Writer: Dzamira Dzafri

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Watch this if you liked: “Zombie Kampung Pisang”

It is not understandable why director Opie Zami was so harsh on himself when asked about his thoughts on his own first feature film, because quite frankly it was pretty entertaining. It had a good amount of scares that left audiences nervous and weary, and it also left us in stitches at most parts.

Malaysia's obsession with the horror/comedy genre has led many directors to do better in making films that entertain you when they make these types of films. This genre coupling is rarely seen elsewhere, even in Hollywood and especially ones that are tolerable enough to watch, very unlike poor excuses of films like the "Scary Movie" collection. When it comes to horror/comedy, Malaysia has got it right most of the time.

"Kecoh! Hantu Raya Tok Chai" is a great example of a horror/comedy that is enjoyable to watch as it does not force too much into the story. The plot is straightforward with simple and direct intentions, which is to bury the haunted body of Tok Chai.

It was strange that they had cast Saiful Apek in this role. Though it is splendid that the main lead actor was not Aaron Aziz again but this role did not do him justice. It was such a boring character and it did not make Saiful Apek shine and do what he did best. He had comedic parts but it seemed like he was trying too hard to be a generic lead actor, and he should not.

When it came to the leading lady, Intan Ladyana was absolutely delightful to watch as Corporal Lisa. Even though she did not really have that big of a role and not much room for character development as she was mostly there to be the love interest for Saiful Apek's Ebby, Intan's personality shone through and it was fun to watch a lady act goofy and flawed.

The rest of the cast was also very memorable, and it is difficult to commend on all of them in the review but it definitely looked like they enjoyed working in the film and none of them seemed to be forced to act as a character they didn't really relate to. The only people that needed to be picked at were Ebby's pair of friends.

It is known that the two of them came from the "Raja Lawak" series but at the beginning, their comedic timing seemed a little off and it was difficult to understand their jokes and lines. But as the movie progressed and we got the hang of them, the chemistry between them became more obvious. It is also clever how during one scene when both of them were at a cafe, the television behind them played the scene of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland", making the audience see that these two characters are the Tweedles of the story. It was a very clever move by Opie.

Another pair of characters that are well-liked are the grave diggers, and they are fun to watch because of the subtle hints that these two men are like a married couple.

There were genuine nerve-wracking scenes thanks to the "ghost" of Tok Chai. It was a good mix of horror and comedy since you do not know whether to scream or laugh at times.

While there were some good reasons to see the show, there were also some weak points about the film that needed to be mentioned. As you watch the film, it did seem like it drags, but it is understandable as the movie takes place over the course of just one night when most films take place over several days, weeks, months and even years in an hour and a half.

The ending of the film was also disappointing, as it did not make any sense and the director wanted to leave the ending without much satisfaction as he wanted to make sequels. This resulted in an anti-climax, and it left audiences feeling confused.

For movies to make a lasting impression, the ending is just as important as the rest of the film because the ending is where people's minds are left at the end. Hopefully, audiences get to appreciate the movie as a whole, and not just the forgettable ending.

Cinema Online, 05 April 2013