Ejen Ali: The Movie

Ejen Ali The Movie
Official theatrical poster
Directed by	Usamah Zaid Yasin
Written by	Usamah Zaid Yasin Shafiq Isa Fuad Md Din
Based on	Ejen Ali by Usamah Zaid Yasin
Starring	Ida Rahayu Yusoff Nabilah Rais Azman Zulkiply Noorhayati Maslini Omar Shafiq Isa Salina Salmee Mohd Ali Abu Shafian Abd Hamid Ahmad Sufian Mazilan Megat Zahrin Megat Hisham Altimet
Edited by	Andi Abdul Ghani Reuben Singham
Music by	Azri Yunus Hakim Kamal
Production company	WAU Animation
Distributed by	Primeworks Studios
Release date	28 November 2019 (2019-11-28) (Malaysia)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	Malaysia
Language	Malay
Budget	RM6.5 million (US$1.57 Million)[1]
Box office	RM30.05 million (US$7.26 million)

Ejen Ali: The Movie is a 2019 Malaysian computer-animated spy-fi action film. The film follows teenage agent spy, Ejen Ali as he has to uncover a mystery technology that threatens the city of Cyberaya, and risking loyalty to his secret agency, MATA.

Based on the local TV animation series Ejen Ali, it is the first film from WAU Animation. It is directed by Usamah Zaid Yasin and co-written by Usamah himself, Shafiq Isa and Fuad Md Din.^[2]

The film is released simultaneously in 3 countries: Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei on 28 November 2019, in Indonesia on 1 January 2020, and in Vietnam for the ASEAN Film Week 2020.

It has received positive reviews from audiences and critics locally, with praise for its action sequences, storyline, character developments and emotional depth.^[3] It grossed over RM30 million in Malaysia, making it the highest-grossing Malaysian animated film of all time.^[4]

A sequel film is being planned.^[5]

Background[]

Ali is a 12-year-old boy who becomes an agent at MATA (Meta Advance Tactical Agency), a secret agency protecting the city of Cyberaya.^[a] This all happens after he accidentally activates a gadget named IRIS (Infinity Retinal Intelligent System). IRIS is a device created by MATA, it can receive sensor from Ali and perform complex actions, such as: predict movement, hack into any server, crack password and X-Ray Vision. IRIS is powered by Ali's energy, and Ali is the only one who can use IRIS now because it is synchronised with him. So he is trained as an agent. Together with his uncle Bakar and other young agents, they cooperate in MATA missions regularly.

Plot[]

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The story with flashback of 15 years. Two young women, Aliya and Niki sneak in an restricted cargo area and steal an artificial heart for an old woman named Mak Yah. Returning, they are intervened by pillar leaders. They try to escape, but are cornered. Aliya forces Niki to escape with equipment, while she continues to fight.

In present, Dato' Othman, Cyberaya's mayor, is taken hostage in an airplane, hijacked by four unknown heavily armoured intruders. He summons help from M.A.T.A and Ali arrives with his team for rescue. During fight, their leader detonates a bomb, damaging the craft. Mayor is ejected out, and intruders escape. The team struggles to handle the situation; Ali attempts to calibrate the plane but fails. Two new agents, Bobby (Inviso) and Fit (Techno) arrive for help. Bobby rescues the mayor and Fit stabilises the plane with a new device's Over-ride mode mirroring to I.R.I.S, astonishing Ali. Ali is briefed by Dayang and Ganz, about a new secret project of I.R.I.S Neo, based on the I.R.I.S ATLAS and override mode; and every agent was free to use the new prototype, also telling the history of I.R.I.S. Ali begins to doubt his original I.R.I.S and need in M.A.T.A, which is assured to have him a new unit. Reportedly, it was being tested by Bobby and Fit.

Back home at night, he finds a box of his mother, having it's memories and toys. He also finds a lullaby music box which he unknowingly turns the key in a order to reveal a secret pen drive, with an emblem. He tries to access it, but is denied access which he doubts. Next morning, he is called by Alicia in a 24-hour restaurant Mamak Maju. He is joined by Bakar well and they secretly travel underground to M.A.T.A Headquarters with the help of owners Rahul, Rajesh and Razman (M.A.T.A agents, allies of General Rama) who distract customers by dance and music. Ali reports to the meeting room and is astonished with Dato' s presence. Dato' annoyingly reveals M.A.T.A to be established by him during his settlement of city; and every agent "serves only to him". General Rama briefs about the investigation of the previous day's attack on Dato'; the primary fuel recovered from the bomb blast was Azureum and intruders' armours and weapons were not of Cyberaya. Rama orders to raid a meeting of Brother Bear of an illegal arms deal on intel received from his spies, as he suspects the weaponries involved were smuggled to Bear by a dealer.

During the deal of Bear and a customer, Bakar tries to catch Bear, but things go little wrong, and Bear escapes with the weapon. Ali chases him, when suddenly three people ground Bear. The third of their group, Niki, snatches the weapon; Bear escapes. Ali attacks the group in response, but Niki shortens up the melee, and runs away on her moped. Ali trails her from the city to a slum. He is unaware of the location and continues to case, when suddenly, he overruns a dead end, looses control, and hits unconscious.

Later, He wakes up in a warehouse, injured. Niki arrives to see him, who took him at her house after accident. Ali sees the same symbol on her earrings same as pen drive. He queries about it, and shows the it to Niki. Niki is surprised, and concludes him to be son of Aliya, who used to be her "more than a friend". Niki tells the first time she met her in city; a weak girl of slum helped by a kind-hearted Aliya, who had helped the slum people. She teamed up with Niki to fight those who dared upon the "Fringe", and loot the resources for their use by slum. Niki describes Azureum's use in Medicine, Sanitation, Hygiene, daily use for their people. Ali is shocked that the situation isn't addressed to Cyberaya authorities, and that they don't listen and care about. He is also told about shortage of Azureum to keep up the needs. Ali is met by Alicia and Bakar, and is informed of Bear's arrest.

In the conference with other Cyberaya's authorities, Dato' discusses about progress of a new project of a smart factory and demands the work to be completed in time. Bear's interrogation reveals the dealer to be Vikram, an operating officer at Beta Tower, working closely with important people in developing Cyberaya. General assigns a new mission to secretly investigate illegal activities in Beta Tower. Ali and team (with Bobby and Fit), sneak in the building and investigate. During the procedure, a secret Secret passage is discovered, which leads them to a secret godown at a hidden floor level, illegally hoarding weapons and resources. They gather evidence; while Ali discovers a secret storage of Azureum, and collects data to reveal it to Niki.

Back to the Fringe, Ali leaks them details and plan a raid at night. They all breach the security systems; Vikram is notified and corners them with security. Ali's I.R.I.S' Override mode helps them to escape. At Fringe, he joins the community feast, and meets Mak Yah, who calls him Aliya's 'avatar' and helping rejuvenate people. He spends time talking with Niki, telling about his recruitment as agent, and being sidelined due to new creation. The intruders gate crash creates a wide attention and demand for the action. Dato' storms on the pillar leaders and general for their non action on them. Rama doubts Vikram to be the mastermind of Dato's attack, but informing it to Dato', he angrily denies it, and threatens to displace them. After his leave, he informs a new intel on finding Vikram's "nests" hoarding illegal armouries, and designates investigation to the team. Ali begins sabotaging the missions: clearing out the "nests" with Niki previous night of mission, piling up resources and leaving nothing for agents next morning. M.A.T.A begins surging with the sabotage by "unknown".

This continues, till even the last building is cleared out, when Alicia observes tyre tracks of Ali's scooter. She doubts his absence and excuses from mission. Next day at restaurant, she calls Ali and reveals his "theft" to which he initially denies, but gives in. She demands reason, when Ali soughts not to serve as agent for a selfish person, and leaves place. Their conversations are secretly intercepted by the restraunters, and Bobby.

Returning home, he is trailed by the agents. He tries to his away from them and enters a grocery shop where he is encircled by agents in disguise, while Bakar with them asks Ali to come with him. He is reluctant to join, and narrowly escapes the place. He is confronted by Booby and Fit: former chases him, till the city metro station. There he tries to board a train, when is screwed up. Upto the shopping complex, they engage in a melee, where Ali knocks out him and runs away, while Alicia and Fit continue to chase him. Meanwhile Ali calls Niki for help, she advises him to hide in Fringe and she would handle them. Fit finally blocks him at entrance Fringe's entrance and physically assaults him for his tyrantry in helping the 'criminals'. He even removes Ali's I.R.I.S as a result, when Bakar and Alicia arrive to save Ali.

Bakar intervenes engages in heated argument, which gives Ali some time to escape the side. Following him, they're trapped as soon as they cross the entrance. Niki arrives with her mates and takes down each of them. Ali witnesses the brutally, and reacts. Niki rebuffs him, saying that he should not loose himself for his few people. Ali realizes Niki's extremeness, and attacks, which she easily wins and knocks him out as well.

Later, they wake up in Niki's stay, all held captive by crane cables. He realises the same intruders, who attacked Mayor and Niki to be in armoured form. She reveals to have configured the I.R.I.S NEO, snatched from Fit during fight, and now she can access it's overall functions. She also reveals to have got the knowledge of I.R.I.S, from the same pen drive given to her by Ali: that is, the original device was created by Ali's mother, Aliya. Niki tells that few years back, at the time being grounded by M.A.T.A pillar agents, Aliya was offered to work for them because of her potential, and Niki felt betrayed from that day, and started to help her community by her own. After some years, while sneaking into secret defence facility of Cyberaya with sidekicks and stealing resources, she activated three missiles to hit the city, when again confronted by M.A.T.A. She would have succeed, if it wasn't for Aliya, who tried to stop her. Though Niki slipped away, she witnessed Aliya's death, when Aliya engaged the I.R.I.S override for first time and clashed the missiles mid-air, using her complete energy. Niki termed her sacrifice "useless" for Cyberaya, if it grew only selfish because of the mayor.

Meanwhile in the slum, Vikram arrives with his goons, after knowing Niki to be the intruder, and demands her presence for revenge, when she appears, and easily beats all using I.R.I.S Neo. At being hostage, Ali is consolidated by Bakar and encouraged by Alicia to use his "I.R.I.S" for escape, but he is already disheartened of his blind faith on Niki and is under-confident of stopping her. He is approached by Mak Yah for his kindness to the slum, and returns him the I.R.I.S, saying him not to wear-off his true identity and do his duty.

During the speech of Dato' at the inauguration of the newly created factory, Niki rampages the place, takes him hostage, when is confronted by Ali and team. Further recruits (wearing the new device) and then General Rama with his companions arrive for help; Niki begins loose, when her I.R.I.S Neo turns override, and everyone wearing start to follow her commands. In saving the mayor, Ali's team are grounded, while he is covered up, resulting his I.R.I.S to turn override as well. He tries his best to defeat Niki, but is weakened by mind-controlled Ganz and Dayang, and then thawed with force by Niki, resulting him to go in comma.

Lying, Ali subconsciously finds himself in an unknown place, when he finds his mother, who reveals the place to be the Dimension of I.R.I.S, where Ali would often get there whenever I.R.I.S went override, and the device would work on the stored data of his mother leaving nothing in his memory after action. Ali is dismayed about the new invention, but is consolidated, that greatness never comes from a device, but the user and its determination. She also reveals that her stored data would be deleted if Ali tries to access the override mode. He denies, but is encouraged to be strong. Now, Ali rises with override mode in his control, and thrashes Niki on her Dato's attack, and finally destroys her weapons. He tells her to give up, but Niki denies, and initiates the suicidal attempt to blast Azureum in her suit to kill everyone. Aliya's essence gets transferred to Niki's I.R.I.S, where she is trapped in the Dimension, where Aliya disables and separates the I.R.I.S from her. Both fall down unconsciously, with Niki regretting her roughness and destruction followed.

After few days, Ganz reports mayor's recover from injuries in meeting room; he scolds Ali for his under ground support to the criminals, but is halted by Dayang. She praises Ali for his duty, but also disappointedly states Ali to have punishment, and he is officially declared to get separated from his original I.R.I.S; the Neo project is disbanded of major flaws discovered. Ali willingly agrees, and vows to do his best in M.A.T.A and be a super agent, and submits his I.R.I.S. Dayang advices Bakar, and he shows Ali about his mother's memories and her service in M.A.T.A. In a last video, Bakar asks Aliya for reason to be an agent, to which she replies that there people to help, but all scattered; M.A.T.A need those so that people can come closer, know each other, and serve others selflessly. The very next day, Ali, his father and his friend visit the Fringe. Dr Ghazhali announces the Peripheral Development Project for Fringe, promising a better future and sustainable development of both urban and rural communities. In evening, Ali is shown to have a get-together feast in Mamak Maju, with his team, accompanied with General, his friends, and Bobby-Fit.

In the mid-credit scene, Dayang is shown to assign Ali's name to a superdroid, dubbed for a new Project "Satria". In the post-credit scene, after Ali takes leave from restaurant, Rizwan and Dos are shown to be present there all the time, and then follow him.

Cast[]

• Ida Rahayu Yusoff, as Ali & Comot
• Nabilah Rais, as Niki
• Noorhayati Maslini Omar, as Alicia
• Shafiq Isa, as Bakar
• Azman Zulkiply, as General Rama
• Salina Salmee Mohd Ali, as Aliya
• Abu Shafian Abd Hamid, as Dato' Othman
• Ahmad Sufian Mazilan, as Bobby
• Megat Zahrin Megat Hisham, as Fit
• Azuan Wanji, as Vikram
• Altimet, as Andik
• Amir Mustaqim, as Surya
• Fadhli Shafian, as Abang Bear

Production[]

The film costs RM6.5 million to produce, including promotion cost.^[6] The filmmaking team consists of a total of 80 local animation designers and graphic artists. The production of this film uses high-quality digital technology.^[2] The average crews who produced this animated movie is between the ages of 25 and 28.^[7] The process of filmmaking took about one and a half years to be finished.

Soundtrack[]

The music score is composed by the lead composer, Azri Yunus, assisted by the assistant composer, Hakim Kamal. Azri Yunus stated that the difference of the music score in the series with this film is they wanted to put more ecstatic value by putting in more emotional feelings to make audiences in the cinemas attached.^[8] The official soundtrack album of the film is released on 27 December 2019.

"Bukalah Matamu" is the first single released from the official soundtrack, released on YouTube and all streaming platforms on 20 September 2019.^[9] The song sends a message to people who have everything to open their eyes and improve themselves.

However, "Bukalah Matamu" went into a controversy where it was claimed that the song has a similarity with a song ''The Calling'' from foreign artists TheFatRat and Laura Brehm. The director, Usamah has explained that they have no intention to imitate the song as claimed by most people. They made the song by making a few group bands as references, such as Linkin Park and Daft Punk. When the crew realized that the song has similarities with "The Calling", they were surprised and immediately contacted TheFatRat to explain the situation, while offering them credit to the song and a bit of royalty from the film.^[10]

"Kita Jaga Kita" is the second single released from the official soundtrack.^[11] The lyrics of the songs comes from the perspective of the people of the fictional urban slum Pinggiran in Cyberaya. In March 2020, the single is used as the theme song for the national COVID-19 prevention campaign and Movement Control Order by the Malaysian Government through the #kitajagakita hashtag. On 31 August 2020, in celebration of the country's 63rd Independence Day, an official music video of the song is released, which is dedicated to all frontliners across Malaysia.^[12]

Release[]

WAU Animation announced this film project when they released their first teaser trailer for this movie on 7 August 2018.^[13] The second teaser trailer is released on 29 March 2019.^[14] The first official trailer was premiered on 1 August 2019,^[15] while the second official trailer was premiered on 9 October 2019.^[16]

On 2 October 2019, WAU Animation had officially released the official theatrical poster of the film, which also revealed the release date for Malaysian cinemas. It was released in 146 cinemas in Malaysia, 8 in Singapore and 7 in Brunei. There was also a possibility of it being screened in 50 countries but Ahmad Izham Omar, CEO of Primeworks Studios ultimately denied of releasing the movie further in all countries, and stated that they had finalized the release with their selective countries and they won't be expanding to further international release.^[17] For the Indonesian market, the film is released in CGV, Kota Cinemas, Platinum Cineplex and Flix Indonesia on 1 January 2020.

In Vietnam, the film was screened in the country as representative of Malaysia in the ASEAN Film Week 2020. This is the only animated-featured film to join the event.^[18][19] The film was screened for free for the public in 3 major cities holding the event, including the capital Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh city. The first screening session of the movie in Vietnam was on July 21, 2020, in the National Cinema Center in Hanoi.^[20] In Brazil, it was released on April 16, 2021, for representing Malaysia at Brazilian film festival.

Subsequently, the film was also released on the local TV channels, and regional OTT platforms, like Astro-First, regional Netflix as well as Disney+ Hotstar for Malaysia only.

Sequel[]

After the great success achieved over time and awards for the film, its new sequel is being planned by the co-producers of WAU Animation, and a new storyline is being discussed.^[21]

Reception[]

Ejen Ali: The Movie has grossed over RM30 million in Malaysia. Originally, WAU Animation targeted RM20 million for the local market for this film,^[30] in which the film achieved in only 14 days of screening. It has surpassed another 2019 Malaysian animation film BoBoiBoy Movie 2 (RM30 million), making it the highest-grossing local Malaysian animated film of all time, the highest-grossing Malaysian film in 2019 and the third highest-grossing Malaysian film of all time.^[31]

Awards and Nominations[]

Notes[]

References[]