Darna takes flight again

Author: Alwin M. Ignacio, Contributor
Column: Life

A year after it appeared as a comic series in Pilipino Komiks, Rosa del Rosario became the first actress who swallowed the magical stone and transformed into a Pinoy heroine in a red suit. Since then, the biggest pop culture contribution of Mars Ravelo, the mythical character Darna, was given life by Philippine show business’s crème dela crème, which include the likes of Vilma Santos (who did it four times!), Sharon Cuneta and Regine Velasquez. Four summers ago, it was Angel Locsin.

Locsin’s Darna premiered in Filipino homes on April 11, 2005 and garnered a 47.1 percent rating, making it one of the highest pilot episodes ever in Philippine television. During the show’s fourth day airing (the first time Angel appeared in costume), it posted a staggering 52.1 percent, the highest rating earned by a prime time TV fantasy series ever.

It was indeed a phenomenon and instrumental in making Locsin the superstar that she is today.

The latest incarnation reportedly posted a 44.1 percent rating on opening night and continued to dominate its time slot. This seals Marian Rivera’s superstar status.

Dominic Zapata, one of the directors of the fantaserye, explains why this new Darna is a scorcher. "It’s a totally new take on the famous Mars Ravelo character," he says. "This time, we assume that Darna has come out so many decades ago, retired to oblivion, and now, an alter ego has decided to give the powerful stone to the woman who’ll be the new super hero.

"Treatment wise, for the first time, we will lift the veil of the smoke, people will see for the first time the transformations inside. Secondly, as a director, it was rather easy, delightful even and quite fulfilling to work with Darna who is a real artist in every sense of the word. Marian Rivera is a very intelligent actress. With her, you know that you can offer so much more to the audiences and that there is more to Darna than special effects and fights scenes. As an actress, when you give Marian an emotional role, she can carry it. With that fact alone, it opens new doors for me as director."

He adds, "We also stayed true with a lot of Darna traditions. We revived characters that were not even in the movies. They were in the original comic version like Babaing Lawin, Tuod at Linta. We are reviving these characters as homage to Mars Ravelo creations."

And why are audiences embracing Marian in the iconic red suit? Zapata replies, "Aside from being physically believable as Darna, and I am not saying this because I am her director; she is a very good actress. The kind of acting that she has…it’s inside her. I think she was born with that and that kind of talent does not come by that often. Kaya pag nabigyan ka nung ganun, ang swerte-swerte mo."

The director also attributes the series popularity with the storyline. "I also think that they are embracing Narda because this kind of story is now. Our Narda this time is a reluctant heroine. She is someone who could save the world, someone who is destined for greatness, but turns it down the first time it was offered because all she wants is to be with the man she loves. In time, untoward incidents happen in her life and she realizes that she has to pick up the cudgels and be the heroine that the society needs."

Does he feel that the comparison with Angel is fair to Marian? "I think the comparison is inevitable," he answers. "Whether or not it’s fair, I don’t know about that because the industry is not fair anyway. Darna is probably the ‘it’ comic book of our country so it is only proper that the person who’ll play the character has to be the ‘it’ girl (of the moment). And Marian is the definitive ‘it’ girl."

Viewers should not expect a cookie-cutter heroine with this latest fantasy series. "This one is a second generation Narda. She is not the original Narda/Darna — an heiress, if we could call her that. It is also a re-imagining. It’s a totally different of idea of Darna all together," Zapata explains. "The decision to humanize Darna sets the tone that’s its going to be different. Personally, I made sure not to get carried away with effects even if we know for sure that the effects that we are using here are far better than the last one. I did not get carried away with the fight scenes. I did not get carried away with their acting alone. This is an ensemble piece."

Playing the league of extraordinary antagonists are Nadine Samonte (Babaing Impakta), Francine Prieto (Babaing Tuod), Maggie Wilson (Babaing Linta), Ehra Madrigal (Babaing Lawin), Paolo Contis (Kobra) and Iwa Moto (Valentina).

Providing the love interest angles are Mark Anthony Fernandez (Eduardo) and Alfred Vargas(Gabriel).

Dominic Zapata concludes, "We continue to watch and believe in Darna because the character gives us hope. It shows to us that whatever obstacles that we face, it is our inherent goodness that gives us the strength to overcome them. And that at the end of the day, good always triumphs."

Darna, starring Marian Rivera, airs weeknights on GMA Channel 7, right after 24Oras.

Source: The Daily Tribune

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