One still has to applaud the effort of all the people involved in the making of the Mano Po sequel. However, the finished product of director Erik Matti (of the Scorpio Nights 2 tragedy) fell short of a winning rebound. The Mano Po 2 tells the story of the three families of a wealthy Chinese businessman, whose recent death has left his three families vying for his fortunes. The ensemble cast includes Kris Aquino, Susan Roces, Zsa Zsa Padilla, and Lorna Tolentino among others.
Remembering Solid Snake's motto: 'The reality is no match for the legend'; One can only say that all the hype that surrender this movie was bigger than the movie itself. From a 'good movie' angle, Mano Po 2 is a mediocre attempt at a good old-fashioned family drama in the likes of the 50's 'Giant' or Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude. There is this 'been-there-seen-it-a-hundred-times' feel that one cannot simply escape. Miscasting is also a flaw that cannot be overlooked: Kris Aquino was the only actor in the movie that looked like a genuine Chinese, but she had to portray the part of a Filipina and leave the Chinese characters to be portrayed by Filipino actors in unconvincing China-eyes make-up (which is very hard to overlook).
Instead of having enjoyed Mano Po 2 in its deepest sense, my little sister and I enjoyed it in a 'Mystery Science Theatre 3000' style, wherein we heckled our way through the movie's laughable dialogue and flaws. For example: Kris Aquino, after 20 years, is portrayed by Ms. Susan Roces. All the other actors, after 20 years, seemed as if they did not age a day. It was as if the production company just had to squeeze Susan Roces in (no offense, she was a great actor in this one). Is this because her husband is running for the country's presidency?
Mano Po 2 could have lived up to its predecessor. however, there were flaws within the movie, serious flaws which could have been avoided.
Remembering Solid Snake's motto: 'The reality is no match for the legend'; One can only say that all the hype that surrender this movie was bigger than the movie itself. From a 'good movie' angle, Mano Po 2 is a mediocre attempt at a good old-fashioned family drama in the likes of the 50's 'Giant' or Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude. There is this 'been-there-seen-it-a-hundred-times' feel that one cannot simply escape. Miscasting is also a flaw that cannot be overlooked: Kris Aquino was the only actor in the movie that looked like a genuine Chinese, but she had to portray the part of a Filipina and leave the Chinese characters to be portrayed by Filipino actors in unconvincing China-eyes make-up (which is very hard to overlook).
Instead of having enjoyed Mano Po 2 in its deepest sense, my little sister and I enjoyed it in a 'Mystery Science Theatre 3000' style, wherein we heckled our way through the movie's laughable dialogue and flaws. For example: Kris Aquino, after 20 years, is portrayed by Ms. Susan Roces. All the other actors, after 20 years, seemed as if they did not age a day. It was as if the production company just had to squeeze Susan Roces in (no offense, she was a great actor in this one). Is this because her husband is running for the country's presidency?
Mano Po 2 could have lived up to its predecessor. however, there were flaws within the movie, serious flaws which could have been avoided.