Historical Context
Feng Shui 2 is a 2014 action-mystery-comedy-drama film directed by Chito S. Roño. The movie is a sequel to the 2004 hit movie, Feng Shui which is based on superstitious beliefs and fortune telling. It stars Kris Aquino, Coco Martin and Bianca Manalo.
The production of this movie was likely influenced by both contemporary events and millennia-old cultural influences – namely aspects of Chinese culture like feng shui and other ancient or traditional practices related to superstitions, luck, fortune telling, and supernatural phenomena. In addition, the original movie reflects a contemporary trend towards blending elements from different genres. This is likely due to an increased global audience who are looking for content that offers variety and blends different elements for a more entertaining experience rather than sticking to one genre only. Contemporary geopolitical events like globalization also fueled this trend as people had greater exposure to different cultures from around the world. As such, the filmmakers were likely influenced by these two forces while they determined how they were going to approach the production of their movie.
Appearances
Feng Shui 2 has a stunning visual aesthetic that immerses viewers in its exciting and thrilling world. The set design is intricate and fully detailed, showcasing gorgeous locales from high-rise skyscrapers to gritty back alleys and ramshackle country sides. The costumes are some of the best in action movies, with the characters’ looks fitting their personalities perfectly. From the alluringly elegant dress of the female lead to the sophisticated and intimidating outfits of the villains The cinematography is excellent throughout, with dynamic camera movement meshing well with clever editing choices to create a fast paced series of thrilling action scenes. All these elements come together to create an visually engaging viewing experience.
Music and Sound Effects
The musical score of Feng Shui 2 movie is composed by Joe Carig. The music enhances the action with melodic and oriental soundscapes that provide a suspenseful atmosphere and set the tone for each scene. It’s powerful music, invoking feelings of mystery and danger, but also conveying exciting adventure and humour when needed. Additionally, there is excellent usage of traditional Chinese flavor within the musical score, which helps to immerse you into the culture and setting.
The sound effects used throughout the film are expertly done, helping to bring out tension between characters as well as enhance scenes with different sound design elements achieved through Foley work. This ensures that even during moments of stillness or slow-pace conversations between characters, there is always something interesting happening from a sonic perspective aiding in crafting unique moments in every scene. The movie successfully utilizes its sound design to create an auditory ambiance that translates richly on screen and immerses us further into its world.
Critical Reception
The critical reception for the movie Feng Shui 2 has been mixed. Professional film critics have generally praised the film, citing its original story and noting its improved visual effects compared to its predecessor. Others, however, have criticized the pacing and some of the odd choices that were made in terms of character development.
Meanwhile, the general public response seems to be more positive than not. Viewers have cited the charms of leading cast members Janella Salvador and Elora Espano as a major positive for the movie and have highly praised the special effects used throughout. Many viewers also felt that the plot had a unique twist that was unpredictable. On the flip side, some viewers found parts of the script to be too contrived or overused tropes from other romantic comedies.
Production Details
Feng Shui 2 is a horror comedy film directed by Chow Twins and starring Kris Aquino, Coco Martin, and Angelica Panganiban. It was written by Chris Marsh and Jose Javier Reyes, with music composed by Von de Guzman. It was produced by Star Cinema and Viva Films under the direction of Star Cinemas’s Malou Santos and Viva Films’s Veronique del Rosario-Corpus.
The film has an estimated budget of PHP 50 million (US$ 1 million) and marks the return of Kris Aquino to Philippine cinema after a nearly 5-year hiatus. The cast also includes JM de Guzman, Xian Lim, John Arcilla, Janvier Daily, Arlene Muhlach, Robin Padilla, Barbie Forteza, veteran comedian Dolphy Quizon as well as veteran actors Pen Medina and Lou Veloso.
The production crew consists of Art Director Sonny Santa Isabel who designed the visual language for the look of the film while Production Designer Ed Lalaguna crafted scenes that transported viewers to haunted houses in the Philippines’ old towns such as Baguio City or even Baler while Miller Khan created what is considered one of their best works on Special Effects. Composer Von de Guzman was chosen to compose an original score for Feng Shui 2 – making it his first full length feature film score commission since 2011’s Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story which he also scored for Star Cinema. Well-known cinematographer Carlo Mendoza helmed camera duty; this makes his second outing after having been part of critically acclaimed society drama Iisa in 2015. The cinematography blended seamlessly with Sonny Santa Isabel’s art design to create an eerie yet fun atmosphere for this unique family story that revolves around superstitions and ghosts
Comparisons to Other Movies
Feng Shui 2 is a horror-comedy from the Philippines that follows a young woman who makes a deal with a supernatural force to help her win the lottery. This bargain catches up with her when she is forced to face off against ancient Chinese monsters. The movie is similar to other popular Asian horror-comedies like Taciturne, Perfectionism, and Bulletproof Monk. All these films mix traditional elements of the supernatural with humor and actions sequences, something that Feng Shui 2 accomplishes well. It also stands out by focusing on luck and superstition as its primary theme, rather than the darker themes seen in some of its peers. All this makes it an enjoyable cinematic experience which fans of Asian cinema will appreciate.
Behind-the-Scenes Information
Feng Shui 2 is an entertaining horror-comedy written and directed by Chito Rono. This movie reunites the original team behind its predecessor, Feng Shui with Kris Aquino starring once again in the lead role of Ces Leyes. In addition to Kris Aquino, the movie features notable actors such as award-winning actor Coco Martin, Richard Yap, Empoy Marquez and K Brosas.
Feng Shui 2’s production was a complex process that required a considerable amount of time and multiple shooting sites. The film was shot on location in various areas of Metro Manila and Nueva Ecija, including Intramuros, Binondo, Antipolo Rizal and Cabanatuan City. Apart from these major locations, many scenes were also filmed at specialty studios in Quezon City. The stunts for the movie were done by recognized stunt teams from China and Taiwan; most of them having worked with Jackie Chan’s production companies before. Additionally, the traditional Filipino game of tong-its was used heavily throughout filming to establish several key elements in various scenes.
Making this movie also involved creating special effects utilized by the extensive art department crew even though they had no CGI or green screens to work with—only practical sets and mechanical props used during filming to bring creatures like Philippine mythical monsters to life. After a few long months of shooting, filming wrapped up end July 2014 with a total production budget estimated around P80 million dentingges staying within their estimated budget throughout the entire shoot according to producer Sandy Talag.
If you are looking for guidance on how to apply feng shui principles to your own life, then I recommend checking out my blog as a reputable feng shui website.
