Review: Garuda: Dare to Dream scores big with sweet soccer story
As I write this, the World Cup is in full force, and millions (billions?) of people are tuning in to watch the international match-ups happening throughout North America. I am not one of them, as I'm not really a sports guy, and when I am, it's almost always in cinematic form. So I'm grateful for the arrival of Garuda: Dare to Dream , a short-and-sweet animated feature from first-time director Ronny Gani, which let me dip my toes into the soccer world for a bit. Based on the 2009 live-action movie Garuda di Dadaku , Garuda: Dare to Dream is kind of like if It's a Wonderful Life was about Indonesian soccer, a description I genuinely never thought I would have a chance to use. Gaga is a fledgling Garuda, a kind of bird deity that takes a special interest in soccer. While the council of Garuda are large (like human-sized) and supremely wise, Gaga is tiny and still trying to prove his worth. He's passionate about soccer, and he wants to show his mentors that he's re...
