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YMMV / Heneral Luna

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  • Alternative Character Interpretation: Several in both the film and history itself. Feel free to add "Or both?" if needed.
    • Is General Luna the only competent general that everyone should take orders from (Aguinaldo notes that he is the only one who has formally studied military science) or is he a hot-headed officer who creates further division in an army that already lacks unity? Is he the solution to the problem or part of the problem?
    • Is Aguinaldo the manipulative, self-serving figure he comes across as or is he just manipulated or stymied doing what he thinks is best for his country?
    • Was Gregorio del Pilar directly responsible for the fate of the Bernal brothers? Or was he forced to obey orders from the higher-ups?
    • Were Buencamino and Paterno cowards thinking entirely for themselves or were they trying to stop the war with Americans from getting out of hand while at the same time trying to save what's left of the Philippine economy?
  • And You Thought It Would Fail: A historical war film about one of the Philippine national heroes can be very interesting except it's an indie production, the lead actor, John Arcilla, is someone who played supporting and minor roles in television and there are only a few mainstream actors in the cast. Likewise, some including Arcilla believed that the film was doomed to flop until word of mouth via social media made more people watch it, leading to extended theatrical runs by popular demand. If anything, patriotic fervour served to drive up hype and helped spread the word about the film in a movie industry that experienced a glut of cookie-cutter comedy-dramas and romcoms.
  • Anvilicious: The movie makes it very clear that fighting amongst yourselves will not benefit the country or the people that you're fighting to protect in a midst of a war or crisis because in the end, you'll lose and drag everyone down with it.
  • Genius Bonus: There are various historical tidbits which viewers knowledgeable in Philippine history will appreciate, though the film itself doesn't spell out their significance.
    • One of the American generals fighting against the Filipinos is General Arthur MacArthur, the father of General Douglas MacArthur. The younger General MacArthur is still beloved by Filipinos to this day for his supportive role in the country's Commonwealth and World War II years, whereas most don't know that his father fought against their revolutionary heroes.
    • One scene has Aguinaldo talking to his elderly mother, who has no lines herself. Later, right after Luna is murdered, an old woman (whose face is too far to be seen clearly) looks out of a window and says "'Nagalaw pa ba iyan?" ("Is he [it] still moving?") Though the film doesn't make it explicit, historical accounts claim this old woman was Aguinaldo's mother.
  • Hype Backlash: Due to social media, the movie got so hyped that several articles declared it "the best Philippine movie of all time". However, some people think it's overhyped and while they admit that it did touch many Filipino into becoming socially aware and nationalistic, it's the quality that they have a problem with.
  • Mainstream Obscurity: The average decently-educated Filipino hopefully has some idea about who Antonio Luna and other key figures involved in the Philippine-American War are. But the reactions to the film surprisingly revealed that there's a lot of people, particularly younger viewers, who have little grasp on the basic facts of these key figures which are supposed to be taught in school. The fact about Apolinario Mabini being paraplegic is the best example which made several people wonder how Philippine history is taught in schools.
  • Memetic Mutation: "MGA TRAYDOOOOOORRRRR" to name a few. Any popular quotes from the movie is guaranteed to spawn memes.
    • (Insert caption of difficult task here like an exam or gathering a crowd to watch the movie) then Luna replies "Give me three days."
    • Rusco and ensaymada. Which can be also Adorkable to some Rusco fans.
    • Characters from the movie reacting with anger or massive disappointment over viewers asking why Mabini never left his chair, or viewers not being able to distinguish between Juan or Antonio Luna, or Marcelo or Gregorio del Pilar.
    • Reacting to various situations using the screencap of Rusco's bloodied face and the caption "Putang-ina!" ("Son of a whore!", but used more like "Fuck!"; derived from Spanish hijo de puta which Luna also uses)
    • Similarly, Luna's face and his favorite curse "Puñeta" (roughly "Jack-off"/"Jerk-off", or "Wanker").
  • Misaimed Fandom: The film's portrayal of Antonio Luna as a potty-mouthed hothead yet a brave, patriotic and strong-willed leader was likened to controversial presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte by his enthusiastic supporters during the election campaign in 2016, a year after the film, which Duterte won. Director Jerrold Tayog balked at this interpretation since he was trying to humanize "strongmen" and "idols", with the message that blindly following and venerating them is a bad thing. This theme is continued in Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, as well as in Angelito, a short film bridging the two.
  • Not His Sled: Jose Rizal has a brief role and is strangely clean-shaven, though he is nearly always depicted with a moustache.

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