Writer: Elaine Ewe

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Watch this if you liked: "Adnan Sempit", "Adnan Sempit 2" and "Wawa Semput"

Since his Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian (ABPBH) win, local actor Shaheizy Sam is one of the more sought-after movie star. This year alone, he has already appeared in two movies including "Adnan Sempit 3", with another four more movies soon to be released. But a movie like "Adnan Sempit 3" shows that Sam is still capable of playing light-hearted characters. At its best, "Adnan Sempit 3" is a fun romp in the park, but it obvious that Sam could have done so much better.

"Adnan Sempit 3" picks up where the previous instalment left off, with Adnan and Nadia (Intan Ladyana) getting married simultaneously with best friends Bobby (Along Raja Lawak) and Wawa (Yana Samsudin) in the same ceremony. For anyone who has watched all the "Adnan Sempit" movies till now and most of director Ismail Bob Hasim's movies, the slapstick comedy is only all-too-familiar. Beginning with Adnan and Nadia's shenanigans in the bedroom on their wedding night and at the same time, Bobby and Wawa's misadventures in the bedroom on the wedding night to Nadia and Wawa's eventual pregnancy, the story keeps the laughs coming.

What "Adnan Sempit 3" lacks is a decent plot. The characters are funny, but midway through the plot, you are going to wonder how it is all going to tie together. For example, the introduction of a possible love rival for Nadia in the form of Zita is predictable, but Ismail Bob Hasim undercuts the safety provided by the cliche with a sudden montage - the film cuts straight to Nadia wandering around the house feeling lonely while Adnan is having fun with Zita outside right after Adnan realises that he may have a hard time during his wife's pregnancy. It would have been better if the story had Adnan's slowly distancing himself from Nadia instead. The only reason to wait it out is to see Adnan and Nadia getting back together - which anyone watching is pretty sure they are going to do anyway.

For while the story leaves much to be desired, the dialogue and performances entertain. This being Shaheizy Sam, Intan Ladyana, Along Raja Lawak and Yana Samsudin's third outing in the "Adnan Sempit" movie series, it is evident that the cast know how to play off each other's characters and pull off jokes that otherwise would have been annoying such as the straight-man and funny-man comedy routine between Adnan and Nadia as well as the diabetes-inducing way Bobby and Wawa throw endearments at each other. At times, these quirks feel overplayed, but that is swiftly forgiven every time Adnan shares a scene with Zita because their developing affection feels too sudden and forced and you just want to get back to watching Adnan, Nadia, Bobby and Wawa.

"Adnan Sempit 3" may not be a called-for sequel, but it is a fair addition to the series. The plot may not win everyone over as it serves mainly as an appetizer for more instalments to come, but the chemistry between the cast and the less crude humour helps paper over the plot enough to entertain.

Cinema Online, 31 July 2013