Fantastica (2018 film)

Fantastica is a 2018 Filipino fantasy comedy film directed by Barry Gonzales. It stars an ensemble cast including Vice Ganda, Bela Padilla, Richard Gutierrez, Jaclyn Jose, and Dingdong Dantes. Produced by Star Cinema and Viva Films, the film serves as an official entry to the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival.[1] The film was released on December 25, 2018. It received mixed reviews from critics, praising the film's special effects but criticizing the lack of character development and some of the comedic scenes.[2]

Fantastica
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBarry Gonzalez
Screenplay by
  • Moira Lang
  • Danno Kristoper C. Mariquit
  • Daisy G. Cayanan
  • Fatrick Tabada
Story by
  • Enrico C. Santos
  • Daisy G. Cayanan
  • Jonathan James A. Albano
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAnne Monzon
Edited by
  • Joyce Bernal
  • Noah Tonga
Music byEmerzon Texon
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • December 25, 2018 (2018-12-25)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryPhilippines
LanguageFilipino
Box office₱596 million

This also marked the last film appearance of comedian Chokoleit, who died after suffering a fatal heart attack in Bangued, Abra on March 9, 2019, at the age of 48.[3]

Plot

Kleia Blythe, the proprietor of a struggling carnival named Perya Wurtzbach (a pun on Pia Wurtzbach), is tasked by a princess Sxia Blythe to find three princesses of the knight's land Fantastica. The princesses was warped to Earth separately, where the carnival’s crew must track them down to help save Fantastica, but eventually live regular lives there. But an evil spreads on Fantastica, and his rival Hannah Velax is on their throats. The mission's cover is to revive the carnival to lure the princesses.

Cast

Main cast

Supporting cast

Extended cast
  • MC Calaquian as Chubbylyn Jose
  • Lassy Marquez as Chakalyn Jose
  • Chokoleit as Beauty
  • Aaliyah as Song Bird
  • Johnny Revilla as Amarillo / King Ama
  • Angelika Mapanganib as Angry Bird
  • Joven Olvido

Special participation

Reception

Critical response
While praise was directed at the film's use of special effects and its carnival setting, Vice Ganda's performance in Fantastica received mixed reviews from critics who viewed his continued reliance on insult comedy and innuendos as stale and repetitive.

Fantastica was released to mixed reviews from critics. Zsarlene B. Chua of BusinessWorld praised the opening sequence by El Gamma Penumbra, fourth wall-breaking jokes and the film's parodies of various drama films, but viewed Vice's continued reliance on insult comedy and innuendos as stale and repetitive, saying "The movie's premise and sheer starpower guarantee the film will be a blockbuster, but if you're expecting something new from Mr. Viceral's yearly MMFF entry, you're bound to be disappointed as it is more of the same: innuendos (which makes one question why it's rated PG) and his usual insult comedy." She did however conclude that "it's a feel-good if mind-numbing film for people who want to shut down and get a few laughs here and there."[5]

John Magbanua of Bandera also gave the film a mixed review, praising the film's special effects and romantic pairings but was critical of the formulaic production and what he noted as censorship done presumably to make the film more family-friendly. Magbanua also noted that Fantastica could have incorporated more carnival elements to further justify the film's narrative.[2]

Box office gross

It was announced by Star Cinema in a thanksgiving dinner organized for Fantastica, that the film became the highest grossing MMFF film which starred Vice Ganda. Fantastica earned ₱596 million with the figure including earnings from both domestic and international release of the film.[6]

References
  1. "MMFF announces first 4 movies for 2018 film festival". Rappler. August 2, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  2. Magbanua, Djan (December 27, 2018). "MMFF MOVIE REVIEW: Is 'Fantastica' really fantastic?". bandera.inquirer.net.
  3. "Comedian Chokoleit dies". ABS-CBN Corporation News. March 10, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  4. Tabora, Regina (June 29, 2018). "Vice Ganda, pasok na sa MMFF 2018!". Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  5. Charm, Neil (December 27, 2018). "An all-star cast in a film on the same old things | BusinessWorld". BusinessWorld.
  6. Dumaual, Miguel (January 30, 2019). "'Fantastica' ends run as Vice Ganda's highest-grossing MMFF movie". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
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