Highly Overrated But Still Good

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

It is very known that Malaya was the port of many migrants as tools of slavery to fit the Colony's demand. The Chinese were brought in for that purpose, and caused havoc to fulfill their lust for the land of the country due to simplicity of influence from the communists' ideology. The movie sparked emotional response and truthfully revealed the controversial past that Malaysia has been through with the Malays facing internal problems from the Chinese. The controversial message has been successfully digested and understood as the movie guides us from the beginning of the process until the ultimatum which proves that harmony can be achieved by understanding the real need of the country which is teamwork. However, this movie would not have a good response from the Chinese because history has been proved to not be bright on their side.

Tanda Putera is a film that the Malaysian audience did not get at all. All the pains that the director, Shuhaimi Baba took to improve the UMNOputera condition was in vain from all the opposition it got. Shuhaimi Baba used her creative license to show Malaysia's technological supremacy in the 1960s by giving shots of CCTVs, air-conditioning, smoke detectors, even a plaque that came back in time (Tun Razak was a Time Lord!). It's a film that pushes the envelope in instigating the masses to be patriotic in a feel good way and have a good time by singing the Negaraku together before the screening. By dumbing down and creating new history through her film, Shuhaimi attempts to make history more digestible, especially to the children who are reading a censored, fabricated version of Malaysian History, so that they could score better in their SPM/STPM. Moreover, she used the Malaysian taxpayer's monies to make this piece of propaganda and stimulate the Malaysian propaganda film industry. God- willing, with the troubles UMNO and their cronies have from the Opposition, they would need all form of PR campaigns to run in their own public stations which the Oppositions would never have a foothold in. I award the film number 1, because it's a first-class piece. Kudos to Shuhaimi Baba in making a piece of fiction that the brainless and UMNOputera (oops, I repeat myself) could rally behind, and finally get rid of the multiracialism and pluralism that the country has had by instigating another May 13th. Hopefully this time, we could get a real photo of LKS or LGE peeing on a flag pole, so the producer could retract his apology.

The negative reviews of Tanda Putera have come from those who have not even seen the film. The May 13, 1969 racial riot in Kuala Lumpur as portrayed in this film is highly sanitised compared to the ground zero situation of 1969. It was meant to give a background as to why 2 Malaysian statesmen had to use clever states craft to re- stabilise the nation. The nation could have gone either way - stability restored or descend into untold turmoil. The 2 statesman put the national interests above their own health frailties. They toiled through the years following May 13 incident so that Malaysians could be reunited and the nation rebuilt from the destruction of such riots. Both statesman died in office, one of leukemia, the other of massive heart attack, after new policies at restructuring and developing Malaysia were put in place. It is one of the best Malay films ever produced.

Historically inaccurate film with plenty of distorted facts. Many Malaysians(including the Malays) are disgusted with the racist elementsprojected in this film. This movie is financed by the BN controlled Malaysian government to incite hatred among Malays towards Malaysian Chinese community using the racial riot incident in 1969 as the backdrop of the movie. Many scenes depicted in the movie are fabricated to make the Malaysian Chinese, who are mainly the supporters of the opposition look like the instigator of the tragic incident.This movie is nothing more than a mere propaganda tool, which proved ineffective and failed miserably during it's opening day. Don't waste your money on this.