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Crazy Awesome Teachers
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Quirky but so-so Indonesian dramedy has some violence.
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Crazy Awesome Teachers
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What's the Story?
In CRAZY AWESOME TEACHERS, fast-talking Taat (Gading Marten) was an indifferent high school student, the wayward son of a much-respected high school teacher named Purnama (Arswendi Bening Swara). Taat left their Indonesian village to seek his fortune in the big city, disdaining his father's low-paying work and ethical ways. Years later, Taat returns broke, looking for money to buy his way into a cruise ship job. In the interim, he takes a job as a substitute teacher at his alma mater, where Purnama, nearing retirement, still teaches. Taat swaggers in with a fake diploma and a jokey attitude, intending to work as little as possible. When the payroll is stolen before the teachers are paid, Taat enlists faculty members to help him track down the thieves and recover their money. He seems to bond with several teachers in this group effort but, at first opportunity, he tries to steal the money for himself. In the meantime, the faculty has been kidnapped and threatened with death by Pak Le (Kiki Narendra), a brutal gang leader. Will Taat do the right thing and be able to save the day?
Is It Any Good?
This movie tries to make up in good intentions for a fairly listless comic tone. Marten works hard to make Taat a likable and clever character, but the effort is a strain and largely unsuccessful. Even when he turns out to have a good heart and to embrace decency, little we see on screen makes that monumental transition believable. An attractive, by-the-book administrator named Rahayu (Faradina Mufti) catches Taat's eye, but the underdeveloped character is given little to do, to the degree that the movie would scarcely be damaged by her complete disappearance.
Note that publicity for Crazy Awesome Teachers claims that Taat discovers the joys of teaching. That may be, but we never actually see that development occur, violating the first rule of good storytelling: Show, don't tell.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how different people find meaning in their lives. What do you think changes Taat's mind about his values and goals in Crazy Awesome Teachers?
Taat seems to have rebelled against his father, a man who is kind and attentive to everyone but Taat. What do you think helps them turn their relationship around?
Taat says he loves money. What do you think the movie is trying to tell us about him with that information? Does the movie want us to like him? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 17, 2020
- Cast: Gading Marten , Faradina Mufti , Arswendi Bening Swara , Kiki Narenda
- Director: Sammaria Sari Simanjuntak
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 101 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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