SARI-SARING SINENG PINOY

     Kid Huwag Kang Susuko (Regal Films, 1987) is an exciting, sweet-tempered, heart-warming story with one of the most interesting friendships in a long time. From the directing team of Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes, it ends with the same sort of climactic fight scene. But the heart of this movie isn't in the fight sequences, it's in the relationships. In addition to Sawi's (Richard Gomez) friendship with Mr. Tan (Jang Hwan Kim), there's also a sweet romantic liaison with Ogie (Rachel Anne Wolfe), your standard girl from the right side of town. When Sawi is rescued by Mr. Tan, who turns out to be an unlikely karate master from a savage beating exacted by Wrylo’s (Mark Gil) gang of hooligans, Mr. Tan resolves to teach Sawi the ways of karate. What works best in this film is not the glory of Sawi’s predictable victory.

     Actually, the fight scenes in the end consume little screen time, as though the script knows that Sawi will win no matter what, so why dwell on it? The fights are brief, not even the karate match between Sawi and Wrylo is dragged out too long for dramatic effect. We are more concerned about Sawi gaining enough confidence. As Mr. Tan teaches honor and balance where spirit and body are superior concepts to destroying everything in one’s path with a karate chop. Such principles are what one takes away from a viewing of Kid Huwag Kang Susuko, the violent aspects of martial arts are almost completely forgotten next to these values and so the film remains highly resonant on both emotional and moral planes. And even though it contains a dated quality and the conflict has been grossly exaggerated by inhuman antagonists, on its own and separate from what came after it, Kid Huwag Kang Susuko still works on a very basic level today.