It’s been a minute since director Timo Tjahjanto’s newest action comedy, The Big 4, started streaming on Netflix and as full as my plate is, I couldn’t end ’22 without lending my two cents on the pic which otherwise continues the director’s nascent relationship with the streamer since 2018’s The Night Comes For Us.
Until this month, that title for me stood as my favorite Indonesian action film given all the fanfare in the decade since Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim began making headway in the festivals via the work of Gareth Evans. Granted, Tjahjanto’s craft goes deeper into horror more than anything, and so when he does R-rated action, his hardcore approach is an absolute crowd-pleaser.
It also compliments The Big 4, which is something much different in the sense that if you’ve seen films like Lethal Weapon or Tango & Cash or any other R-rated buddy cop or ensemble throwback action bangers, you can get the idea of the kind of energy Tjahjanto is going for, and with none other than Abimana Arysatya headlining the quartet of protagonists joined later on by our central leading lady, actress Putri Marino.
To what degree? Well, for this, we turn to the story of fledgling police school graduate Dina (Marino) whose patience all but runs nearly empty when it comes to her father, Petrus (Budi Ros) and his mysteriously busy work schedule. Little does she know that his sudden murder would find her three years later coping with the trauma, sticking to overwork as a means of focus, when her superiors then decide it would be best for her to take a holiday.
Reluctantly accepting the order, it’s not until moments later that Dina discovers an old photo of Petrus with four children – a possible connecting thread to rural beachside resort where she eventually journeys to for answers. Upon her arrival, she meets its receptionist, Topan (Arysatya), whose own somewhat dodgy demeanor doesn’t do much to quell her unwaning suspicions, resulting in a trippy, often violent off-road adventure as the two reunite with Topan’s old friends, Alpha (Lutesh), Jenggko (Arie Kriting) and Pelor (Kristo Immanuel) while fending off mercenaries led by the eccentric, Salsa dancing and knife-addicted Antonio (Marthino Lio), and his beautiful, bazooka-wielding secretary, Alo (Michelle Tahalea).
As the plot progresses, Dina ultimately comes to find out who the four are in connection with her father, and with the vindictive Antonio closing in, it’s up to The Big 4, and their fifth and latest addition, to wrangle together their resources and avenge Petrus’ murder. The only other agenda that remains to be seen, however, is to discover just how deep the rabbit hole goes considering the hierarchy of order that Antonio follows – something to consider while Tjahjanto spools through his arsenal of ideas for the hopeful trilogy to come.
I’m fascinated with Arysatya’s rise to international stardom as of late. He first popped up on my radar years ago when I discovered Anggy Umbara’s 3: Alif, Lam, Mim – billed as Indonesia’s first futuristic action film – and while that film never reached our shores for some magical reason, it’s been great seeing Arysatya making strides with appearances in Joko Anwar’s inaugural superhero thriller, Gundala, and in Tjahjanto’s The Night Comes For Us; To be frank, Gundala was my first real look at Arysatya as both actor AND screen fighter and while he shows his chops off brilliantly in that film, The Big 4 serves as a real treat in watching him demonstrate what he can do in a prominently physical, stripped-down action role, from slapstick and high jinks to gonzo fisticuffs, weapons or no.
There’s a stoner comedy aspect to the film that fans can also attribute, in particular, with Kriting’s portrayal of Jenggko, a sniper who at one point is forced to go years without his beloved girlfriend (a.k.a. rifle), to which he then becomes a spiritual guru for fool hearty tourists. This is the first stop on Dina and Topan’s adventure and little does Dina know that as a formality in Jenggko’s temple, she’s implored to drink something that’s meant to do the complete opposite of what happens. Think Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys 2 when Mike and Marcus arrive at Captain Howard or the “konlabos, with a k” scenes in The Rundown.
I also have to add that this scene contributes to the film’s greater count of nutshots courtesy of Marino, whose portrayal of the headstrong Dina performs equally in screen presence to Arysatya. Her stern by-the-book demeanor aside, she’s impulsive and loses herself to hysteria instantly when things look uncertain, but she’s never too far gone from reality, and you get the sense that her newfound “family” emboldens her to stay grounded with an open mind, especially when it comes to her father’s past and their work together, which you can immediately get a glimpse of in the film’s opening sequence. You also get to see what she can do when she’s forced to go head to head with a beefy, blonde mohawk-wearing mercenary named Vinsen, one of two performances played in a dual role by actor Michael Kho.
Immanuel and actress Lutesha contribute even further as the remaining two members to Topan and Jenggko’s for, respectively, as Alpha, an expert in infiltration, hand-to-hand and weapons and who suffers a really bad case of expletive-laden Tourrete’s, and Pelor whose own lack of training and experience in any type of combat otherwise leaves him useful enough as the type of unassuming bait who can break into any situation to advance the efforts of his three cohorts during a mission. This is where it all comes together with Petrus, who apparently not only raised these four children from childhood, but also trained them in an extension of his own mercenary tactics, unbeknownst to Dina. The big twist, however, comes with the role Antonio plays in the history he shares with Petrus leading up to his murder, and in digging further, just who the people are behind the veil giving the orders, and what it could all mean.
The Big 4 doesn’t get into the more entrenching specifics of the latter revelation, save for a mysterious woman wearing an eye-patch with an agenda of her own. Additionally, I also love that the film doesn’t try to drum the whole “family” theme into my head like other films sordidly and shamelessly attempt to. Nature takes its course in The Big 4 and lets things shape naturally without trying to proselytize or distract you with any superficial or preachy messaging.
Moreover, what really matters is that in the years after The Night Comes For Us and while fans like myself pined for a spin-off to that film, Tjahjanto proved himself able to stand on his own two creative feet with an original action comedy adventure with feel-good characters and chemistry, a somewhat endearing love story, and signature, stylish action and stunt sequences by coordinator Muhammad Ifran that don’t scale themselves back in the least. Arysatya and Lio share a couple of fight scenes in the film which are spectacular to watch, along with other enticing action sequences as well. One scene that really comes together pits Lutesha and Tahalea against one another, and the finale right then is as delightfully violent and comical as you would hope.
I saw this film twice on launch day in Indonesian, as well as English-dub, and frankly loved it. I could nitpick about some of the more superficial flaws this film presents, but there just aren’t enough for me to care to bring up. It’s not worth it unless future films give rise to concern for Tjahjanto’s fanbase, and seeing as “Welcome To My Paradise” by Steven & Coconuttreez hasn’t stopped playing on repeat in my head since then (not that I mind), I think I’m good. I might even watch this film on New Years’ Eve. Cheers!