Upin & Ipin : Malaysian folkore Adventure

Upin & Ipin are favourite Malaysian brothers, and everyone is looking forward to their upcoming movie about the adventure of the mischievous twin brother and their friends.  The tale begins in a magical world when Upin & Ipin find a mysterious and long-forgotten dagger in their grandfather’s shed.

In their adventurous journey, they will encounter several local folklore characters listed below from numerous evergreen folklore passed on to many generations.

Photo credit: GSC Movies

Upin & Ipin: Mat Jenin

Upin & Ipin will meet Mat Jenin who is the legendary daydreamer. In one of the famous Malaysian folklore, Mat Jenin is a farmer who is resting on a coconut tree after picking coconuts. In his dream, he’s able to get himself cows and horse after selling the coconuts. He also rides on the horse with a princess in his dream. Mat Jenin then fell from the coconut tree while “galloping” in his dream. The phrase “angan-angan Mat Jenin” which means “daydreaming like Mat Jenin” was then adapted from the folklore and is widely used in the community now to describe the unrealistic daydreamers.

Photo credit: GSC Movies

Upin & Ipin: Pak Belalang

Upin & Ipin meet Pak Belalang in their adventure. Pak Belalang is a lazy man who became a successful fortune teller in the Malay folklore “Nujum Pak Belalang.” Pak Belalang makes fame and becomes the country’s precious fortune teller with his wit by solving the mysteries and problems his neighbours and his King encountered.

Upin & Ipin: Bawang Merah Bawang Putih

Upin & Ipin will also meet Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih in their animated movie. They are sisters from one of the Malaysian folklore which is also one of the well-loved and best short stories among the Malay community. The folktale is about two beautiful and good looking siblings with opposite characters; one wicked and one good-hearted and a biased stepmother. The origin of the folklore is unclear. Hence, it has many variations. In the most well-known version, the folk centers on the kind Bawang Putih and the vindictive Bawang Merah which the Upin & Ipin animated movie changed the sisters’ characteristic.

After the death of both her mother and father, Bawang Putih often sings on a beautiful and magical swing in the woods to deal with grieve and sadness. Soon, a prince gets attracted to her sweet voice and decides to marry the girl. Bawang Merah is so upset, and she told her mother to inform the prince that she was the girl singing on the swing. However, Bawang Merah failed to move the swing after her attempts to sing. The folklore ends with the prince marrying the kind Bawang Putih.

Photo credit: GSC Movies

Upin & Ipin: Raja Bersiong

In the animated movie, Upin & Ipin will lend a hand to the citizen to fight the evil king Raja Bersiong, who is hatching a criminal plan to destroy the peaceful life in this magical world. In the local folklore, Raja Bersiong is a renowned barbarous and rogue ruler. The king was enthralled by the taste of human blood when his cook accidentally cut her finger while preparing the dishes. He then started executing a criminal a day to have blood for his food. The people were disgruntled and hence dethroned the king. The king was then sent to the prison, and no one took pity on him even if he wailed in pain for forgiven every night.

Photo credit: GSC Movies

The movie of Upin & Ipin: Keris Siamang Tunggal is said to be a suitable medium that exposes the younger generation to our local folklore. It is also a good choice of kids movies that educate children on our culture. Check the trailer of this upcoming movie hitting cinemas 21 Mar!

Bringing you cinematic experiences like no other, GSC movies provides you with the latest movies, the best fantasy movies, family movies, and adventure movies! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to check out new trailers and be updated with the latest movies.