RPG Metanoia

People keep complaining about the stagnation of Philippine cinema but they fail to support films that break the tiresome mold. This is your chance to make a difference. RPG Metanoia may be the first Philippine 3D animated film, but do not let the format nor presentation deter you from watching this movie.

It has so much depth that I have not seen in a Filipino movie, or in any animated film, for a very long time. It is an adept social commentary on the emerging role of technology in changing and shaping the modern Filipino middle-class family, and it manages to depict the nuances of the often misrepresented subculture of computer gaming with such newfound clarity and wit.

At its very heart, Metanoia is still a fantasy adventure movie, yet it explores its overarching themes with almost child-like wonder and a wistful touch of nostalgia of summer days spent playing outside on the street under the searing heat of the summer sun with neighborhood friends.

The movie has a lot to offer even to those who are indifferent to the finer points of subject and plot. The 3D rendering may not be the best- in-class but it can go head to head with most offerings from Disney, Pixar or DreamWorks. Any perceived lack in rendering is more than adequately compensated by the sheer genius of the action sequences. The battle scenes are breathtaking, and I often found myself forgetting that I was watching a Filipino film because of the very high level of quality and detail that was worked into the choreography of the fights.

If you're a parent who wonders why your kid spends all of his time in front of the computer, watch this movie. If you grew up playing piko, luksong tinik, tumbang preso, langit lupa, and other Filipino street games, then you definitely have to watch this movie. If you're tired of seeing cliché antics, tired comedy routines, or overdrawn dramas that persistently ruin any form of evolution in Philippine cinema, then this movie was made for you.

I, who have never been a big fan of Filipino films, went into the theater expecting to be disappointed, but I exited the theater a proud Filipino. This movie is a work of achievement that not only rivals, but far surpasses most of the multi-million dollar budgeted Hollywood animated movies.

If I have to sum up the movie in two words, it is this – Awesome. Epic.

When I first saw the trailer of this movie in TV, I thought it's going to fail because of the freezy animation, and the story doesn't interest me a lot (I honestly don't play online games and I'm 15). The reason why I watched this film is because it's the first CGI movie in the Philippines. Fortunately the movie is solid. Decent animation (you saw the trailer the animation looks slow but only the action scenes but the rest it's normal speed). The story is clever and original. It's perfect for the people who are addicted to online games. The voice acting was done well. Zaijan Jaranilla did a good job for his role. But the best voice acting goes to Aga Muhlach and Eugene Domingo. The movie is in 3D but it's better if you watch it in 2D because the 3D is converted and converted 3D doesn't look like 3D at all and it only darkens all the great visuals. Overall the movie is great. It could be a classic. For the people who haven't see it and think it'll suck then try watching it. It has a heart, some comedy, clever storyline, and thrilling action.

"RPG Metanoia" stands out as the first full-length 3D animated feature from the Philippines, and it delivers a fresh, heartwarming story that connects both virtual and real-life experiences. The film follows Nico, a shy, reserved boy who finds confidence through the multiplayer role-playing game Metanoia, where he becomes a heroic warrior. However, when a mysterious virus threatens both the virtual world and reality, Nico and his friends must team up and bring their skills into the real world to save the day.

One of the film's strongest elements is its blend of action and Filipino culture. The game world is vividly designed, with unique avatars and exciting quests, but the film also shows how Nico's life is deeply rooted in Filipino values-family, friendship, and bayanihan (community spirit). The animation might not be on par with the likes of Pixar, but considering the film's budget and pioneering status in Filipino cinema, it's a commendable effort.

The film also touches on important messages for kids and families, such as the need to balance screen time with outdoor activities and face-to-face interactions. The way RPG Metanoia explores how virtual friendships and real-world teamwork can come together makes it both relevant and uplifting.

Though the pacing drags a bit in the middle, and the plot is somewhat predictable, the creativity in world-building and the overall heart of the story make it worth watching, especially for Filipino audiences or anyone interested in diverse animated films.

Overall, "RPG Metanoia" is a fun, nostalgic, and culturally rich adventure that offers valuable lessons for the digital age.

The story of "RPG Metanoia" is very current and relevant. It tells about Nico and his friends who are computer-game addicts to an RPG called Metanoia. When an evil force that was destroying the world of Metanoia also threatens the real world, they need to forget their personal differences and band together in order to beat the common foe.

I liked the very real Filipino characters. I liked how the relationship of Nico (voiced by Santino himself, Zaijan Jaranilla) and his parents (funny to imagine Aga Muhlach and Eugene Domingo voicing them) was portrayed. The gang of Nico was also very realistically scripted, like how I remember playing with my neighbors back then, with the misunderstandings and getting back together as playmates. I liked how they had a Chinoy (Filipino-Chinese) guy in Nico's gang. I liked how they had a girl character May teach Nico and friends about outdoor activities, as well as play an important role in the RPG also.

I liked the characteristically Filipino imagery like Vigan houses used in the virtual world, the Moriones mask as the evil guy's avatar, the Filipino street games like Patintero, Tumbang Preso and Shato, etc. I liked the underlying message of warning to kids about addiction to computer games. (My 7-year old got that lesson!) The Filipino musical score by Ria Osorio and Gerald Salonga is also outstanding.

I also liked the international scope of the story, as we see the involvement of several foreign Metanoia characters in the virtual battles. There appear to be plans to distribute this to foreign countries, as the subtitles for the Korean and Japanese dialog were in English, instead of Filipino (even my 7-year old did find it odd though). I think we can be proud to have this film represent our country in festivals abroad.

OK, first of all, there is no point comparing this film to a Pixar, or even to a Dreamworks film. After all, this only the first full-length 3D computer-animated film from the Philippines, so we have to cut it slack for its pioneering efforts. The animation quality is certainly more than passable, the best of local animation I have seen. This is an action film that requires a high level of sophistication in order to pass muster, and "RPG Metanoia" does so with flying colors.

This review is gonna be a biases but for a good reason! First of all I can totally relate to the characters and I watch this as a kid and I also do what other kids do play outside, this movie is very nostalgic to me I love this movie this will always be dear to my heart