GAGAMBOY (The Significance of a Filipino Superhero)

Gagamboy is a 2004 filipino film directed by the well known Erik Matti. The film is a superhero science fiction action comedy, that is not something most Filipino films have. Gagamboy is often compared to the Spider-Man because it is a direct translation of  'Spider-Man'. But it doesn't mean that it is the same movie, Oh no.

It is said  that the film is underappreciated. Yes, it does not contain cheezy romantic one-liner super gwapo as the lead actor with the usual romantic Filipino film plot. Gagamboy is different in a lot of ways. It has been brought up some time ago that the whole movie was filmed in a set. The houses and the streets including the lights are made inside a warehouse set studio to portray a poor city. Production is off the charts!

Now about the film. At first, the protagonist had a romantic rival with the 'cool macho' guy. Later on the typical 'radio active' barrel gets trashed around into 2 insects, A spider and a Cockroach, which soon gets in the way of the protagonist and the antagonist. Now we all know how everything plays out. The writers of the story just introduced 2 new super powered individuals, they are original creations with origin stories. They are now a part of the Filipino Superheroes who nobody gives attention to.

Watching 'Gagamboy' is not just about what the story tells , but what the Filipino viewers missed to appreciate. Mars Ravelo's stories are well known because of how superpowers in the Philippines would work around normal Filipino lives. Not every body could relate to Captain America, but a lot of people could empathize on Darna, Captain Barbell, Rubber Boy, Lastikman and so on. These kinds of Filipino films (not series nor telenovelas) should be appreciated and given the support it deserves. They might be the childhood that the future generation might live with.