Release: Merdeka

Merdeka
Genre: Action/Historical
Director: Joe Taslim
Writer: Meirad Tako
Cast: Joe Taslim, Michiel Huisman






Budget: $24,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $8,050,005
Foreign Box Office: $20,054,585
Total Profit: -$17,056,833

Reaction: Well, that didn't work... The film was a calculated risk that just didn't work out. It was a very difficult film to market to western audiences: no big name actors, Asian historical setting, etc.

"I found the film enjoyable, although I'm not surprised at all by the film's failure at the box office. It's a bit of a slow-burn film and the characters are a bit cold. The fight scenes are strong and the journey by the two leads is an interesting one." - Tim Durand, San Francisco Chronicle

"This film was clearly too much for Joe Taslim to handle. He's never directed anything before, and he hasn't even been in the film industry for very long as an actor. He struggled both behind and in front of the camera. Merdeka needed a more experienced director to reach its full potential." - Rick Green, New Yorker

"Merdeka is a film I really wanted to like. The story is intriguing, but the execution is lacking. The story jumps around a lot, and we never get to know the characters outside of the revolution plot. Maybe a strong supporting cast could have given some depth to the story and the lead characters' journey, but star/director Joe Taslim and screenwriter Meirad Tako focused the film too much on just the two leads." - James Tubbs Jr., Vice Magazine