One of the most expensive and highest-grossing Filipino films of all time, “Heneral Luna” is a rousing, warts-and-all portrait of Gen. Antonio Luna, the brilliant and brusque strategist whose command of troops in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) was cut short by betrayal from within his own ranks. Anchored by a charismatic central performance by John Arcilla (“Metro Manila”) and peppered with exciting action sequences, the pic has the all-around energy to overcome the odd moment of bumpy storytelling and prosaic dialogue. A worthy official submission in the foreign-language Oscar race and an entertaining history lesson for audiences everywhere, “Luna” reps an impressive achievement in large-scale filmmaking by prolific scripter-helmer-editor-composer Jerrold Tarog (“If Only,” 2007). Launched locally on Sept. 9, the pic grossed a whopping $5.3 million and has notched an impressive $200,000 on limited U.S. screens since Oct. 30.
It’s worth noting the film’s remarkable turnaround at the domestic box office. Initially released in 100 cinemas, “Heneral Luna” performed only modestly in its first week and was quickly withdrawn from more than half its screens. Following a spontaneous fan-led social-media campaign, audiences started turning up in droves, and the film was subsequently reinstalled in many theaters and went on to enjoy a highly successful nine-week engagement. Such a lengthy run is regarded as a minor miracle for a Filipino production, and Tarog has since announced plans to make another two films set during the same eventful era as “Heneral Luna.”
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One of the most expensive and highest-grossing Filipino films of all time, “Heneral Luna” is a rousing, warts-and-all portrait of Gen. Antonio Luna, the brilliant and brusque strategist whose command of troops in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) was cut short by betrayal from within his own ranks. Anchored by a charismatic central performance by John Arcilla (“Metro Manila”) and peppered with exciting action sequences, the pic has the all-around energy to overcome the odd moment of bumpy storytelling and prosaic dialogue. A worthy official submission in the foreign-language Oscar race and an entertaining history lesson for audiences everywhere, “Luna” reps an impressive achievement in large-scale filmmaking by prolific scripter-helmer-editor-composer Jerrold Tarog (“If Only,” 2007). Launched locally on Sept. 9, the pic grossed a whopping $5.3 million and has notched an impressive $200,000 on limited U.S. screens since Oct. 30.
It’s worth noting the film’s remarkable turnaround at the domestic box office. Initially released in 100 cinemas, “Heneral Luna” performed only modestly in its first week and was quickly withdrawn from more than half its screens. Following a spontaneous fan-led social-media campaign, audiences started turning up in droves, and the film was subsequently reinstalled in many theaters and went on to enjoy a highly successful nine-week engagement. Such a lengthy run is regarded as a minor miracle for a Filipino production, and Tarog has since announced plans to make another two films set during the same eventful era as “Heneral Luna.”