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Mario Bautista, has been with the entertainment industry for more than 4 decades. He writes regular columns for People's Journal and Malaya.

Jan 8, 2019

Why Richard Gutierrez' Role Is Better Than That Of Dingdong Dantes In 'Fantastica'

WE’RE REALLY WONDERING why GMA’s Primetime King Dingdong Dantes accepted his role in “Fantastica”. His character as Dong Nam, the brother of Ryan Bang who is Gang Nam, is really so dehado compared to that of Richard Gutierrez who certainly has the much better role as the Prince from the alternate universe of Fantastica who is looking for their kingdom’s missing princesses.

And Richard really looks so handsome and dashing you’d really believe he is a prince. Richard registers on screen like a matinee idol from beginning to end, unlike Dingdong who, at the start of the movie, is made to look like a fool who goes berserk every time someone calls him Pogi. Why he behaves like an odious person is not even fully explained.

Then later on, when he reappears as a rich man, he seems to be one of the villains who wants to buy out the land where Vice Ganda’s peryahan or carnival is located. And without warning, he suddenly switch sides and defies his own brother, who becomes the real contravida.

It’s as if Dingdong himself must have realized that he’s playing the role of antagonist and talked to the writer and director of the movie who then suddenly make him one of the good guys. He was even given a nonsensical scene spoofing Daniel Padilla in “The Hows of Us” which has no connection at all with the movie’s story proper. Basta maisingit lang.

As to why Star Cinema didn’t take good care of Dingdong is beyond us, when he has made some good drama entries with them in past Metro film festivals, like “One More Try” and “Dalaw”. But everything is now water under the bridge.

Someone told us Dingdong doesn’t have to prove anything anymore and he is now just happy to be part of a movie that became the topgrosser in the recent festival and earned P400 million at the box office.

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