[MMFF 2014]: Feng Shui 2 Review: Twice the tedium

''Feng Shui 2' is never truly scary, never truly funny, and more importantly, never truly entertaining,' writes movie reviewer Oggs Cruz

KRIS IN FENG SHUI 2. A scene from the MMFF 2014 entry. Screengrab from YouTube/Star Cinema

Chito Roos Feng Shui (2004) was released at a time when Filipinos were hungry for horror.

There was Hideo Nakatas Ringu (1998, local release 2002), Takashi Shimizus Ju-On (2002, local release 2004), and other horror films of the same ilk followed suit.

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Feng Shui proved to be quite a success with its unabashed appropriation a lot of the style and technique of its Japanese counterparts, without being too much of a copycat.

Of course, extremely popular Kris Aquino, who plays the films heroine with nary an effort to look convincingly terrorized, is part and parcel of the films hefty haul at the box office. Roo and Aquino would again team-up to redo Feng Shuis magic with Sukob (2006).

Later on, Roo would come up with horror flicks with other big-name stars like T2 (2009) and The Healing (2012). Similarly, Aquino would also star in horror films helmed by other directors such as Dondon Santos Dalaw (2010) and Joyce Bernals Segunda Mano (2011). However, despite the moderate accomplishments of either their collaborative or individual efforts, Feng Shui remains unmatched.

Ten years after

It seems that Feng Shuis allure has something to do with its subject matter, which is essentially the creation of horror out of the exoticism of Chinese culture within a Filipino landscape. The films preoccupation with punishing greed with the death of loved ones points to a moral dilemma a lot of Filipinos are forced to face: what are you willing to give up to rise above your misfortunes?

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[MMFF 2014]: Feng Shui 2 Review: Twice the tedium