REVIEW: Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles

Title: Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles

Director: Erik Matti

Producer: Reality Entertainment, Agosto Dos Pictures, GMA Films and Post Manila

Distribution: Reality Entertainment, Agosto Dos Pictures, and GMA Films

Date of premiere: October 17, 2012

[NOTE: This review has spoilers.]

I wanted to like Erik Matti's Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, but several flaws keep me back from thinking it is excellent.

Sure, the graphics are very remarkable. Good graphics, however, do not automatically mean "great movie." Just see the Transformers or the Panday movies to see what I mean.

Tiktik is promising when it starts. Arrogant city boy Makoy (Dingdong Dantes) arrives in a sleepy town to woo back his pregnant girlfriend Sonia (Lovi Poe) from her strict mother Fely (Janice de Belen), who insists that he leave her daughter alone.

Fortunately, Nestor (Jory Marquez), Sonia's father, sides with Makoy. Encouraged, Makoy helps Nestor and his cousin Bart (Ramon Bautista) prepare a feast for Sonia's upcoming birthday. With Bart's suggestion, Makoy and Nestor go to a strange community to buy a pig for roasting. 

But Makoy's cockiness and lowballing enrages several of the pig-sellers, who turn into aswangs at night. That night, the strange monsters attack Sonia's house, and Makoy steps up to protect her and their baby.

Lush visuals compliment the story. The scenes have a rundown weathered look, which highlights the story and setting even more.

Have we seen this kind of eye-popping visuals before in Philippine cinema? Probably not. This year's most good looking movie (until Tiktik came along, that is), doesn't even come close. Hint: the "good-looking movie" is also about an aswang.

But again, good visuals do not automatically mean "great movie." While Tiktik is wonderful to look at, it still needs help with its storytelling.

Several issues pervade the movie: weak characters and several scenes that go against logic.

The weakest character of all is Ramon Bautista's Bart. Throughout the film, it is hinted that his dead father is part of the aswang clan. We never get the full gist of this, however, and we are left to wonder how that should fit into the overall arc.

Bart's character is also shown to be angry and jealous that Makoy has nabbed Sonia, whom he also likes. But there's no payback to this piece of narrative, and it is left unfulfilled until he dies.

There are also scenes that are illogical. The men leave the pregnant Sonia on the second floor all the time, even after two aswangs got into the second floor earlier in the story. They escape by climbing down the back terrace, without any aswang noticing. 

What the film lacks in solid storytelling, it makes up with a few moments of wit, that are truly memorable. Some of my favorites: a child actor decides to shoot Boy Bawang bits at aswangs, Ringo (Mike Gayoso) saying "tiktik, tiktik" to insult the protagonists, and Makoy using a large wooden fork to make intestine spaghetti.

With that said, several actors should be given praise. Main cast members Dingdong Dantes, Lovi Poe, Janice de Belen and Joey Marquez create a believable ensemble.

But the best actors were the actors who played the aswangs, particularly LJ Reyes, Cris Pastor and Mike Gayoso. Roi Vinson, the head aswang, can be the creepiest local horror character of the year, except that he morphs into a laughable bat-like creature towards the end.

Should you see this? I say yes, but make sure not to have high expectations. 

RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5

SUMMARY: It's not a perfect movie, but it's enjoyable and the visuals are appealing to look at.