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 ready to guide a star player to greatness. The council is split, but ultimately decide to give him a chance. Equipped with a magical medal that will point him to a worthy player, Gaga sets off for Earth, ready to show what he's got.

But, what he ends up getting is not at all what he bargained for. After perusing various soccer clubs, and being surprised that the medal isn't reacting to any of the immensely talented players he finds, it instead insistently points him toward Putra, a passionate soccer fan who isn't much of an athlete. He's slow, weak, and hampered by his asthma. But he has a dream to match the greatness of his favorite player, (the very hot) Bayu. With Gaga's help, he just might get there.

What follows is a genuinely heart-warming and lesson-filled adventure that is sure to win over younger audiences, and did quite a number on me as well. Equipped with a magic jersey that gives him an edge over the competition, Putra soon sets his sights on entering a prestigious tournament that could land him on the U-15 national team. But that requires assembling a team, finding a coach, procuring uniforms, and really learning how to play the game. All against the pressure of a ticking clock, and under the watchful eye of rival (extremely talented) player Aldo.

Garuda: Dare to Dream is a well-oiled machine, tackling a lot of the beats you expect from a sports movie, and never veering too far from the well-worn tracks of the genre. It isn't blazing new narrative ground, but it puts enough of its own spin on the proceedings to keep things engaging. A lot of the film's fun comes from the friction between Putra and Gaga. For most of the film, Putra is the only one who can see Gaga, so other characters regularly see him arguing with thin air, often to comedic effect. The pair have a strong dynamic that gives them each room to grow, learning parallel lessons about relying on others, being a good friend/teammate, and what greatness really looks like. Putra has to learn to rely on himself and (especially) his teammates rather than the magic jersey, and Gaga learns that being a superstar player isn't about hogging the ball and scoring the most goals, but rather being a team player. Good lessons for young viewers who are charting their own paths of success toward achieving their dreams.

(And, of course, the film also imparts the old adage that it's not about winning or losing, but giving your best. A bit dusty perhaps, but it's a classic for a reason, and bears repeating.)

If the narrative is more tried-and-true than anything else, the film stands out on the visual front. It has that great mixed-media look that you often find in Sony Animation and DreamWorks movies, with a lot of stylized flair and bold line work making various scenes pop. This is especially true during the film's soccer scenes, which feature dynamic camerawork that makes those moments super exciting and immersive. But even in scenes that are slower/more dialogue-driven, this is a real eye-catcher. The characters looks great, a lot of nice lighting effects, some fun breaks in animation style. 

Last year, Indonesian animation made headlines with Jumbo, which became the country's highest-grossing release of all time, and became the highest-grossing animated movie in Indonesia, passing Frozen 2. I hope that Garuda: Dare to Dream, can find similar success, because it is a similarly sweet, fun, and memorable animated adventure. 

Garuda: Dare to Dream, has already released in Indonesia, and also recently played at the Shanghai International Film Festival.