Writer: Nur Safina Othman

Writer Ratings:
Overall:
Cast:
Plot:
Effects:
Cinematography:

Watch this if you liked: "Puteri Gunung Ledang", "Queens Of Langkasuka"

Adapted from Shaharom Husain's 1957 novel, this epic production by director Majed Salleh makes the screens after four long years in the offing. High in historical credits for the younger generation, this project also paves the way for more producers to try their hand at the genre so as to maintain some identity and education value in Malaysian films.

Chronicling a Johorean legend about a bloody love affair in the late 18th century, we follow Awang (Farid Kamil) as he goes to sea for three years, as tasked by the father (Dato' Kuswadinata) of his bride-to-be, Dayang (Siti Elizad). However the pact is broken when Awang doesn't appear and she agrees to marry Bachuk (Zul Huzaimy) instead.

Historical epics are not an easy genre, so we can't be too heavy-handed on judging this piece of work. However, despite a very decent plot, "Lembing" has a stuttering delivery which results in a missed opportunity for the lavish movie. It's reported RM 1.6 million budget forces you to accept its quality or lack thereof, simply because it was shot so long ago. Then, it was one of the earliest films utilising High Definition (HD), so weaknesses in audio aspects are obvious. However, the special effects editing really takes the biscuit when amateurish scenes of Awang brawling on board ships are shown to be desperately disappointing.

It's fortunate then that the line-up is a talented lot. Leads Farid Kamil and Zul Huzaimy give themselves fully to their roles and drive the movie to a level of respectability. This was the second film to bank on Farid Kamil as a leading man after "Tujuh Perhentian" in 2004 and he does not let us down. Zul Huzaimy's seasonal antagonist roles also entertain convincingly. However greenhorn Siti Elizad has much to learn - and much to learn fast, if she were to improve on her one-dimensional portrayal of a main female character.

To summarise, "Lembing Awang Pulang Ke Dayang" can swing both ways for the audience. Producer N. Azman has reassured us that they have put their best foot forward in making this movie's theatrical release possible.

Cinema Online, 22 October 2009