Hi everyone!
Here’s the first of two Netflix Original reviews from me this week. Today’s film is another entry from the Malaysian film scene, one I’m still learning about. It’s my third Malaysian film, following the Netflix Originals “Pulang” (Episode #294) and the surprising “Crossroads: One Two Jaga” (Episode #348). I’m enjoying getting perspectives from around the world, and if you have any other suggestions from Malaysia, let us know online!
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Here we go!
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Today’s movie is “Paskal”, the Malaysian action drama directed by Adrian Teh and written for the screen in collaboration with Anwari Ashraf, Chee Ang Keoh, and Frank See. The film is based on the true story of the PASKAL, a special forces unit within the Royal Malaysian Navy. As Lt. Commander Arman Anwar (Hairul Azreen) considers retiring to take care of his mother, he is called back for one more mission that will test his resolve.
No spoilers!
In October of last year, I watched a film called “Raazi” (Episode #283), which was a spy thriller set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, based on a true story of an intelligence asset within the Pakistani military leadership. It was a work of nationalist cinema, but purposefully so, to attempt exploring what national pride means, especially through the eyes of someone on both sides. “Paskal” is also a work of nationalist cinema, very much pro-military, pro-country, and pro-family. Today’s film also makes the nationalist overtones of “Raazi” feel like the subtlest of whispers, but for the same reasons: story structure and dialogue.
My biggest complaint about “Paskal” was that the film lacked cohesion. Like most military thrillers, the film has an opening mission, to introduce the characters and demonstrate their capabilities, which lasts twenty minutes before we finally get the title card. The opening is followed by a flashback training montage and almost a second opening UN peacekeeping mission, which lasts another thirty minutes. All the previous segments were based on actual missions or training exercises, and then we’re left with an hour for a final mission that takes up the back half of the film. It felt like two television episodes and a short film, not like a complete story, and feels eerily like an advertisement to join the military unit, complete with overtly nationalist dialogue to drive home the message, if not the emotion, of the experience within the unit. The acting was all right when the dialogue allowed for it.
“Paskal” also has some strengths, however. The action scenes, aside from the dialogue, looked quite authentic in terms of protocol, tactics, and strategy. I liked a lot of the modified hardware in use by the unit, as I’m sure any gearhead would appreciate. Close quarters combat was intense and felt realistic. Great camera angles all around. I also loved having my boundaries stretched watching the Muslim prayer before the opening mission, wondering how others with a different religion might view the mostly benign act, and making me reconsider similar scenes of Christian prayer before combat. History has taught us to always consider the relationship between religion and war, but experience tells us that not everyone has the same relationship with religion, and I liked how the various members of the unit reflected that diversity.
“Paskal” is a Malaysian military thriller based on the true stories and training of the elite special forces unit. The film uses two actual missions as the basis for a fictional third mission, but lacks cohesion in storytelling, often overridden by direct nationalist messaging. Fans of military thrillers, or folks who love covert operations, should definitely check out this film, and stick with it for the final campaign.
Rotten Tomatoes: NR
Metacritic: NR
One Movie Punch: 5.7/10
“Paskal” (2018) is rated TV-14 and is currently playing on Netflix.
