13 Bom di Jakarta

I originally watched this movie at the cinema and honestly felt disappointed because the overall quality was really poor, from the pacing to the editing. However, once it was finally released on Netflix, I decided to give it another chance and rewatched it. To my surprise, this cut version turned out far better, with improved flow and clarity, and I ended up feeling much more satisfied and entertained compared to my first theater experience.

Sometimes, everyone just needs a mindless action movie, grab a giant bucket of popcorn, and watch things blow up-now is one of those times. 13 Bombs di Jakarta is a huge spectacle with gut-punching excitement. The production value is top-notch, featuring impressive sets, props, costumes, solid special effects, and decent action choreography. The music score is also well done. As for originality in the script? Not so much. The plot doesn't offer anything new; it feels like a mix of Hollywood blockbuster clichés-somewhat ridiculous, mostly eye-popping, and a touch sentimental. The director delivers on action, explosions, wise-cracking heroes, and badass villains. The action scenes are well-executed with good pacing and thrills. If you're willing to check your brain at the door, this movie makes your time and money worthwhile. If you're after tons of explosions, shootouts, fires, and car chases, this film is right up your alley.

Saw this at the Rotterdam film festival (IFFR) 2024. After the screening I scored 4 out of 5 for the audience award. In hindsight, should have been 3 because of the generous running time of nearly two and a half hours, unnecessary to get the story lines across and overly stressing our patience.

Other minus points are (a) over-reliance on crypto currency as a novel plot element, a frivolous attempt to attract new audience, plus (b) introducing whizz kids who seem to be able to do the impossible whatever device or system is put in front of them. As an ex-IT-er, I consider the latter next to impossible, especially in the finale where cables from network switches and routers are pulled in a particular order, to prevent a virus from spreading, for the layman (m/f) possibly spectacular but very unrealistic.

Peeling this off, we get a standard action movie under the hood: ample car chases, heavy weaponry, explosives, many innocent bystanders and even some less innocent victims. Bringing in crypto currency and terrorism do not save the story from being traditional. Yet, some new elements make this movie stand out:

1. Firstly, the cause the terrorist group is fighting for, is defendable and just. A pity that their means are despicable. Their back stories are sad but not sufficient to justify all the bloodshed. In hindsight, their benevolent motives are foreshadowed by the fact (later on we understand them better) that the armored car that is attacked in one of the first scenes, is left open for anyone passing by to pick from. A nice "Robin Hood" touch.

2. Secondly, the two whizz kids who are pulled in, add extra plot material and act as a third group besides the anti-terrorist agency and the terrorists. Does it make the plot convoluted enough to fill nearly 150 minutes running time?? The traditional distinction between good and bad guys is not as clear cut as usual, which is not a complaint but rather a positive element.

3. Thirdly, the effectiveness of the chain of command in the agency leaves much to desire. Even worse, it works counter productively in the long run. Relieving someone of duty due to a defendable mistake, may seem to demonstrate a firm grip on the operation, but it is a waste of human potential and can only create disgruntled employees who eventually may work against the agency's mission.

All in all, the action parts make it watchable for people "in" for this kind of movie, while others (like me) can only endure the explosions, the gun fire, the car chases, the bloodshed, and so on. Still, this movie has some other nice parts that make it better than the average shootout.

The premise of the bad guys is a stretch. The length of the movie is equally a stretch. After a while it looses its interest but if you get ½ in you stay in the hopes it gets better. Maybe streaming this on fast forward would have helped. The good guys in the movie are annoying and distract from this every getting to be worthwhile. If you like shoot the up's and body count you may like this movie. The premises of the bad guys is a major stretch. After suffering through 2 ½ hours you will need to get up and stretch. This is not one movie you will want to see for a second time. Next time, I will read the reviews as there can not be that many that like this. I am being kind with a 5/10 rating.

13 Bombs is a film that has great potential. The themes that this film explores include terrorism, revenge and betrayal. The story of this film is very generic, like most blockbuster action films. In this film, apart from terrorism, the main topic is also a lot about the crypto world in Indonesia, but for some reason every time there is a scene that discusses cryptocurrency or the company, it feels like they are advertising it. The action presented here is really good, very exciting, and the feel is close to action films out there. The plot twist in this film is also good, it really makes the audience confused. As for the characters, for some reason the two characters who are founders of the crypto company here feel too OP, as if they can do everything they are told, and the antagonist is good, their motivations are quite acceptable. In terms of cinematography, it's actually good, but when there's a fight scene, the camera movements seem a little too over, and it's quite dizzying but fun, and there's a scene at the end that's really unnecessary, a waste of time. Some of the explosion effects are really good but some still look fake. The production design is really great. The music score is just like action films in general. The acting is all okay, but Rio Dewanto's acting as the antagonist is really nice, and also kinda annoying. Overall, this is a good film but it could have been better.