Writer: Nur Safina Othman

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Watch this if you liked: “Alice In Wonderland”, “Peter Pan”

Edry Abdul Halim, the youngest of the KRU brothers, makes his directorial debut in "Magika", delivering a musical adventure - what an uncommon genre for our audiences! You can expect to see top Malaysian personalities singing in this movie!

The story tells of two siblings, Ayu (Diana Danielle) and Malik (Fimie Don) who find themselves lost and trapped in a magical realm called Magika. They go through plenty of obstacles but are lucky to encounter Badang (Mawi) who tries to help them. At the same time, it is also the beginning of a love relationship between Ayu and Badang.

We are familiar with popular Western fairytales like "Cinderella", "Peter Pan", and "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs". However, Edry inserts elements of classic Malaysian folklore into his story from Mahsuri, Puteri Gunung Ledang, Lembing Awang Pulang Ke Dayang, Nenek Kebayan, Orang Minyak, Hang Tuah and his five brothers, and not forgetting Badang. It is good idea that manages to introduce these legends to the younger generation who are increasingly lacking in such exposure these days.

"Magika" boasts a star-studded cast - Mawi, Diana Danielle, Ning Baizura, Ziana Zain, M. Nasir, Maya Karin, Aznil Hj. Nawawi, Adibah Noor, Dato' Jalaluddin Hassan, Vanidah Imran, the Senario gang and more. Most of the actors delivered outstanding vocal performances especially Diana, Ning, Ziana, Adibah, and M. Nasir. Although Diana's performance was awkward at certain scenes, her singing made up for it entirely, while Mawi's acting abilities has improved since Azahari Mohd Zain's "Jin Notti" (2009), though there's still more room for more. One sore point though - the chemistry between Mawi and Diana is rather flat, so they appear more like siblings than lovers.

The special effects are seen to be more effective and realistic compared to previous films by KRU Studios like "Cicakman" and "Jin Notti". Look out for the scene when Ayu and Fimie try to cross the Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup pathway and the pivotal moment when they are attacked by the Tasik Chini dragon.

With good cinematography, realistic CGI, catchy songs and a great cast, "Magika" has surprisingly one upped the standard of the local film industry.

Cinema Online, 24 March 2010