Can a movie delivering moral messages rake in huge profits? The answer is a big “YES” for Nagabonar Jadi 2, an inspiring
Indonesian movie by the senior actor-director, Deddy Mizwar. The movie is a sequel of 1987’s Nagabonar, but of course, with a much more modern setting for time and place. In this movie, Deddy once again delivers moral educations wrapped up in a family friendly entertainment, just like his previous works such as Kiamat Sudah Dekat and Ketika.
Nagabonar Jadi 2, although its plot is flat with no surprises, is able to deliver smart and interesting scenes and dialogues. The movie begins with a scene when Bonaga (Tora Sudiro) visits his father, Nagabonar (Deddy Mizwar), in Medan. Bonaga is accompanied by his three friends as well as his business partners, Pomo (Darius Sinathrya), Ronnie (Uli Herdinansyah), and Jaki (Michael Muliadro). Behind his good intention to see his aging father, there lies a plan to sell his father’s palm plantation. Nagabonar surely rejects the plan, because there were the graves of his wife, mother, and best friend. Bonaga then takes Nagabonar away with him to Jakarta, hoping he can persuade the old man to sell his plantation. From there, problems emerge as Nagabonar face the capital city with his naïve and confident acts.
Although delivering moral messages is one of the aims of this movie, fortunately it is not a preachy movie at all. In fact, like most movies, there is a love story added into the scenes. In Nagabonar Jadi 2, the love story tells about the relationship of Bonaga and his assistant, Monita (Wulan Guritno). Even though there is a romance element in the movie, no lip-kissing scene exists at all. Even the scene when Monita kisses Nagabonar on the cheek is not real at all. That is obviously the typical of Deddy Mizwar’s style, which is good in my opinion.
As an ex-pickpocket who becomes a general, Deddy Mizwar is able to relive Nagabonar, a fictitious character by Asrul Sani R.I.P. He acts very well in the movie, that it makes us forget his previous characters in his other popular movies. Tora Sudiro is also a good choice to play Bonaga, but he needs to improve his Batak dialect to complete his acting. Bonaga’s ridiculous three friends are too weird to be in such an educating movie, but they are able to give more casual and funnier atmosphere to the movie.
Nagabonar Jadi 2 is a praiseworthy movie, both in quality and commercially. It is relieving to know that patriotism and nationalism can be delivered beautifully by this movie. Hopefully, there will be more movies like this, because commercial-oriented only movies have been “poisoning” our societies lately. So, I recommend Nagabonar Jadi 2 as a source of family entertainment, which does not leave moral educations behind.