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Foxtrot Six

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Wikipedia article




'Foxtrot Six' is an Indonesian science fiction action film that premiered on February 21, 2019. The film was directed by Randy Korompis as his directorial debut, and co-produced with Mario Kassar, a veteran Hollywood film producer known for films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Manoj Punjabi under the production house MD Entertainment and Rapid Eye Pictures. The production of this film spent a budget of up to IDR 70 billion which was considered the largest for an Indonesian action film when it was released.

Unlike most Indonesian films that using Indonesian language, the language used in the dialogue of this film uses English, due to be marketed in the international market. This film stars Indonesia's top artists such as Oka Antara, Verdi Solaiman, Chicco Jerikho, Arifin Putra and Rio Dewanto. The choreography of the fighting action in this film is handled by Iko Uwais' 'Uwais Team' fighting choreography team.

Plot





In 2019, former Indonesian Marine soldier and journalist Angga Saputra (Oka Antara) met his girlfriend Sari Nirmala (Julie Estelle) the journalist, proposed her and offering an engagement ring. Due to her job and pursuing the news on a newly democratically elected president, Indra, she left him with the crew to Solo for interviewing him. Turned out, at the day, a revolution led by PIRANAS broke. She and the elected president declared missing and feared to be killed among many during the revolution.

11 years later, Angga become PIRANAS cadre and now is a congressman of the party. It's revealed that he is also renowned for drafting an unfair farmer bill (the bill later signed into the law by the president) which enabling PIRANAS to monopolized Indonesian food stocks distribution, leading Indonesia famine become widespread. Due to his act, the Four Horsemen of PIRANAS Party: President of Indonesia Ahmad Barona, Media mogul and Head of PIRANAS propaganda affairs Hengky Laksono (Ario Prabowo), GERRAM paramilitary commander General Adnan Atmadja (Otig Pakis), and the Party Chairman Farid Baskoro (Joshua Pandelaki) invited him for a secret high-level talk in PIRANAS HQ. Here, Angga meet his supervisor, R. Soeganda (Cok Simbara), a PIRANAS elite cadre and a senator. After introduced by Soeganda, Angga later revealed to the Four Horsemen about while the power PIRANAS grip is increasing, due to food and economy crisis, a rival power called "Reform" is rising. The "Reform" described as rebel group which rising as result as the crisis and offering hope to the poor. As its power rising, Angga proposed military approach to deal with the rebels and proposed a black ops project "Patriot Act" to kill the Reform, promising the rebel movement will died out, and the party image will uplifted. In turn, Angga wanted 1% PIRANAS generated revenue per year as the fee.

The Four Horsemen accepted, however, Angga cannot lead the death squad. The Four Horsemen choose Wisnu Nugroho (Edward Akbar), an ardent PIRANAS cadre and fanatical GERRAM executive officer as the head of the operation instead. Angga and Soeganda displeased as they know Wisnu bad track record and his sadistic tendencies, although the four horsemen much favored Wisnu mind over Angga. Angga reluctantly sending the accepted proposal to Wisnu at GERRAM secret HQ in Jakarta. At first, Wisnu pleased with the proposal and showed Angga recent U.S. gadgets to combat the Reform worn by Wisnu's righthandmen, Gecko (Godfred Orindeod) and Aula (Norman R. Akyuwen). During an argument with Angga, Wisnu draw his gun and threatened Angga. Angga, realized that they are spied by a drone. Knowing this, Wisnu and his men pursuing the drone. Leaving Angga alone which walked away to the street. Angga spotted a mysterious Spec (Chicco Jerikho) controlling the drone. Realized that he is spotted, Spec flee the scene into the alley. After a brief fight, Angga threatened to harm Spec with his gun. From the darkness, the Reforms show up and catch Angga. Angga later knocked out by Spec.

The Reforms later bring Angga into a cell. After fighting with his kidnappers, Sari show up. Angga surprised. Sari later revealed that if she know that Angga is PIRANAS cadre for long time and know much about PIRANAS corrupt acts. When the Revolution broke, Sari and the president-elect Indra went into hiding and founded the Reform, in order to topple the corrupt regime. She also revealed, during her run, she gave birth Dinda (Gisellma Firmansyah), her daughter with Angga. Wisnu, Gecko, Aula, and GERRAM's death squad later ambushed them. During the skirmish, many Reforms killed, Gecko harmed seriously, and Angga, Dinda, Sari, and Spec escaped. Wisnu later declared that Angga now is a Reform collaborator and traitor of the country, and their name later added to GERRAM top kill list.

Spec bring Angga, Sari, and Dinda to a ruined mall. It is revealed that the now slum mall actually is a shelter where many Indra men, electors, supporters, and many displaced people are hiding from GERRAM brutality. Indra revealed their men condition in the slum to Angga. Angga asked for a call to Soeganda, it is revealed by Soeganda that Angga's "Patriot Act" Project already skewed and altered by Wisnu. Angga later realized his mistake and resolved to help the people. He later collected his former team (Foxtrot 5) in Marine: Oggi (Verdi Solaiman), Bara (Rio Dewanto), Tino (Arifin Putra), and Ethan (Mike Lewis). After his former team reassembled, together with Spec, the team now known as Foxtrot 6, unofficially.

During recruiting Ethan, Ethan accidentally turned his webcam on, due to being recruited during his vlogging. They asked Ethan to infiltrate PIRANAS server, where they learned about PIRANAS plan to kill some of its top members, including Soeganda, as false-flag operation to put blame to the Reform and enabling mass state-sanctioned genocide event to purge any voice opposing the PIRANAS and Ahmad administration. Due to Ethan clumsiness, it enabling them to be tracked by Aula and his death squad detachment. Spec warned the Foxtrot 6 and they escaped. During the escape, they destroy Ethan computer to eliminate evidence, but Aula recovered the Foxtrot 5 members past group photo, enabling them to be tracked further.

At the D-day of the plan, Wisnu and his man attacking the senators convoy. The Reforms managed to safe them. When they returned to the shelter, they learned that Wisnu and his squad had already attacked shelter, killed nearly all Indra's men & sparing Indra, Dinda and some civillian locked in a freight elevator. Wisnu tricked Angga to spell a password that ignited the bomb that already rigged across the building. Wisnu also managed to hang all senators brutally and videotaped their death as false evidence to incite and legitimized PIRANAS's state-sanctioned genocide. The building exploded & Sari sacrificing herself during the blast, killed her.

Spec later informed the Indonesian Marines and send some of troops to look after survivors. It later revealed that one among many send by the Marines is Sgt. N. "Raya" Pratama, Angga chauffeur and congressman's guard. With her help, The Foxtrot 6 team getting military equipment & launch suicide mission to overthrow the president Ahmad Barona. Departing from Military Base, the squad deployed to PIRANAS complex. Across the country, PIRANAS and government aired the senators killing video over and over, leading people angry and blame the Reforms for their action.

In PIRANAS complex, the Foxtrot 6 successfully infiltrated the complex & they able to breach PIRANAS security. In the skirmish, many members of GERRAM killed by Foxtrot 6. Aula killed by Bara, and Gecko killed by Spec. In Foxtrot 6 side, Oggi and Ethan meet their demise. The PIRANAS lost one of its Four Horsemen during ensuing battles, Gen. Adnan killed by Ethan using stolen KODIAKS (it was revealed that Ethan actually survived). The party chairman, Farid, somehow escaped.

Angga and Ethan reaching President office room, breaching the room and taking Hengky as hostage, forcing him to make confession about PIRANAS conspiracy, the President Ahmad later showed up, kill Hengky to destroy his confession, and leaving to Istana Negara with his guards. Wisnu stabbing Ethan from behind, and later asked why Angga dared to against the party and government, telling that people is useless and worth to be exterminated. Disagreed with Wisnu, Angga later exploding the room's ceiling and buried many Wisnu men and Ethan. Fighting ensued at the helipad between Angga and Wisnu. Wisnu shot Angga with his last bullet, seemingly killing him and taunting over his body.

At Istana Negara, Ahmad later re-aired the senators killing video during the gathering and announced an law which enabling people to kill any Reform members and all PIRANAS oppositions, justifying state-wide genocide across Indonesia committed by their people (mimicking Indonesian mass killings of 196566 event). Soon, another video played. Turned out, it is Ahmad itself. His conversation with Angga unknowingly recorded by Ethan's gadget, which Ethan recorded soon before succumbed to his death.

Since Angga aired it using PIRANAS exclusive Emergency Broadcasting Channel, making it impossible to be turned off as its kill switch located in PIRANAS HQ. Realized what actually happened, public support over PIRANAS dropped immediately and people become angry due to government lying to them, People later stormed the Istana Negara. Outside the burning PIRANAS HQ, Wisnu and his surviving men attempted to flee, only to be encountered by angry villagers that waiting for them. The angry villagers later brutally killed Wisnu and his men.

A week after the incident, Angga and Bara attending burial of the fallen soldiers, Oggi, and Ethan, also including Sari. Angga added an empty casket filled with a sniper rifle for Spec, as his body not found. Bara also revealed that Tino bailed out and just away without any talk. In other place, Ahmad administration collapsed. President Ahmad later captured by law enforcement and currently awaiting his trial. Ahmad's cabinet and PIRANAS Party dissolved on all level. Many members of his cabinets and party elites being hunted by law enforcement as the fugitive. During the day in a peaceful protest, Angga meet his daughter again. They later walked away in better Indonesia, no longer living in fear and now free.

Somewhere, in an U.S. Marine Base, it is revealed that Spec actually still alive and he taking flight with many U.S. Marines giving him salute, hinting that Spec actually an U.S. Marine operative. Since U.S. aided GERRAM equipment in the beginning of the film, and revelation that Spec actually an U.S. Marine operative working in the Reform side, it make the involvement of U.S. during the events of the film is up to the audience's imagination.

In post-credit scene, an ad of Kit-Kat played where Angga, Oggi, Tino, and Ethan received a box full of Kit-Kat from an unknown person. They rushed taking it.

Cast



Production



'Foxtrot Six' is directorial debut of Randy Korompis, a former cameraman of 'Screenplay' (2011) and 'Hollywood Seagull' (2013). The production phase of Foxtrot Six took unusually long time. The screenwriting wrote since 2010, pre-production at 2015, started filming at 2017, and finally released at 2019. Overall, the production spanned across 9 years. Mario Kassar, executive producer of Terminator and Rambo franchise, became the executive producer of this film.

'Foxtrot Six' also renowned as the first Indonesian film that use CGI fully. The CGI process was handled and/or supervised by Andrew Juano, who succeeded in handling CGI of The Walking Dead and Life of Pi.

Release



The film released in Indonesia on 21 February 2019.

Reception



The reception of 'Foxtrot Six' is quite mixed. 'Foxtrot Six' was praised for bringing up themes that are quite rarely explored in Indonesian movies: state, politics, rebellion against tyranny, poverty, and public chaos. 'Foxtrot Six' are praised for the involvement of many Indonesian stars during the making, full of extreme actions, and unusually large and expensive production value for Indonesian film with IDR 70 billion spent during the process, making 'Foxtrot Six' an elegant and luxurious movie that became the most expensive Indonesia made to this date. Critics also praised the use of English, which the stars of this movie are clearly well-versed at. The use of English as the main language for the movies dialogues was intended rather than Indonesian due to Mario Kassars intention of bringing the film to Hollywood. However, the film also has several weakness, mainly in plot holes and background story of the characters being largely under explored.

References






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