''The Mall, The Merrier'' is a 2019 Filipino musical

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Barry Gonzales and starring

Vice Ganda Jose Marie Borja Viceral (born March 31, 1976), popularly known as Vice Ganda (; ), is a Filipino comedian, talk show host, television presenter, actor, entrepreneur, and singer. He is a regular host on ABS-CBN's noontime variety show '' It' ...

and

Anne Curtis Anne Curtis-Smith(; born 17 February 1985) is a Filipino-Australian actress, model, television host, entrepreneur and recording artist. She is dubbed as the "''Multimedia Superstar''" for her talent and influence. Curtis has received numerou ...

. The film was co-produced by Star Cinema and

Viva Films Viva Films is a Philippine film production company established under Viva Communications. It was founded on November 11, 1981, by Vic del Rosario Jr. History Veering away from the Sharon Cuneta- Gabby Concepcion tandem, Viva became home to q ...

under the

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

''Momalland''. The film premiered in Philippine cinemas on December 25, 2019, as one of the official entries to the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival. ''The Mall, The Merrier'' marks the first on-screen collaboration between Anne Curtis and Vice Ganda, both of whom are regular hosts in the noontime variety show '' It's Showtime''.

Synopsis

Two siblings, Moira and Morissette, feud over Tamol Mall, a mall they inherited. The feud is compounded with the arrival of their Aunt Moody, and mysterious events begin to occur when a book containing secrets of the mannequins, toys and mascots that come alive after dark is unsealed.

Cast

Main cast

as Morissette "Setset" Molina **

Andrea Brillantes Anndrew Blythe Daguio Gorostiza (born March 12, 2003), known professionally as Andrea Brillantes (), is a Filipino actress. She is best known for her roles as the titular character in ''Annaliza'' (2013) and as Marga Bartolome in ''Kadenang G ...

as teen Morissette **Heart Ramos as young Morissette *

as Moira / Moises Molina **

Mimiyuuuh Jeremy Lomibao Sancebuche (born November 11, 1996), also known as Mimiyuuuh or Mimi, is a Filipino vlogger and YouTuber. Sancebuche initially gained popularity after posting a video lip syncing to the song "Dalagang Pilipina" by ALLMO$T, whic ...

as teen Moira/Moises Molina **Josh De Guzman as young Moira / Moises Molina

Supporting cast

Dimples Romana Dianne Marie Bonifacio Romana-Ahmee (born November 13, 1976) or better known as Dimples Romana is a Filipino actress. Career Romana finished at International Hospitality Management Major in Culinary Arts at Enderun College after she finished h ...

as Tita Moody *

Elisse Joson Maria Chriselle Elisse Joson Diuco (born January 6, 1996), professionally known as Elisse Joson, is a Filipino actress, model, dancer and endorser. Personal life Elisse Joson was born in Balanga, Bataan, Philippines. She is the only daughte ...

as Mola Molina *

Jameson Blake Jameson Andrew Blake (born June 17, 1997) is a Filipino American actor, dancer, and model based in the Philippines. He is best known for his roles in the films ''2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten'' (2016), '' So Connected'' (2018), and ''Ang Babaeng Allergic s ...

as Tanacio Molina * Lassy Marquez as Baks * MC Calaquian as Tong * Brenda Mage as Sasha *

Petite Vincent Aycocho, or better known as Petite is a Filipino actor, comedian, singer and TV show host. He is known for as a Filipino comedian in ''Comedy Bar'', Punch line and Clowns, together with their other celebrities; Boobay, Iyah, Donita Nose ...

as Casim * Jin Macapagal as Ewan *

Tony Labrusca Anthony Angel Labrusca Jr. (; born August 7, 1995), professionally known as Tony Labrusca, is an American actor, model, and singer based in the Philippines. Labrusca first gained his popularity via a McDonald's Philippines TV ad in 2016, ''Tul ...

as Gardo * Negi *

Susan Africa Susan Africa (born August 20, 1959) is a veteran Filipino film, television and theatre actress. Recognised as a legend in the Philippine cinema, Africa won "Best Supporting Actress" at the 13th Metro Manila Film Festival for her performance i ...

as Aling Mae *

Chad Kinis Richardson dela Cruz (born April 22, 1986), better known by his stage name Chad Kinis, is a Filipino actor comedian and YouTuber. He is an artist under Viva Entertainment Inc. Career He first joined ''It's Showtimes segment "Miss Q and A". ...

as Lovely * Matmat Centino

Guest cast

* Juliana Parizcovia Segovia * Zeus Collins as

Lapu-Lapu Lapulapu or Lapu-Lapu (ᜎᜉ̰-ᜎᜉ̰), whose name was first recorded as Çilapulapu, was a datu (chief) of Mactan in the Visayas in the Philippines. He is best known for the Battle of Mactan that happened at dawn on April 27, 1521, wher ...

Maja Salvador Maja Ross Andres Salvador-Ortega (; born October 5, 1988) is a Filipino actress, performer, television host, occasional producer, and talent manager. Referred to as the “Majestic Superstar”and the "''Queen of Revenge Drama''", Salvador is ...

as Sisa *

Charo Santos-Concio María Rosario Navarro Santos-Concio (born October 27, 1955), popularly known as Charo Santos-Concio or simply Charo Santos (), is a Filipino media executive and actress. She is the host of '' Maalaala Mo Kaya'', the longest-running television dr ...

as herself *

Enrique Gil Enrique Mari Bacay Gil V (; born March 30, 1992) is a Filipino actor, dancer, and commercial model. Gil has appeared in various films and television shows such as ''Mula Sa Puso'', ''Budoy'', ''Princess and I'', '' Muling Buksan Ang Puso'' an ...

as Robohero *

Ruffa Gutierrez Sharmaine Ruffa Rama Gutierrez (born June 24, 1974) is a Filipino model, beauty queen, host and actress. She was the 1992 Look of the Year - Philippines, Binibining Pilipinas World 1993 and Second Runner-up to Miss World 1993. Career Gutier ...

as Annabelle / herself *

Annabelle Rama Annabelle Rosales Rama-Gutierrez (born October 31, 1952), commonly known as Annabelle Rama, is a Filipino actress and talent manager with Spanish and Chinese descent. She is a native of Cebu and the wife of the 1960s Philippine cinema matinee id ...

as herself * Mark McMahon as

Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the Eas ...

* McCoy de Leon as

Andres Bonifacio Andres or Andrés may refer to: *Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US *Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Andres (name) *Hurricane Andres * "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7 See also ...

Donny Pangilinan Donato Antonio Laxa Pangilinan (born February 10, 1998), professionally known as Donny Pangilinan (), is a Filipino actor, model, singer, host and VJ. Pangilinan started his career in 2016 as a VJ in Myx, a Philippine pay TV channel, and made ...

Jose Rizal Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Gali ...

* Jackie Gonzaga as one of the Post Bastardas *

Yassi Pressman Yasmin Isabel "Yassi" Pressman(born 11 May 1995) is a Filipino-British model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer. As a power dancer, she was given a break in her career for portraying antagonist roles before rising to prominen ...

Maria Clara Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, d ...

Ion Perez Benigno Dungo Perez (born November 27, 1990), popularly known as Ion Perez (), is a Filipino actor, model, and television host. He is best known as the ''Kuya Escort'' in the ''Miss Q and A'' segment of '' It's Showtime''. He is a regular host ...

as Richard * Kirst Viray as one of the Post Bastardos * Greg Hawkins * Carlo Mendoza as Totoy * Miel Espinoza as Tetay * Marigona Dona Dragusha *

Regine Velasquez Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipina singer, actress, and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...

as herself / singer *

Ogie Diaz Roger Diaz Pandaan (born January 2, 1970), known professionally as Ogie Diaz (), is a Filipino comedian, actor, entertainment reporter, and talent manager. He is popularly known as "''Pekto''", the name of his character in the long-running forme ...

as Nicole *

Francine Diaz Francine Carrel Saenz Diaz (; born January 27, 2004) is a Filipino actress, model and endorser. She rose to prominence and became a household name as Cassandra ''"Cassie"'' Mondragon in the highly successful TV series in the Philippines - ''K ...

Kyle Echarri Kyle John Echarri (born June 20, 2003) is a Filipino-American singer and actor. He made his first television appearance at the age of eleven when he joined season 2 of ''The Voice Kids''. He has appeared in various films and television shows su ...

Seth Fedelin Seth Yancy Fronda Fedelin (born July 9, 2002, in Dasmariñas, Cavite) also known as Sethyboy is a Filipino actor, model, singer and dancer. Fedelin first appeared on television as a housemate on the reality show '' Pinoy Big Brother: Otso'' ( ...

Production

The development for ''The Mall, The Merrier'' was first confirmed in April 2019, when lead actor

announced that he would star together with

in a then-yet-to-be-named comedy film which is intended to be entered for the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival. The film was shot in

Harrison Plaza Harrison Plaza (HP) was a shopping mall situated along Harrison Avenue corner Pablo Ocampo Street in the district of Malate in Manila, Philippines. Opened in 1976 and closed in 2019, it was the first modern and major shopping mall located in t ...

Malate, Manila Malate is a district of Manila, Philippines. Together with the district of Ermita, it serves as Manila's center for commerce and tourism. Etymology The name ''Malate'' is believed to be derived from a corruption of the Tagalog word ''maalat'' ...

, before it ceased operations on December 31, 2019. The finale scenes were filmed at Marquee Mall in

Angeles City , anthem = Himno ning Angeles (Angeles Hymn) , subdivision_type3 = District , subdivision_name3 = , established_title = Settled , established_date = 1796 , established_title1 = Chartere ...

Release

''The Mall, The Merrier'' premiered in the Philippines on December 25, 2019 as one of the official entries of the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics, despite coming in first at the box office. Most of the criticism was directed at its "non-existent" plot, stale humor and poor use of the shopping mall setting. Oggs Cruz of Rappler lamented what he saw as a wasted opportunity, stating it is "more of the same – and messier" and "while the settings change or the genre it spoofs shift, the elements remain the same. The comedies are all anchored on mean-spirited hilarity, all utilizing a broad moral lesson to make its abject crassness palatable to the families it caters to," comparing it unfavorably to

George Romero George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

's seminal zombie film '' Dawn of the Dead'' whose department store setting was used to satirize

consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the su ...

. Conversely, Jocelyn Valle of PEP.ph gave the film a more positive review, praising the cast, special effects and pop culture references, particularly the feud between the Baretto sisters and the network rivalry between

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...

and

GMA Network GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...

, a scene where Vice's character Moises and a parodic depiction of the living doll Annabelle from ''

The Conjuring ''The Conjuring'' is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes. It is the inaugural film in ''The Conjuring'' Universe franchise. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and ...

'', played by Ruffa Gutierrez, get into a hair-pulling fight and wind up in the premises of the GMA-7 broadcast facility. Valle did, however, criticise the "lack of a strong supporting character for Vice to throw punchlines at and comedic flair" and found Vice's use of a joke pertaining to German dictator

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

to be of poor taste in light of

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

victims.

Television release

Pay-per-view

The film premiered on KBO from May 1–6, 2020 at the time

ABS-CBN Channel 2 DWWX-TV, Channel 2, was the flagship VHF station of Philippine television network ABS-CBN. The station was owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation with its studio and transmitter located at the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center, Sgt. Esguerra Av ...

and its broadcast stations went off air on May 5, 2020, due to the "cease and desist order" given by the

National Telecommunications Commission The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC; fil, Pambansang Komisyon sa Telekomunikasyon) is an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology responsible for the supervision, adjudication and control over a ...

due to expired franchise, and KBO was not affected in this "cease and desist order" (due to the channel is on a digital station that is owned by AMCARA, which has its own franchise and where ABS-CBN had a

blocktime agreement In North American broadcasting, a local marketing agreement (LMA), or local management agreement, is a contract in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another party. In essence, it is a sort of lease or time ...

with the said station) until June 30, 2020 in Metro Manila and July 1, 2020 nationwide.

Cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...

The film premiered on Cinema One on August 2, 2020, PBO on October 10, 2020 and on

Kapamilya Channel Kapamilya Channel (stylized as Kapamilya channel) is a 24-hour Philippine pay television network formerly known as ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under Lopez Holdings Corporation owned by the López family. The network is headquartered at th ...

on November 2, 2020.

Free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...

The film premiered on A2Z Channel 11 on December 25, 2020, a year after its theatrical release. There were plans to be put on GMA 7 (as part of GMA planned to put Star Cinema produced films), but the date isn't announced yet.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mall, The Merrier, The 2019 films 2019 comedy horror films Philippine comedy horror films 2010s parody films Cultural depictions of Ferdinand Magellan Cultural depictions of Filipino men Films about dolls Films about toys Films set in department stores Philippine parody films Philippine ghost films Films about sentient toys Supernatural comedy films Philippine urban fantasy films