The Mechamato brand isn’t a new entry in the entertainment scene. Almost every Bahasa-speaking Malaysian child with access to Youtube, streaming services or Astro knows the concept of the show: a shape-shifting mecha teams up with Amato, a local boy, in their efforts to protect their town from evildoers.
On paper, the concept sounds straightforward; and frankly, it is. Mechamato was written for youngins in their adolescent years, constantly searching for underdog heroes to whom they can relate. In this case, Mechamato ticks all boxes - and he speaks Bahasa!
The Mechamato movie is undoubtedly the most anticipated local animation production and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint in any way.
The movie kickstarts with a soft build of its expansive universe. Different mecha-like characters were shown to coexist with Mechabot prior to meeting Amato slightly later in the film. The scene was nothing short of explosive and as expected, both characters acted like pure tsunderes, if you get my drift.
But one of the best parts of the movie isn’t the explosiveness of the fight scenes but the inclusion of Malaysian cultures in the film. At first, it seemed like the film was set in a futuristic town far away from any Malaysian influences but then scenes in the town showed a stark similarity with Bandar Hilir and Jonker Street.
The Kota Hilir town scenes showcased Malacca’s popular Baba Nyonya infrastructures, post-colonial brick roads and colourful trishaws, usually parked in front of Jonker’s bridge with fengtau music on full blast. We watched in awe as the movie literally brought us through the streets of Melaka with flying robots and mechanized trishaws. Frankly, we can’t help but feel represented especially as the movie will also be shown in cinemas worldwide. Next level!
Another aspect to be proud of is the stunning animation work done by Monsta Studio. The studio is no stranger to brilliant animation but we dare say this movie included one of the most impressive Malaysian animation production in recent times. The movement of the characters was seamless and the colours? Truly mesmerizing.
Mechamato The Movie is directed and written by Monsta Studio’s head honcho, Nizam Razak, and produced together with Astro Shaw. The movie will be out on 8 December so make sure you watch the film while it’s still in cinemas nationwide!