Review of THE SMASHING MACHINE: Revelation of the Rock

October 2, 2025

In 1997, a 255 lbs, 6'1" Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial artist Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) joined the Pride MMA competition in Tokyo, Japan for the first time and won. In 1999, before his championship match with Igor Vovchanchyn at Pride 7, Kerr mentioned in a pre-fight interview, that since he never lost, he cannot verbalize how it felt like. Little did he know that he was soon going to eat his own words. 

This biopic was written, directed and edited by Benny Safdie in his solo directorial debut. His previous directorial works, notably "Uncut Gems" (2019), were co-directed with his brother Josh. This was based on the 2002 documentary "The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr" directed by John Hyams. The part where he explains about MMA to an old lady in a doctor's waiting room was recreated in this new film.

The main reason to watch this film is to see Dwayne Johnson play the role which early pundits are betting on to be one of the five Oscar nominees for Best Actor. I was ready to see the Rock basically playing himself, as he was a professional wrestler. However, impressively, Johnson (and his makeup crew) actually convinced us that he was another wrestler, whether with hair on his head or not. I won't be surprised if he did get cited for this acting performance, that went the distance with a range of emotions we typically do not see from him before.

Kerr was basically portrayed to be a good guy, congenial and calm, whose one major flaw was his addiction to injectable opioid painkillers, which eventually would eat into his relationship with girlfriend Dawn Staples, played by Emily Blunt.  Blunt's Dawn was written in a way that she was the villain in the career of Kerr. She came across as a self-centered drama queen who had meltdowns at the most inopportune situations, interfering with Kerr's focus.

Ukranian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, who played Kerr's nemesis Igor Vovchanchyn, is the undisputed heavyweight champion of boxing in 2025. American MMA star Ryan Bader, who played Kerr's best friend Mark Coleman, owned the longest streak of wins as heavyweight champ in Bellator MMA. Kickboxer-wrestler-MMA Bas Rutten who played himself as Kerr's trainer, was a veteran of action films since the 1990s, in his highest profile role to date. 

Also very notable in this film is its pop music soundtrack that included "Santeria" by Sublime, "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray, "Rhythm of My Heart" by Rod Stewart, "Just Another Day" by Jon Secada, "Tempted" by Squeeze, "Back at One" by Brian McKnight. Standouts were the cover of "Don't Be Cruel" by Billy Swan and "My Way" by Elvis Presley. There was also an electric guitar version of Japanese national anthem "Kimigayo" by Tomoyasu Osei, as well as a New Age harp version of the Star Spangled Banner by Nala Sinephro. 

This film documented the transition of MMA from a no-holds-barred, anything-goes combat sport to a "less brutal" one with no more biting, eye gouging, head butting, knee and kick to face when opponent is faced down allowed. These action sequences were very tightly shot, making us absorb the powerful impact of every takedown, slam, punch and kick, especially with the intense sound effects editing. Like "Rocky," there were also training montages here, but Safdie was not going to follow the usual sports film formula to the letter. 7/10

Review of ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER: Fumbling Frantic Father

September 28, 2025

The French 75 was a group of left-wing revolutionaries constantly at odds with the military because of their criminal activities. Among the members were their leader Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) and "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (Leonardo diCaprio), who were lovers. A hardcore, white-supremacist officer handling their case, Capt. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), developed an ironic indecent obsession on Perfidia. 

Perfidia got pregnant and gave birth to a girl she named Charlene, whom she left for Pat to raise while she resumed her French 75 activities. When Perfidia got caught, Pat was forced to move out, changing his name to Bob Ferguson, a widower who raised his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) alone. 16 years passed unremarkably, until one day, Col. Lockjaw somehow managed to zero in on their location, forcing them to go on the run again.

Far from his usual screen persona of cocky confidence, we see a deglamorized image of Leonardo di Caprio here -- disheveled, disoriented and dubious. Another rare aspect of di Caprio that we see here is his comedic side, tending to silliness, especially in his scenes with the eccentric Sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro). It was almost slapstick in the last half of the film, with his unkempt topknot and ugly checkered robe, while fumbling with passwords. 

Sean Penn chewed up all his scenes here with his unnerving portrayal of Hitler-like Col. Lockjaw. He may as well be the Anton Chigurh (bowl-cut villain of "No Country for Old Men") of 2020s cinema with that shock of silver hair on his head which he kept down with his spit. He was effortlessly sleazy in his scenes with Perfidia, and was sickening when he faced off with helpless young Willa (ingenue Chase Infiniti was so radiant in that scene!). 

Once this latest film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson had its Hollywood premiere, there had already been quite a number of effusively positive reviews for it. Oscar hype for it ran high immediately, like his previous film masterpieces -- "Boogie Nights" (1996), "Magnolia" (1999), "Phantom Thread" (2017), and of course, "There Will Be Blood" (2007).  Better not watch this new film too high on the hype, lest you expect too much. 

Anderson was able to mix character study, social commentary, political satire, family drama, crime action all together in in perfect harmony. The comedic elements were more prominent, while the dramatic elements were decidedly more subtle. After giving us so much chaos in the first two hours, Anderson saved the best sequence in the closing minutes, executing what could be one of the best shot, most heart-stopping car chases that I've seen.   8/10

Review of THE RIDE: A Desperate Drive

September 26, 2025

Barry (Piolo Pascual) was a member of a carnapping gang under his boss Vince (Gabby Eigenmann). Disgruntled, he wanted to move over to the gang of rival carnapping kingpin, Windsor (Ramon Christopher), which he planned with his senior gangmate Anton (Levi Ignacio). While this was going on, Barry picked up his son Leo (Kyle Echarri) and drove together to the province where his ex-wife Sally was dying from cancer. 

The exact reason why Barry decided to coincide his business coup attempt with his family road trip was not too clear. However, this serious lapse in Barry's critical decision making certainly resulted in a sure-fire formula for a night of violence that put both his and his son's life in danger. This shared experience of being on the run for their lives did push father and son closer together unlike any other time in their checkered past. 

This feature film runs for only a little over an hour, ending just as you were on the edge of your seats. Remarkably, despite the brevity of the run time and seeming simplicity of the plot, there were three writers credited for the screenplay -- Thop Nazareno, John Bedia and Dodo Dayao.  Director Nazareno went straight to the point, with no unnecessary fluff. However, there may have been some details lost, like who exactly Bossing (Joey Marquez) was. 

Kyle Echarri has gone a long way from "The Voice Kids" in 2015 where we first saw him. 2025 is his breakthrough year in film acting. He was just in "100 Awit Para Kay Stella," where he played the third wheel in the love story of the two leads. This latest one of his pits him with Piolo Pascual in a virtual two-hander story, and he was able to hold his own. While still giving off spoiled brat vibes, Echarri was able to show off more range here acting-wise. 

It has been about 30 years since Piolo Pascual broke through in TV soap opera "Esperanza." From being the quintessential romantic leading man, he'd gone on to do action ("On the Job"), horror ("Mallari"), experimental ("Real Life Fiction") and Lav Diaz ("Hele ng Hiwagang Hapis").  Now in his late 40s, he can now play the father of teenagers, like he did in a cameo role in "Sunshine" (2024), going full-length as a flawed dad in this latest one. 

Pascual did very well in the action scenes, like that frenetic shoot-out in the marketplace. However, his forte is really drama. His Barry narrated the story as it went along, his confession. He called himself a bad husband, a bad father, and a bad person in general. His scenes with Echarri's Leo were purposefully awkward, but we feel the sincere effort of this delinquent father to connect to his delinquent son, until he just gave it his all at the end.  7/10

SINAG MAYNILA 2025: Review of ALTAR BOY: Frailties of a Fil-Canadian Fellow

September 25, 2025

Daniel (Mark Bacolcol) was the 17 year-old son of a Fil-Canadian couple, Joseph (Pablo Quiogue) and Rose (Shai Barcia) Garcia. At home, his parents talked to him in Filipino and he answered them in English. They had frequent family reunions, where they partake of Filipino food and videoke singing. Rose was very religious and attended services in the parish of Fr. Simon (Steve Kasan), where Daniel was an altar server. 

This year, Daniel was not exactly doing well in his grades. However, he was accepted into the basketball team of their high school, Pacific Grove, together with his two good friends, Kyle (Denzel Brooks) and Ricky (Blake Canning). He also had a crush on a girl whom he often saw at church when he was serving. She was his pretty classmate Summer Stevens (Emily Beattie) who picked him as his partner in a school project.  

This Canadian production told a simple coming-of-age story about a teenage boy from an immigrant family. It tells his life at home with his family, and at school with his friends. It just so happened that this was about a Fil-Canadian family, so it should be more interesting for Filipinos, as it features Filipino language and culture. However, it was not really telling anything new, as we've seen variations of these same stories in many other teen films.    

Mike Bacolcol's Daniel is likable enough, despite his hang-ups and shortcomings. We know he is basically a good boy, so we root for him to win the girl, and get over his troubles. Bacolcol's lines were wry, sardonic, delivered with deadpan humor. He did not really look 17 anymore, but Bacolcol also wrote this screenplay, so we do have to give him credit for some neat scenes and lines. Ironic though that his being an altar boy was not dealt with with more depth.  

Viewers of the older generation will feel the frustrations of Rose as a mother raising a son in a foreign country. She tried hard to integrate values and practices into her son's life, making sure that he took them to heart without feeling forced to do so. The absolute best scene between mother and son was that dinner scene after things got awkward between them. Barcia's facial expressions had emotional weight there, and that catch-up kiss sealed the deal. 6/10

SINAG MAYNILA 2025: Review of MADAWAG ANG LANDAS PATUNGONG PAG-ASA: A Teacher's Tenacity

September 24, 2025

In 2019, a encounter between the military and rebels happened in Barangay Pag-asa, Quezon province. A teacher and a student lost their lives there. Because of this tragic incident and the pandemic that followed, the school never reopened. As the children were idle, barangay captain Merlinda "Indang" Sarmenta (Dorothy Gilmore) hired kids to be "scholars" in her video game business called Axis Divinity, where they earned good money.  

In 2022, a young teacher named Araceli "Ara" Lumawig (Rita Daniela) was sent by DepEd to Pag-asa to reopen the school and become their new teacher. Kapitana Indang took an instant dislike to her, but fortunately, Ara had parish priest Fr. Caloy (Jim Pebanco) and sari-sari store owner Ka Ambo (Lou Veloso) on her side. A troop of soldiers under 1Lt Randy Meneses (Jak Roberto) was assigned to provide security to the school. 

Rita Daniela gave a very dedicated performance as Ms. Lumawig, who reopened the school against all odds. Only five students came in on her first day of class, so she had to go house to house to try to convince hostile parents. Fortunately, her Ara was likable, sincere, and certainly tenacious with a never-say-never attitude. If there was anything jarring about her, it was that overdone kissing scene with her estranged activist boyfriend Teddy (Albie Casino).  

Jak Roberto was a bit too obvious as the lovestruck Lt. Randy. He did not find it embarrassing to lovingly stare at his crush in full view of his own men, or her students, not exactly subtle as military officers would likely be. Veterans Lou Veloso and Jim Pebanco can do no wrong with their good guy characters, though they could be too good to be true. Ara pet students Estong (Ynigo Delen) and Betchay (Felixia Dizon) were delightful.

The rural vibe of the whole film, the politeness and good-naturedness of it all, was very refreshing to watch. The Axis Divinity thing may be a bit too sophisticated a plot point, but it did serve its purpose as a source of serious conflict. The screenplay of Eric Ramos had some surprising revelations about Ara in Act 3 that led to a particularly tearful ending scene with her students, which director Joel Lamangan really squeezed for all its melodramatic worth.  7/10

Review of EXIT 8: Loopy Labyrinth

September 20, 2025

An old man was berating a mother with a crying baby on the train. Bothered by this, a young man decided to alight at the next station. While he was walking on his way out of the station, a young man received a phone call from his recent ex-girlfriend who told him that she was in the hospital. She called to tell him just found out that she was pregnant. This news unsettled the man to have an asthma fit, and the choppy signal made things worse for him. 

When the call was dropped, the young man eventually noted that he had been walking around in circles while trying to reach Exit 8. He kept on passing by a certain corridor with a series of posters on one side and doors and vents on the other side. He would see a tall man emerge on the other end of that corridor and he would walk past him. After going through the same things a number of times, he realized he was trapped in an endless loop.

This psychological horror film was based on a 2023 video game called "The Exit 8" developed by Kotake Create. Japanese filmmaker Genki Kawamura wrote and directed this film version, recreating the atmosphere of claustrophobia and paranoia that made the game popular. The object of the game was to spot "anomalies" in order to decide whether to go forward (if there was none) or to turn back (if there was one). An error would reset one back to Exit 0.

The numeral 8 was chosen for this concept because as seen on print, it is does not have a visible beginning or end, just one curving line crossing itself in the middle like a Mobius strip. One of the posters in the corridor was about an art exhibit featuring works by 20th century Dutch artist Mauritz Cornelius Escher. His famous work "Relativity" depict architectural optical illusion of people going up and down an endless maze of stairs -- an obvious inspiration.

At first there were only two guys -- the main character called the Lost Guy (Kazunari Ninomiya), and the Walking Guy (Yamato Kochi), who walked past Lost Guy every time he passed under the Exit 8 sign in the main corridor.  We certainly felt Ninomiya exasperation and frustration, as well as his asthma-induced dyspnea. Walking Guy was supposed to be an NPC (non-player character) only, but Kawamura also chose to give him a back story. Kochi

In the opening scene, Kawamura followed Lost Man in one amazing long single tracking shot from the train to the Exit 8 corridors. Being shot in Lost Man's point of view really made us feel his ever-growing anxiety and desperation. Kawamura then added the Boy, a helpless child in the loop who is likely a metaphor for Lost Guy's ex's pregnancy. While these dramatic detours added depth to the story, they did also distract much from the build-up of suspense. 7/10

Review of THE LONG WALK: Physical and Psychological Pressure

September 18, 2025

The US was still reeling from the effects of a major war and a failing economy. For the chance to win a grand cash prize, several young men all around the country apply to join an event called "The Long Walk," organized by the Major (Mark Hamill).  The fifty chosen boys would have to walk continuously, no stopping allowed, no sleep, no bathroom breaks. If ever someone' speed went below 3 miles per hour, he was going to be eliminated, literally.  

Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) was one of the boys chosen by raffle for the walk that year. Because the walk was being held in his home state, he was brought to the starting point by his mother Ginnie (Judy Greer). He quickly made friends with fellow walkers Peter (David Jonsson), Hank (Ben Wang) and Baker (Tut Nyuot). Other walkers were not too friendly, like Stebbins (Garrett Wareing), Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer) or Collie (Joshua Odjick). 

The most memorable films in director Francis Lawrence's filmography are those in the "The Hunger Games" franchise, starting from the second film "Catching Fire" (2013) to the current reboot. Actually, "The Long Walk" had an uncanny "Hunger Games" vibe. There was a dictatorial military government who chose a representative from each state, and they will join an intense physical and psychologically-demanding contest to the death. Familiar, right?

"The Long Walk" is a 1979 novel written by horror auteur Stephen King, under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was the first novel King started to write as a college freshman, but only published four years after he released "Carrie." The novel started with 100 men, and the minimum walking speed was 4 mph. In the book, Ray meets his girlfriend in Freeport, instead of his mom as we saw in the film. Also, the final two guys differed in the two versions.

This film served as an introductory acting showcase for its cast of young actors. Cooper Hoffman is the son of the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. As Ray, he had certainly gone a long way from when we first saw him in "Licorice Pizza" (2021). He had a great rapport with the other actors, especially David Jonsson and Tut Nyuot, establishing genuine friendships with their characters. As sadistic Major, Mark Hamill was a fearsome symbol of their collective oppression. 7/10

Review of MAGELLAN: Conquest and Conversion

September 15, 2025

In 1511, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was part of the crew of Alfonso de Albuquerque, who sailed around the tip of Africa to reach Malacca, which was claimed in the name of King Manuel I of Portugal. In 1519, Magellan led his own expedition to Southeast Asia, this time going around the tip of South America, through the Pacific Ocean to reach Cebu island, which he claimed in the name of his new royal sponsor, Carlos V of Spain.

This historical biographical film was written and directed by Filipino slow cinema auteur Lav Diaz. It runs for 160 minutes, a modest length in the Lav Diaz canon, where at least 8 of his films ran for more than 5 hours long, 3 of which ran beyond 9 hours long. 

Even if the running time was relatively shorter than his usual, there were still those very long, languid steady camera shots with very little action happening, and puzzling, erratic editing. For his fans, this signature cinematic style is part of the charm of watching Lav Diaz film. People who are watching this film as their first Lav Diaz will likely get very restless, but believe me, this taste can surely be developed with more exposure.

This is only the third time Diaz shot in color, following two of his best-known works -- "Batang West Side" (2001) and "Norte, the End of History" (2015). However, the most powerful scenes had muted colors, such as those of the strong waves breaking along the beach as mothers mourned their dead children. 

For a film about a voyage halfway around the world by a fleet of huge four-masted ships, the scenes of ships at sea and the people on board felt strangely static, depending only sound effects of splashing water and subtle camera movements to create an illusion that they on rough waters. We won't see epic seafaring wide-shot scenes here, like those we saw in "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" (2003) or even "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1962).  

In the Cebu scenes, the costume of the natives were so randomly arbitrary. While there were those who were typically dressed as expected, there were several natives, men and women, who were completely naked -- from the opening scene of a woman catching snails in the river, to that moving scene of a funeral cortege walking towards the ocean. I was wondering why there had to be nudity when clothes already existed.

This had been chosen to be submitted for Oscar consideration for Best Foreign Film, a second time for Diaz after "Norte". However the choice feels rather ironic. Aside from telling the story of a colonizer, Diaz ended the film by going against a historical detail that every Filipino learned since their childhood. Many will sit through all the slowburn to see a climactic battle with Lapu-Lapu, only to be disappointed when he didn't show up as expected. At the risk of casting doubt on his very existence, Diaz boldly portrayed Lapu-Lapu as a collective spirit of native defiance against foreign invaders. 6/10

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Here are my reviews of the other Lav Diaz films I had seen before:

PHANTOSMIA (MY REVIEW)

ESSENTIAL TRUTHS OF THE LAKE (MY REVIEW)

KAPAG WALA NANG ALON (MY REVIEW)

HISTORYA NI HA (MY REVIEW)

PAN, GENUS (MY REVIEW)

ANG HUPA (MY REVIEW)

ANG PANAHON NG HALIMAW (MY REVIEW)

ANG BABAENG HUMAYO (MY REVIEW)

HELE SA HIWAGANG HAPIS (MY REVIEW)

MULA SA KUNG ANO ANG NOON (MY REVIEW)

NORTE: HANGGANAN NG KASAYSAYAN (MY REVIEW)

FLORENTINA HUBALDO, CTE (MY REVIEW)

MELANCHOLIA (MY REVIEW)

EVOLUTION OF A FILIPINO FAMILY (MY REVIEW)

Netflix: Review of KONTRABIDA ACADEMY: Hurting the Heroes

September 13, 2025

Gigi (Barbie Forteza) was having a miserable life. She worked as an assistant manager in a Korean barbecue place under a slave driver of a manager Jingo (Jonathan Tadioan).  She was forced to help settle big debts that her irresponsible mother Betty (Carmina Villaroel) incurred from loan sharks. Her relationship with her boyfriend of seven years Abet (Yasser Marta) was going nowhere, until she saw another girl riding his motorcycle with him. 

Gigi won a big screen television set in a raffle at work. When she turned it on, it was only showing one floridly melodramatic telenovela entitled "Batas ng Api" ("Law of the Oppressed"). The lead character was a girl named Mirinisa (Ysabel Ortega) who was relentlessly abused by her wicked stepmother Mauricia (Eugene Domingo) and seductive stepsister Mimi (Xyriel Manabat). One day, Mauricia addressed Gigi by name, inviting her to enter the TV world. 

That this comedy-fantasy film was written and directed by Chris Martinez (based on an original concept of Alpha Habon and Randolph Longjas) automatically made it a film to check out. Martinez also wrote the screenplays for "Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme" (2009) and its sequels, and "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" (2011), all of which starred Eugene Domingo. With Mauricia, Martinez had created another memorable role for Domingo and her signature unbridled over-the-top style of comedy acting. 

Domingo took her assignment to heart and went to town with it. She embraced the villainy of her role fully -- her eyes wide with cruelty, her insults brutally sharp, her slaps painfully crisp. On the other end, Barbie Forteza's Gigi was the perfect martyr. After Mauricia got her to turn on her dark side, Forteza showed off her acting range by convincingly transforming into sexy, confident and assertive Gia -- ready to exact revenge on her tormentors.

The best parts were those lessons by real-life villain actors, like Rez Cortez (Facial Expression), Dimples Romana (Insults), Odette Khan (Principal), Celia Rodriguez (History), Jean Garcia (Art), Pinky Amador (Languages), Gladys Reyes (Math), Baron Geisler (P.E.), Mylene Dizon (Science). Portraits of those who had departed, like Joaquin Fajardo, Bella Flores, Zeny Zabala and Cherie Gil, were a nice touch. They should've added more.

With leading man Arnaldo (Jameson Blake), Gia visited a school for heroes, called San Bida University. All it succeeded to show was how learning to be a hero was dry and boring, in contrast to how fun it was learning be a villain. Everything felt very cliché, from the fashion (long sleeves, long skirts) to the subjects (Hope, Modesty, Patience). That cameo by Susan Africa was inspired, but her lesson could have been better written. 

Halfway through, a problematic message seemed to be coming across. Does one really need to be "villainous" in order to stand up against his bullies? Did timid Gigi really need to turn into a feisty Gia in order to confront her enemies and fight for her rights?  Why become a villain to fight your villains? Martinez did try to smooth this issue out towards the end by rationalizing how someone's "villainy" can actually prove to be something good to the other person. 7/10

Review of DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE: Memory and Modernity

September 13, 2025

It was 1930. The Crawley family, headed by Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), were facing much stress from all fronts. Cora's brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) had lost their family's fortune in the US, and wanted to claim their family's stake at Downton. Also, the news of Lady Mary's (Michelle Dockery) divorce from Henry Talbot came out in the newspapers, causing a scandal that made her a pariah in their circle. 

In order to help Mary recover her social standing, her sister Edith (Laura Carmichael) hosted a party at Downton Abbey with playwright Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) and actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West). Meanwhile, Lady Merton (Penelope Wilton) brought Carson (Jim Carter) and Daisy (Sophie McShera) to join the organizing committee of the annual county fair with her, much to the chagrin of stuffy old chairman Sir Hector (Simon Russell Beale).

The screenplay of this latest and final installment of the Downton Abbey series is still its original creator, Julian Fellowes. Fellowes had won an Oscar for his screenplay of "Gosford Park" (2001), about the lives of the aristocrats and the servants living in a single estate. He then expanded this concept into "Downton Abbey," a beloved TV series which ran from 2010 to 2015, showing the evolution of the Crawley family from 1912 to 1925.

After the series came to a close, two feature films followed: "Downton Abbey" (2019), and "Downton Abbey: A New Era" (2022). These films depicted how the aristocratic Crawley family and their loyal staff struggle to accept the new ways which were slowly but surely encroaching into and threatening the elegant old traditions they were used to. This grand finale continues to document this process of the family adapting and transitioning into modernity.   

Knowing that this is the final film in the series brought with it a sense of sentimental nostalgia. This was going to be the last film where we will see that grand old mansion -- the halls, the library, the dining room, the ballroom, even the staircase. Aside from the grand dinner and county fair, another colorful event shown in this episode was the Ascot horse racing sequence. These were showcases of early 20th century England period production design, costumes, hair and makeup -- the signature feature of the whole Downton Abbey franchise. 

Since this newest film is a self-declared grand finale, Fellowes gave everyone -- major or minor, upstairs or downstairs -- some sort of closure. Viewers just watching Downton the first time with this film may be overwhelmed by the numerous characters. While the story may be understood, the viewing experience will really be more satisfying for fans who have seen the whole series from the beginning, those who actually care for these beloved characters. That montage of departed characters at the end is precious and bittersweet. 8/10

Review of 100 AWIT PARA KAY STELLA: Pursuing Passions

 September 10, 2025

                                                         

Stella Puno (Bela Padilla) was now the CEO of Rainstar, a events company that specialized in singles-only parties. In one of her first events, Stella met aspiring singer Clyde Pelayo (Kyle Echarri) who asked her to choose which of two songs he had should be his lead-off single.  Stella's choice was a winner, and Clyde became a star. He would tease his fans about having a crush on Stella, which made her a viral online celebrity as well.  

When one of Stella's events needed a bigger venue, she was able to make a last-minute booking at a place called Bale Ganaka. It turned out that the present owner of this new venue was none other than her long-estranged friend, Fidel Lansangan (JC Santos). Fidel was still shy, stuttered when he spoke, and still into writing music and poetry. Stella felt that the lyrics of Clyde's songs sounded vaguely familiar. She soon realized why.

The first film about the relationship of Fidel and Stella was "100 Tula Para Kay Stella" (2017) released 8 years ago, also written and directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. They were freshmen back then, blockmates in AB Psych at the Pampanga Agricultural College. Fidel was a shy, nerdy honor student who stuttered and wrote poetry. His muse Stella was a tough chick who wore black lipstick and was the lead singer of a rock band. 

The unexpected ending of the first film left a lot of fans wanting for a better resolution for their love story. This sequel picks up 15 years after college, 15 years without any contact with each other. Fidel and Stella were engaged in their own businesses now, and seemingly content at being single. They both had unsettled issues from their past that still haunted them -- Fidel with his mother Sandra (Yayo Aguila), Stella with her ex Von (now played by Albie Casino).

JC Santos and Bela Padilla fit very comfortably back into their characters, quirks and all. The fans in the audience react gleefully to their undeniable chemistry together -- they want them back together again. Kyle Echarri spent most of his screen time posturing for the camera, never felt like a serious threat as the third wheel. Clyde was also given the emotional burden of living up to a music legend father, but this was more told in words, than actually shown. 

The title implies there will be 100 new songs, but of course that is not possible. We hear maybe four songs in full (sort of) -- #1 "Kamusta Na," #2 "Itim na Lipstick," #50 "Simoy," and #100 "Iisang Daan." There would also be snippets of about 20 more scattered throughout. All of these original songs were by Thyro Alfaro. A song from the original film is also prominently featured here -- Rivermaya's "Balisong" -- which surely brought back the feels.    7/10