Writer: Ng Suzhen

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Watch this if you liked: The “Bola Kampung” series and “Geng: The Adventure Begins”

Upin and Ipin, be very afraid, because you now have fierce competition in the form of "Bola Kampung The Movie".

Well, technically, both belong to different sized screens but the work behind creating the animation definitely sets the bar higher for other local animators.

Not only is the plot a solid one, but the animators have certainly put in a lot of work in painting a picture that works in sync with a storyline involving computer games.

Straying from its original TV series' narrative, "Bola Kampung The Movie" works as a standalone story that features a star-studded cast which includes female singer Ezlynn as Iwan, Afdlin Shauki as Sabok and Harris Alif as Azizul.

Despite well-known names tied to the movie, the voice casts are surprisingly hard to recognise in the animation with superb work done with the voice direction that emphasises on bringing the character to life. The only voice hard to miss is Afdlin's, who injects the perfect amount of child-like persona and humour into Sabok but doesn't overshadow the boy who would be recognised as the "Perwira Suria".

The title is bestowed on the player with the highest score in online game, "Kingdom Hill", which turns out to be Sabok. Unbeknownst to best friends, Iwan, Sabok as well as Azizul (better known as Zul), "Kingdom Hill" turns out to be a real kingdom in the virtual world which is being attacked by the evil yet entertainingly flamboyant Lord Vilus (Aznil Nawawi). In order to save their world, Princess Amanda is transported into the village of the three friends to search for the "Perwira Suria".

However, Amanda suffers from amnesia upon arrival and gets mistaken for Iwan's visiting cousin, Siti. The gang then brings her home in hopes to revive her memory.

Besides the obvious leads, another character to look out for is Kumar (Meester Bones), who tickles your funny bones as the so-called expert in any situation presented to him.

The only downside to the animation is the annoying portrayal of Amanda who embodies the role of damsel-in-distress without much depth. There's just too much high-pitched pain emitting from her to allow the audience to empathise with her predicament.

Of course, football does play an important role in the movie and fans of the sport would be happy to know that it is going to have an integral part in "Bola Kampung The Movie".

Put aside any negative preconception on local animation productions and give "Bola Kampung The Movie" a chance. You will be in for some really pleasant surprises.

Cinema Online, 11 March 2013