Writer: Peter Chai

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Watch this if you liked: “Nasi Lemak 2.0”

Widely known for his gutsy illustrations on sensitive topics in his songs and directorial debut "Nasi Lemak 2.0", a 2011 record-breaking hit at Malaysian box office charts, rapper-director Namewee is back for the silver screen with his controversial style of directing and storytelling in his second feature, "Hantu Gangster".

"Hantu Gangster" follows Te Sai (Namewee), a thief and a poor father of a 12-year old boy, who gets involved in a huge mission bestowed by the three spirits of former gang leaders of the Malay, Indian and Chinese gangs. He is summoned to stop the chaos and casualties caused by a handsome traitor (Farid Kamil) amongst the gangs. At the same time, Te Sai tries his best to overcome the dilemma and find balance between his mission and responsibilities as a father.

When it comes to the cast performances, the movie's male lead Namewee proves that he is just the right person to play the main character, as the Muar-born actor's straightforward attitude and unpredictably in real life is quite similar to the traits of his silly character. Nevertheless, the role is overshadowed by his expressions and body language that was apparent with his directorial debut "Nasi Lemak 2.0" where he played Young Chef Huang. On the other hand, Namewee is smooth in utilising dialogues as a powerful tool to attract attention. His sarcastic sounding Malay-speaking scenes can truly make one laugh out loud in the cinemas.

Revealing his newly dyed-hair in this movie allows the audience to witness a different side of his image but it is sad to say that the change does not stand out as much as one would think, as one might prefer the initial appearance of his usual beanie-wearing style, which we know to be a Namewee trademark.

Watching Farid Kamil's role as a traitor is a joy in this film. He did not overdo his comedic portrayal of an antagonist in the movie. Even though his macho face is very contradicting with humorous elements, he managed to show a decent sense of humour, alongside a bunch of comedians.
Namewee and his crew have selected the right setting for the film. Choosing Klang helped them to illustrate the sinister and dodgy atmosphere of having gangsters in a community.

Fans might have already listened to the movie soundtrack on YouTube or Facebook way before the release of the movie, but the soundtrack sounds easier on the ears when you listen to it along with the amusing storyline of the movie. The variety of catchy melodies ranging from soft rock to rap has the capability to bring one to tap their feet in the cinema.

Through another angle, the 1 Malaysia concept is used in almost every section of the film. Namewee's efforts in exaggerating the theme with his script and comical performances brought forth through a star-studded multi-racial cast line-up, works very well in the movie, despite bordering on the sensitivity of unity issues in our nation.

Overall, Namewee has done a better job in "Hantu Gangster", compared to "Nasi Lemak 2.0" and the movie ensures that no one would get tired of the director's humour and his strong will to raise awareness on harmony among the Malaysian audience.

Cinema Online, 31 July 2012