ABS-CBN’s retelling of the iconic Mars Ravelo heroine has gone so much since its inception it sometimes feels like it can be a show on its own.
Evidently, against all odds, they made it happen.
And they did so in a manner that impresses–a lot. Because amid the challenges the show (and its production team) had to go through–from re-casting the lead, change of directors, the shutdown, and the barrage of bashing its new lead received–the end result is nothing short of amazing.
“Mar’s Ravelo’s Darna” is unlike the usual teleserye we’ve grown accustomed to. It’s a whole lot better. And, just like its heroine, it gives us something good to hope for in terms of the quality of shows our local industry can create.
The much-anticipated serye has just aired its first five episodes but it’s already attained a massive following of eager viewers.
The pilot episode pulled off a massive concurrent viewership (almost 300,000) and shot to the top of Twitter’s local charts.
And it’s not surprising. The pilot episode was, to put it succinctly: the perfect display of masterful storytelling.
‘Masterful’ accurately describes the entire process that gave birth to this episode–from the script, production design, to editing.
The pilot opens with a scene that immediately gives the audiences what they want: Darna in her full glory. Which then transitioned seamlessly into an animated scene that provided the heroine’s backstory.
It was a skillful display of storytelling that is both innovative and technically makes sense for many viewers.
In shows like this, audiences are, for sure, excited to see how the lead characters would look inside the suit (hence the early hype about Jane De Leon’s visuals as Darna) but since the characters’ histories need to be established first, we are mostly aware that it’s not happening in the first couple of episodes.
In GMA’s 2005 Darna, Angel Locsin didn’t appear as the superheroine until the latter part of Episode 4 while in the 2009 remake, Marian Rivera donned the suit in Episode 5. That’s quite a long wait for eager fans.
Which is why the directors’ (Chito Roño, Avel Sunpongco and Benedict Mique) decision to kickstart the show by showing us De Leon’s transformation is both an audience-pleaser and an effective way to set up the succeeding events.
The transition to the animation scene was also another smooth jump into our characters’ time because it turned out to be a comic book read by Ding. I’m impressed at this seemingly minute detail because it makes for a smooth flow and it veers away from the traditional methods in which devices like this were used.
In GMA’s 2009 Darna, the comic-book style of establishing Darna’s history was also used in the opening scene. However, it simply jumped into the next establishing scene.
Although the pilot featured Narda as a young girl (which means we won’t be seeing her as Darna until after two or three episodes later), the focus on Leonor, ang unang Darna, (played by Iza Calzado) was enough to keep audiences satiated.
That wonderfully choreographed fight scene was everything we needed. The punches, kicks and throws blended well with the camera work. The CGI work is also impressive; it’s not perfect, but it’s definitely many steps above its contemporaries.
But what really sold those sequences was Calzado, whose every cell and fiber were acting the entire time. Even in between flying, punching, and getting mauled, her facial expressions will make you believe that she is actually fighting for her life.
Which brings me to an interesting point. I find it amusing how they cast Calzado and created a character for her that’s dubbed as the first Darna when she’s supposed to be the first actress to portray Darna in a series in the 2000s (after the 1977 show starring Lorna Tolentino) but had to eventually bow out.
Technical-wise, ABS-CBN’s Darna remake is a standout.
The story is fast-paced, which means we’re spared from the usual teleserye treatment that includes the use of prolonged shots to highlight an emotional moment for a character, or the multi-angle shot of the same expression that really does nothing to move the plot forward. Plus other soap opera tropes that have annoyed many of us over the years.
The script has brevity. While it remained faithful to its mythology, the writing reflects parts of the current society we live in, making Narda/Darna’s plight more relatable to audiences.
The dialogues are believable for each character. The plot is clear and moves in a way that is easy to follow. Each character’s actions and the corresponding repercussions make sense to us because we understand how each of them operates in the world they’re living in.
It contains enough sub-layers that are each built up organically.
In short, everything makes sense so far.
The overall execution of each scene is commendable. The framing is spot on and once the camera moves, it’s like a dance begins. It’s obvious how the showrunners pay attention to every single detail–from each switch of the angle to focusing and the transition from one scene to another.
There’s this one amazing sequence where Narda experiences rejection after rejection. The circular movement of the camera that signifies the passage of time and Narda’s state of mind during this struggling time.
And we’re sure that this is just one of the many laudable scenes that we’ll see.
But all these great technical treatments and storytelling won’t matter much without competent actors and actresses. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of talent in this show. Even the bit players are committed.
De Leon, for her part, managed to hold her own. She’s impressive.
So far, she’s shown us that she can carry the show in both the dramatic and action aspects. And we have high hopes for what she has in store for us in the coming weeks.
