I was a fan of the first Kimmy Dora film in 2009. It was refreshing and entertaining. It felt like the level of Pinoy slapstick had been upgraded. My review of that film was posted HERE. I was not able to see the second installment last year, which had been given a horror slant.
This third film was supposed to have been a prequel. Kimmy and Dora had just graduated from college. They start to work in their father's mega- corporation. Top executives Brigitte (Angel Aquino), Curtis (Joel Torre) and the HR Head Rodin (Sam Milby) implement a program for them to start working from the bottom as guards or car park cashiers.
However, there is a malevolent hooded figure named Bogart who wreaks havoc in the Go Dong Hae franchises from their fast food to their airline, threatening to totally destroy the company if they do not give him 1 Billion Euro. How can the sisters save their empire from totally collapsing around them?
This film has all the ingredients that made the first film successful. There were all those absurd situations the sisters get themselves into. There were still those multiple cameos by several big name stars, which were quite amusing. There was of course the consistently on-point, unabashedly slapstick portrayal of the talented Ms. Eugene Domingo of the twins.
But then again, unlike the innovative novelty that made the first film remarkable, there was really nothing much that is new to see in this one. Even the humor factor seemed oddly limited already.
This film felt furthest from being a prequel it is intended to be. Instead of events looking like they happened in the past, this film ironically looks like it is set way ahead of this time.
The sets, props and costumes of this film looked outlandishly more futuristic than the first film. The first film did not strike me to be set that far in the future at all, to make this film to be set today with tablets and Candy Crush. There will even be fantastic gadgetry of science-fiction quality here, from a wave-screen conference room table to remote brain-control technology, that would seem anachronistic in the intended timeline of this trilogy. (The production design crew should be commended for their efforts.)
Eugene Domingo looks older here. Her Kimmy did not look like a fresh Cambridge graduate, nor did her Dora look more childish. The make-up and visual effects departments were not able to create Benjamin Button-like miraculous illusions for her.
Or maybe it is simply because the characters were already getting too tired and repetitive for their respective shticks? Make no mistake, Ms. Domingo was still very funny, but this joke may have already reached its expiration date. Perhaps it is now time to retire Kimmy and Dora while we still love them. 5/10.
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