‘Ang Panday’ REVIEW: The Faces of FPJ
‘Ang Panday’ REVIEW: The Faces of FPJ
Mild spoilers for FPJ’s Ang Panday ahead.
Based on Carlos J. Caparas’ comic series of the same name, Ang Panday tells a rather simple tale. Our hero, Flavio, portrayed by 'Da King' Fernando Poe Jr. himself, is a humble blacksmith who reluctantly serves under the tyranny of the villainous slave owner Lizardo, played by FPJ’s on-screen arch-nemesis Max Alvarado, in his usual bombastic performance.
A prophecy foretells of a messianic blacksmith who will forge a magical sword from a metallic meteorite to rise up against Lizardo and lead the slaves to freedom. So when a meteorite falls from the sky, Flavio knows exactly what to do, and we, the audience, know exactly how the story will unfold. At this point, who isn’t familiar with tales of heroes defeating villains? Of good triumphing over evil?
There isn’t much depth to its premise, but audiences unfamiliar with FPJ and his philosophy will at least get an introduction to the King of Philippine Movies himself. Growing up during the aftermath of the 2004 Philippine presidential election and his untimely death just months later, I heard nothing but stories of how he championed the poor, much like the everyman heroes he always played. How he gave anonymously to those in need, and how he ensured that everyone felt he was no different from them.
Everyone just adored him, so it’s no wonder that Ang Panday has been propelled to iconic status. It’s perhaps the best example that shows how little distinction there is between his on-screen hero, who embodies humility, justice, and selflessness, and his off-screen persona, which made him a beloved figure of Philippine cinema.
I’d usually consider it an egotistical and disingenuous move to cast oneself as the hero, especially when the character mirrors the real-life persona you're trying to project to the public. But in Flavio’s case, I don’t sense any ego at all. To my surprise and amusement, I found it quite sincere. FPJ not only builds a bridge between Flavio and himself, but he also reveals his flaws in the funniest, most self-deprecating way possible by having Flavio’s weakness be women — long before FPJ publicly admitted to his own affairs.
In one scene that made me gasp at its honesty and messiness, FPJ has Flavio nearly give up his magical sword to an evil wizard disguised as a seductive and beautiful mestiza, all while he’s in love with another woman.
And the surprises don’t stop there. Flavio’s journey from a lowly blacksmith to a bona fide action hero might be straightforward, but the path to the end of his story is anything but. The journey between the expository beginning and the predictable conclusion features some of the most entertaining sequences ever to grace Philippine screens.
For instance, one standout moment is the extended horror scene where we follow Flavio’s sidekick Lando (Bentot Jr.) as he escapes a zombie-infested graveyard to seek refuge inside a hut, only to discover that an aswang is stalking him. Here, we get a different facet of Da King as a filmmaker, demonstrating his talent as a horror director by crafting a genuinely suspenseful and immersive horror experience through eerie sound design and atmospheric visuals reminiscent of Kaneto Shindō’s Onibaba — an unexpected skill from an action-star-turned-director who mainly makes populist action films. I was so enraptured by the mood of this sequence that even a cheap jump scare managed to get me.
While some of the film’s technical elements, such as its special effects, might seem outdated by today’s standards, there’s a certain novelty to relish in their cheesiness. Despite the antiquity of the film (and Cinematheque Manila’s noisy moviegoers doing their best to ruin the experience with their obnoxiousness), I found myself charmed by the film’s authenticity and FPJ’s passionate effort in bringing Caparas’ character to life on the big screen.
Ang Panday's status as a cinematic masterpiece may not have withstood the test of time, but its blend of old-school charm and unexpected moments of genuinely impressive filmmaking make for a fun and memorable viewing experience.
FPJ’s Ang Panday was one of the films screened as part of the FDCP’s ‘Pamanang Pelikula: Honoring the Masterpieces of National Film Legends’ last September 11, 2024. It will also be screened for MMFF’s ‘Sine Sigla Sa Singkwenta’ from September 25 until October 15, 2024.
