Menculik Miyabi
Menculik Miyabi (literally Kidnapping Miyabi) is a 2010 Indonesian comedy film directed by Findo Purwono HW and produced by Ody Mulya Hidayat. Starring Sabrina Pai and Nicky Tirta, the film follows a young man who is obsessed with AV idol Maria Ozawa and, in an attempt to kidnap her, accidentally kidnaps a Taiwanese tourist. After the film was announced it was protested heavily by the Islamic Defenders Front, which resulted in Ozawa's role being cut. Critical reception was unfavourable.
Plot
Mike always terrorises Kevin (Nicky Tirta) and his friends Bimo (Kevin Julio Chandra) and Aan (Hardi Fadhillah) at their campus in Jakarta. One day, after the trio are invited to the birthday party for Mike's girlfriend Jessica (Herfiza Novianti), Kevin's childhood friend, Mike dares them to come to the party and threatens to make their lives miserable if they do not come with an attractive woman.
After discussing the challenge amongst themselves, the trio realise that they are all fans of the Japanese AV idol Miyabi (as herself). They coincidentally find a blog post announcing that Ozawa will be in Indonesia to award a prize to a trivia competition winner. Kevin and his friends decide to kidnap her, but catch an unwitting tourist from Taiwan named Mie Yao Bie instead. They are unable to communicate with her, as she can only speak Mandarin Chinese and English.
Mie Yao Bie, having lost her passport, must stay at Kevin's house. As the party draws nearer, Jessica realises that Mike is overly crude and plans to leave him for Kevin; the two go to the movies together, but when Mie Yao Bie comes and calls Kevin's name Jessica becomes jealous.
Production
Menculik Miyabi was directed by Findo Purwono HW and produced by Ody Mulya Hidayat of Maxima Pictures. The script was written by Bang Marqee based on a story by Raditya Dika. Cinematography was handled by Joel F Zola, while editing was completed by the Waldo Brothers. Music was provided by Joseph S Djafar, with Abdul Malik Deva and Bellamy on sound.[1] The film starred Sabrina Pai, Nicky Tirta, Herfiza Novianti, Kevin Julio Chandra, and Hardi Fadhillah.[1]
The film was initially meant to star Maria Ozawa, who was cast for the part at great expense.[2] Commonly billed as Miyabi in Indonesia, Ozawa was an Eurasian AV idol from Japan who had become famous in 2005. As an AV idol she had acted in numerous pornographic films. For Menculik Miyabi she would have performed no nude scenes. However, as she had been a pornographic actress the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (Font Pembela Islam, or FPI) protested the production. A spokesman said that the group was "ready to die fighting" to prevent Ozawa's arrival;[3] in other protests students burned women's underwear.[4] Ultimately the Ministry of Culture and Tourism banned Ozawa from coming to Indonesia,[4] and plans for her to film in Indonesia were dropped.[5] She ultimately filmed several scenes in Japan, although she had reduced prominence in the final edit.[6]
Release and reception
Menculik Miyabi was released on 6 May 2010.[1] The Indonesian Ulema Council protested its contents,[7] while the FPI threatened to raid theatres showing the film. Otherwise the release proved uneventful.[8] It saw mediocre box-office returns.[9]
Marcel Thee, reviewing for The Jakarta Globe, found the film "another dud in a collection of tedious local comedies" which focused on "not particularly funny sex jokes and an equally hollow love story".[6] Benny Benke of the Semarang-based Suara Merdeka, found the film's elements to be "unrelated" ("tidak terkait"), with the title serving only as a draw for male audiences.[10]
Ozawa would later star in another Indonesian production, the horror film Hantu Tanah Kusir (Ghost of Tanah Kusir), in 2010. This film was also made by Maxima Pictures.[11]
Footnotes
- ^ a b c Filmindonesia.or.id, Menculik Miyabi.
- ^ The Jakarta Post 2009, Miyabi to feature.
- ^ Setiawati 2009, FPI rallies against Miyabi.
- ^ a b The Jakarta Post 2009, Government bans Miyabi.
- ^ Matondang 2010, Profile: Ody Mulya.
- ^ a b Thee 2010, Miyabi Hits Theaters.
- ^ Benke 2010, 'Menculik Miyabi'.
- ^ The Jakarta Post 2010, Miyabi film.
- ^ Kompas 2010, Hari Kedua.
- ^ Benke 2010, Menjajakan Miyabi.
- ^ Sagita 2010, With Little Ado.
Works cited
- Benke, Benny (7 May 2010). "'Menculik Miyabi' Langsung Ditentang MUI". Suara Merdeka (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
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suggested) (help) - Benke, Benny (7 May 2010). "Menjajakan Miyabi". Suara Merdeka (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
ignored (|trans-title=
suggested) (help) - "Government bans Miyabi from visiting Indonesia". The Jakarta Post. 13 October 2009. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- "Hari Kedua, 'Menculik Miyabi' Ramai Ditonton". Kompas. 7 May 2010. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
ignored (|trans-title=
suggested) (help) - "Kredit Lengkap Menculik Miyabi". filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Konfidan Foundation. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
ignored (|trans-title=
suggested) (help) - "Miyabi film debuts without incident". The Jakarta Post. 8 May 2010. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- "Miyabi to feature in Indonesian movie". The Jakarta Post. 19 September 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- Matondang, Patra (2 June 2010). "Profile: Ody Mulya: Controversy sells". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- Sagita, Dessy (25 November 2010). "With Little Ado, Miyabi Arrives in Indonesian Theaters". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- Setiawati, Indah (10 October 2009). "FPI rallies against Miyabi; producer continues". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
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timestamp mismatch; 11 January 2010 suggested (help) - Thee, Marcel (9 May 2010). "Miyabi Hits Theaters, but Was She Worth the Wait?". The Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.