole exception to the auditory experience is the dubbing. Some actors do work great, notably the adult roles, but since most of the movie revolves around the kids, we get the "Philippine Anime Dub Syndrome" with awkward punctuations and intonations that are slightly off.

Total Nip/Tuck: Despite being 4 or 5 years in the making, it still feels like RPG: Metanoia could have used a few more weeks of polish. A couple of scenes don't flow quite smoothly (some characters disappear off-camera for a few seconds despite the film implying that it should not have taken long) and there's the few odd inconsistencies (the identity of one of the main antagonists is discovered almost arbitrarily and Nico does something that almost seems entirely out of character at a critical point) that could have been smoothed out. Notably, the middle portion could have been trimmed down (like a montage that takes just a tad longer than it should have), but it seemed that nobody on the crew had the heart or guts to do so. Or maybe they ran out of time. Whatever it was, it was almost heartbreaking to see a good film that could have been much more with less. I'm also still not sure if it was such a good idea to have the "in-game" sequences run at a lower framerate. It feels authentic (for those who've played dozens of PC games), but it also compromises the fast motion of some scenes (especially the climax). Applying a filter of some sort might have made those sequences more comprehensible without sacrificing the distinction between the game world and the real world.

Bottom Line:


RPG: Metanoia is not quite Pixar, but then even Hollywood has produced few movies that approach the narrative complexity of an Incredibles or Up.

This still remains one of my favorite movies from 2010 (probably tied with Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World for pure escapism). It deserves incredible success, because I can't wait to see what Thaumatrope Animation comes up with next.