Ejen Ali (Movie Review)

The song 'Bukalah Matamu' keeps playing in my head today. It means 'open your eyes' in Bahasa. Coincidentally, MATA is also the name of the secret agency Ejen Ali is working for in the film Ejen Ali The Movie. I heard so much great feedback about the movie before I actually have the chance to watch it. I came in with high expectations. Fortunately, I didn't leave the cinema disappointed.

I guess the appeal of the movie came from the fact that it has a little bit of everything, and a little something for everyone. There are funny as well as sad moments on top of the straight up action sequences. Characters in the story look familiar, like you've seen them somewhere in the Malaysian public scene. Already there is a comparison of the likeness of Dayang, one of MATA's agents, to Malaysian celebrity businesswoman Neelofa on Twitter.

When you've seen enough films, you can't help but feel that you have watched the scenes from the movie somewhere before. But that didn't in any way affect its quality. It just probably means that some stories are worth retelling. I won't spoil it for you. Go and see it for yourselves.

I think one of the reasons the movie hits so close to the heart of Malaysians is the familiar elements that it uses. From 'mamak' restaurants, plastic chairs, satay and teh tarik (in no particular order) to the everyday Malaysian kid stuffs like school uniforms, yo-yos, slingshots, scooters and skateboards. And then there's the memorable soundtrack such as 'Kita Jaga Kita' which means 'we take care of ourselves' that I think carries a strong message to the youngsters of today.

One of the things that makes a good movie, for me, is the unique characters it comes with. Ejen Ali definitely hits this point with not only differentiating the personalities, but also the colors of their clothing and the weapons they use. Anybody can choose a favorite agent. I settle for Ejen Ali's cool strong uncle, Ejen Bakar.