Gundala is an Indonesian superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name. The film was the first film in the Bumiangit Cinematic Universe, written and directed by Joko Anwar.

The film had its international premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and was met with rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. The superhero actioner starring Abimana Aryastya as our titular hero was praised for his performance as was the directing, visual effects, costuming, and originality.

Well Go USA is releasing the film on Blu-ray on July 28th, and it is well worth the purchase for any fan of superheroes.

SYNOPSIS:

“Based on the classic comic by Harya “Hasmi” Suraminata, Gundala is a poignant portrayal of the notion that heroes—whether everyday or superhuman—can be found anywhere (though a superpower never hurts). Indonesian orphan Sancaka spent his life on the streets trying to attract as little attention as possible, but when greed and violence reach a fever pitch in Jakarta, it soon becomes clear that he is the people’s only hope for peace.” – Well Go USA

I never had the pleasure of seeing Gundala on the big screen, and depending on how things progress with the current pandemic, many of us will be going for the experience a lot less these days. Thankfully, home video releases have finally reached the point of capturing the crisps and clear images of cinematic releases, and this Gundala Blu-ray is no exception. Clearly, Anwar opted for a digital production and the transfer to disc has the impressively glossy and high-res visual effects unaffected, although, one should be sure to adjust the settings on their televisions.

The Blu-ray does offer English dubbing (not great) and subtitles, but one should watch with the original audio and subtitles on. Unfortunately, English is the only option right now, perhaps if the film finds a home on a streaming platform more languages will be available for subtitles. On that note, the sound design remains remarkable. As for immersing oneself into the world, there is about 25 minutes of behind the scenes footage, production vlogs, and if you enjoy them, international trailers. Sadly, the extra features are lacking, there is very little to enjoy – especially, as this character and world will be new to Western audiences, a bit more history and information of the significance of the story could have been included.

All in all, Gundala is a great film to own and watch whenever that superhero itch needs to be scratched.

Technical Specs

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