Writer: Ezekiel Lee Zhiang Yang

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Watch this if you liked: "Nana Tanjung", "Anak Mami"

There is something very admirable about director Razak Mohaideen's insistence to retain the head-knocking character of Nana (Pak Piee) from the first "Nana Tanjung" despite the unfavourable media kickback a year ago. The learned director, known in the local circuit simply as 'Prof', maintains that art imitates life, and that there is no smoke without fire, although not in such proverbial summary.

What is less admirable however is his defensive stance that projects a self-initiated, self-criticism on the 'lightness' of his comedies. It is as if the good professor has brought his armour along in expectation that the knives are out. "Nana Tanjung 2" is a natural sequel to the first, which raked in RM 3.3 million at the local box office - but instead of being content on establishing this notable achievement (which it is), Prof's insecurity starts to show when speaking of the movie, as if recognising that it will come short of expectations.

You can't please everyone, so at least please yourself. When watching "Nana", it is even more apparent why Saiful Apek is the number one most marketable comedian in the country. He provides the one singular resounding positive to a film fraught by digressing plotlines and boring scenes, never mind the alleged 'lightness'. It is even more disappointing when considering that the concept story behind the "Nana" movies is actually good - how a conservative widower has his hands full trying to raise three daughters as best as he can in the eyes of nosy neighbours and such. The parameter for comedy is so wide that it comes as an amazement how ill-structured the movie turns out.

As it stands, we are given 101 minutes of a stop-start story, punctuated by Saiful Apek and Jehan Miskin one-liners plus cutesy mumblings from Fasha Sandha, Waheeda and Ainul Aisyah as the three troubled daughters. While we can at least be glad about the charming authentic Penangite texture (Gurney Drive looked strangely cleaner than usual though), the comedy in "Nana Tanjung 2" is problematic, mostly due to the lack of chemistry between its cast members.

Prof says that it isn't easy to make people laugh but it surely doesn't help matters when joke-a-minute motormouth Saiful Apek is cast as the lover of the elegant Fasha Sandha, with not even a token minute given to show why they are so desperately in love with each other. As they go on throughout the entire film calling each other "baby boy" and "baby girl", the situation looks worse. Perhaps this is not a standalone sequel? Believability is an issue, as one other local critic questioned Jehan Miskin's lovely fair skin despite being a sarong-slinging seaside resident under the hot sun. What really takes the cake is when the actions of the characters often seem forced, as if to draw a quick end to something that will take too long to film.

Squandering the story, the good professor might have to rethink his content if "Nana Tanjung 2" fails to replicate the success of its predecessor. If it doesn't, we can only conclude that the public has spoken, and that most people are indeed happy to watch a movie with the greatest highlight being Jehan Miskin wearing a tudung and Saiful Apek saying "Man Bai" when introducing himself as a Punjabi carpet trader.

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008