The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin

The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin is a 2014 comedy film written and directed by Wenn V. Deramas. It is the sequel to The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin. The film is one of the official entries to the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival. Vice Ganda reprised his role as Colonel Benjamin "Benjie" Santos VIII with Richard Yap, Tom Rodriguez, Bimby Yap and introducing Alex Gonzaga with the special participation of Eddie Garcia.

Plot

After defeating the terrorists led by Billy Aladdin, the once humble Private Benjamin (Vice Ganda) has become the Philippines' unkabogable soldier and a worldwide sensation. Inevitably, he rises from the ranks and in no time becomes the incredible, unbeatable, and unreachable soldier and promoted to Colonel. To prepare him better, Benjamin is assigned under a new general, Wilson Chua (Richard Yap). However, Private Benjamin committed a big mistake. Benjamin is about to be dismissed from service when Gen. Wilson Chua saves him by giving him a mission – to be the private security of a brat kid Bimbee (Bimby Yap). As he watches over Bimbee, Benjamin finds himself clashing with Misty (Rhed Bustamante), General Chua's daughter, and the meddlesome housemaid Gundina (Alex Gonzaga). However, as he gets to know Bimbee more, he learns that Bimbee is a kid deprived of love from family – something that he has ignored in his quest to be on top again. Will he succeed in his new mission?

Terrorists led by Jan Jaranjan (Tom Rodriguez) threaten the government to detonate the bomb hidden in a mall. How would Benjamin and Wilson deal with it?

Cast of characters

• Vice Ganda as Colonel Benjamin "Benjie" Santos VIII
• Richard Yap as Commanding General "Wilson" Chua
• Tom Rodriguez as Janjaranjan
• Bimby Yap as Bimbee Pineda Chua
• Alex Gonzaga as Gundina Galamiton
• Al Tantay as Benjamin "Bino" Santos VII
• Eddie Garcia as Gen Benjamin "Ben" Santos VI
• Vandolph Quizon as Buhawi Manay
• Nikki Valdez as Lucresia Alcantara
• Kean Cipriano as Emerson Ecleo
• Anja Aguilar as Jesamine Santos
• DJ Durano as Dominador "Dondi" Rosales
• Ricky Rivero as Big Boy Carnate
• Dennis Padilla as Bentot Santos
• Malou de Guzman as Lilibeth Santos
• Abby Bautista as Anjemin Santos
• Rhed Bustamante as Misty Chua
• Gerard Garcia as Inspector Bautista
• Kurt Ong as Inspector Realado
• David Licauco as Terrorist

Special guest appearance

• Ms. Angel Locsin as young Lilibeth Santos (Guest)
• Kris Aquino as Krissy (Guest)
• Darla Sauler as Darla (Guest)
• Luis Manzano as young Benjamin "Ben" Santos VII (Guest)
• James Reid as James (Guest)

Reception

Box office

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, revealed that The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin topped the box office record of the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival's opening day on December 25, 2014 in an radio interview in DZMM. Praybeyt Benjamin was ahead of fellow entrants, My Big Bossing's Adventures and Feng Shui 2 ranked second and third respectively in terms of box office record on the opening day of the film festival. Tolentino did not state the official figures of the sales on the opening day of the film festival during the said interview.^[2]

During her stint at the The Buzz where is she is one of the hosts, Kris Aquino said that The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin recorded P172 million worth of box office receipts as of 3:00 pm PST December 28, 2014.^[3]

In the January 15, 2015 episode of Vice Ganda's variety show, It's Showtime, he announced that the movie closed the day before with P435 million earnings, surpassing the film Starting Over Again in terms of domestic earnings. He now hold the distinction of starring in 7 of the 20 highest-grossing films in the Philippines of all time.

Critical response

Despite being a high-grossing film at the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival, reception for The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin has received mixed to negative reviews.^[4]

Zig Marasigan of Rappler, described the film in his movie review as "a brainless, hyper-stylized and utterly ridiculous family comedy". Marasigan criticized Praybeyt Benjamin for "unashamedly made for profit". He also described the film as "cheap, tacky and absolutely nonsensical. But say what you might about the film's level of intellectualism (or lack thereof), it is at least honest about its intentions". Marasigan however acknowledged that the film fulfilled its purpose, to primarily entertain its target audience.^[5]

Bubbles Salvador at the Philippine Entertainment Portal, has a more positive review for the film. While Salvador took note of one loophole in the plot of the film - namely the lack of resolution between Bimbee and his father, with the former feeling unloved by the latter, Salvador described Praybeyt Benjamin 2 as "worth of one's couple of hours at the cinema this holiday season, if one is not looking for a lesson in history, a love story, or a good scare, and would settle for a light and funny action comedy".^[6]

References