'AGAK LAEN 2' and Its Potential to Become a Giant in Indonesian Cinema

Kapanlagi.com - AGAK LAEN: IGNITING MY FLAME! is the second film from the AGAK LAEN universe that has captured the attention of film enthusiasts in the homeland. Entering its sixth day of screening, AGAK LAEN: IGNITING MY FLAME! has garnered over two million viewers. This second film, which is not a sequel, is expected to match and even exceed the achievements of the previous AGAK LAEN (2024) film.

As is known, AGAK LAEN (2024) successfully attracted 9,126,607 viewers and ranked third on the list of the all-time highest-grossing Indonesian films, below JUMBO & KKN Desa Penari, which each attracted over 10 million viewers. Additionally, AGAK LAEN (2024) also became the highest-grossing film of 2024 or the highest-grossing in its release year.

AGAK LAEN: IGNITING MY FLAME! is again directed by Muhadkly Acho. This time, the story focuses on the investigation of the murder of the Mayor's child who is hiding in a nursing home.

Bene, Boris, Jegel, and Oki get one last chance as a gamble for their careers. The situation becomes more complicated because during their undercover mission at the nursing home, they each have personal issues that make the task feel like a do-or-die situation.

Despite the tension, this film still presents fresh and hilarious comedy from start to finish. Produced by Ernest Prakasa and Dipa Andika, this film is ready to deliver a refreshing combination of action, comedy, and mystery.

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1. AGAK LAEN: MENYALA PANTIKU! Not AGAK LAEN 2

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The film AGAK LAEN MENYALA PANTIKU! is neither a sequel nor a prequel to AGAK LAEN (2024). The second film is completely unrelated to the first film, so anyone who missed the first film and goes straight to watch AGAK LAEN MENYALA PANTIKU will not feel too lost while sitting in the cinema.

One of the Indonesian films that adopts a similar concept is WARKOP. This legendary film also does not want to be too connected between one film and another, and the 'universe' of WARKOP achieved success with this concept. In each of its films, WARKOP often presents iconic lines that are always remembered by the audience, even to this day.

The Warkop film titled MAJU KENA, MUNDUR KENA in 1983 gave birth to the phrase 'Gile Lu Ndro' which was first uttered by Kasino. In the film CHIPS (1982), the trio Dono, Kasino, and Indro are depicted as service officers in the field of security and public order managed by a private entity.

One day, Kasino accidentally catches his boss, played by Panji Anom, getting cozy with a woman in the middle of the forest. The boss claims to be looking for crickets. By Kasino, the phrase 'Jangkrik Boss' is uttered as a jab at the boss.

In addition, in the movie PINTAR PINTAR BODOH (1980), Dono and Kasino follow a woman while disguising themselves as street musicians. Kasino gives a signal through his singing to Dono to focus on the target they are eyeing. Unfortunately, Dono is too busy flirting with a woman at the eating place where they are disguising themselves.

The remark 'a pet goat can get fat' also escapes from Kasino's mouth and successfully makes the audience burst into laughter.

2. Not Just Selling Comedy

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AGAK LAEN: MENYALA PANTIKU! is not just about selling comedy. This film offers jokes that are relevant to the times, good chemistry among the cast, and what sells the most is the detective story that keeps the audience guessing who the murderer hiding in the nursing home is.

The combination of comedy, detective story, and a bit of drama that is not excessive makes AGAK LAEN: MENYALA PANTIKU! potentially a film that attracts a large audience.

Producer Dipa Andika added that while the first film was spiced with horror, this second film will carry the investigation genre as its differentiator.

"Actually, AGAK LAEN (2024), even though we spice it with horror, in the end, we are selling the drama comedy of this film. So this second film is also made as a drama comedy but with an investigative flavor," said Dipa.

3. Chemistry Built From Podcast

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Bene Dion, Boris Bokir, Indra Jegel, and Oki Rengga gained chemistry as a foundation for making films on the Agak Laen podcast. They became the hosts guiding the course of the podcast. From there, they engaged in a lot of interactions and coordination that developed into chemistry within the film.

As additional information, the Agak Laen podcast can be watched through the YouTube channel or listened to on Spotify. The Agak Laen Official channel on YouTube is known to have 1.19 million subscribers with 596 videos uploaded.

4. Involvement of Many Comedians and Comedians

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The production house Imajinari, which oversees the Agak Laen universe, has been blessed with an abundance of talent from both comedians and comedic actors. This also serves as one of the foundations for creating comedy films that are truly 'hit' and can be accepted by many film enthusiasts in the homeland. At the release of the teaser trailer, Imajinari also utilized a 'campaign' through its comedians.

Not only comedy, the films produced by Imajinari, founded by Ernest Prakasa, include NGERI NGERI SEDAP, JATUH CINTA SEPERTI DI FILM-FILM, and TINGGAL MENINGGAL.

5. A Gimmick That Is More Than Just a Gimmick

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Returning to discuss the film AGAK LAEN (2024), one of the reasons this film has become so popular is the promotional strategy employed by the actors. Bene Dion, Boris Bokir, Indra Jegel, and Oki Rengga kept their promise to become silver people at Bundaran HI if AGAK LAEN (2024) surpassed 7 million viewers.

This has proven capable of increasing the viewer count, as at the time the 'gimmick' action was performed, the audience for AGAK LAEN (2024) was at 7.5 million and was still able to rise to 9.1 million viewers by the end of its screening. Indeed, a gimmick that is more than just a gimmick!

6. The Steady Hand of Acho

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Director Muhadkly Acho knows very well that he should not change the recipe for success from the first film in AGAK LAEN: MENYALA PANTIKU!. Although it is said to have no relation at all, some similarities from the first film can be seen again in the second film.

The plus point is that some of those elements have been upgraded and polished again by Acho, making the audience not bored with the storyline and jokes presented. As a comedian, Muhadkly Acho is known for his skill in choosing unique diction in his comedy material. He brings this ability into directing a film as well.

Acho's chosen material is very fresh, unique, out of the box, yet still makes many viewers laugh uncontrollably with the humor and plot presented.

7. The WHO DONE IT Concept in the Style of Detective Agatha Christie and KNIVES OUT

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The who done it film or case-solving always captivates. The who done it genre is a detective story that revolves around a mystery, usually a murder mystery. Throughout the film, the identity is kept secret until the end (ending). Thus, the audience feels like they are playing a puzzle as they are made curious about the perpetrator.

Films in the who done it genre generally begin with someone (a detective) starting an investigation case. Prior to this, a murder has occurred with the perpetrator still shrouded in mystery.

As the film progresses, the audience is invited to think about the complicated murder case and all the clues that are deliberately presented. A who done it genre film will reveal who the perpetrator is at the end while outlining the sequence from the modus operandi to the motive.

Several international films that carry the who done it concept include adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels such as MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2017), DEATH ON THE NILE (2022), and KNIVES OUT (2019). The Detective Conan series also falls under the who done it genre. Knives Out successfully grossed a total of 300 million dollars and has a rating of 7.9/10 on IMDb.

This concept and sweet notes are adapted in the film AGAK LAEN: MENYALA PANTIKU!.

8. Potential to Become a Giant

Sahal Fadhli - KapanLagi.com

With all the advantages it possesses, the AGAK LAEN universe under the production house Imajinari is touted to become a giant in the film industry of the homeland. It's not impossible that they will match WARKOP's 35 films from 1980 to 1995.

The Instagram account of the AGAK LAEN film and the AGAK LAEN podcast has a total of 400 thousand followers. Several posts on both accounts have reached thousands of likes and thousands of comments. In Google search, the keyword AGAK LAEN has reached a search volume of 1,910,000, a fantastic number.

(kpl/ums)