‘Magikland’

(We are running this guide to help you plan your holiday movie-viewing activity during the pandemic. The 46th Metro Manila Film Festival Christmas Edition runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2021. Tickets can be ordered online via https://upstream.ph/mmff/)

Directed by Christian Acuña; starring Miggs Cuaderno, Elijah Alejo, Joshua Eugenio, Princess Rabara, Bibeth Orteza and Jun Urbano; produced by Brightlight Productions and Gallaga-Reyes

On the eve of Christmas, four kids meet up after playing the “Magikland” mobile app. Their union creates a magical phenomenon that opens up a portal, which transports them to the mystical world of Magikland. Being the Top 4 players of the app—Smiley Boy (Cuaderno), Warrior Beast (Rabara), Flower Ranger (Eugenio) and Mara (Alejo)—are given the mission to retrieve the four relics of Magikland to gain enough power to stop the evil villain who has taken over Magikland.

As they fight to save this magical world, the youngsters also discover their respective strengths and power that can only be achieved through teamwork, selflessness, and finding happiness in the friendship that they’ve formed with one another.

The film took almost three years to complete, said filmmaker Lore Reyes, who coproduced the project along with his longtime collaborator, the late Peque Gallaga. The film is one of the most ambitious films ever made in recent Philippine cinematic history, with 95 percent of the shots meticulously created with state-of-the-art visual effects. It was shot on location in Tanay, Laguna, Rizal province, Nueva Ecija and Ilocos.

“We’ve worked for so long and so hard on this project,” declared director Acuna, who was among Gallaga and Lore’s top students in film school. “We’ve exhausted all resources to come up with this fantasy film. It is in honor of their past works of the same genre, ‘Magic Temple’ and ‘Magic Kingdom.’ Those are the origins of this story so, hopefully, bringing this to life will cement Direk Peque’s legacy.” —Marinel Cruz