I Am Not Big Bird (2024)

I Am Not Big Bird Review

Summary

When people believe that he’s the adult film actor Big Bird, Luis Carpio is forced to live a different life in Bangkok. After failing to clear up the mix-up, Luis becomes involved with some less-than-legal activities of Big Bird’s.

Film Review

Enrique Gil returns to the silver screen with Victor Villanueva’s ribald comedy “I Am Not Big Bird,” going bold, bodacious and brave. Stepping out of the loveteam scene after being paired with Liza Soberano on several projects, Gil flexes his comedic muscles as he portrays thirty-something virgin Luis Carpio who goes on a holiday with friends to Thailand where he finds himself mistaken for famous Thai porn star “Big Bird.” Unbeknownst to him, things take a wild turn as he tries to find himself and what real friendship means.

We meet a character who gets comfortable in his comfort zone right off the bat. Stand-up comedian Red Ollero and dancer actor Nikko Natividad play Luis’ friends who help him get back on track after his girlfriend rejects his proposal. Like Luis who tries new things for once in his life, “I Am Not Big Bird” spreads its wings and takes advantage of the Philippine-Thai joint production by showcasing another side of Thailand that we don’t usually see in an over-the-top comedy.

There is also balance between representation and humor not only are sex jokes at the forefront but there are jokes about gender specifically metrosexuality and weight but fortunately, these jokes aren’t overdone or too repetitive. Villanueva directs camp and “OA” energy (appropriately so) into this movie which has a vulgar word for male genitals right smack in its title; it might be refreshing to see Gil do comedy (which he does quite nicely), but Ollero is just as natural as punchlines come here and fits the personality of the character he’s playing to a tee.

Natividad, who is heterosexual, plays a metrosexual in the film. It would have been nice to see someone from the LGBTQIA+ community in this role but he does have great chemistry with the rest of the cast. Rounding out the local lineup is Pepe Herrera as Prajak Tithi, who disguises himself as a Thai tuk-tuk driver and tour guide of the gang; we’re happy to report that Herrera’s eccentric comedic timing is also one of this movie’s highlights.

When Luis gets mistaken for Thailand’s biggest porn star, he gets slapped by Thai women in the face and Thai men who hate how Big Bird has set unrealistic standards (if you know, you know) when it comes to sex. “I Am Not Big Bird” may thrive on crude humor but it also touches on relationships in their thirties (could’ve gone deeper here), becoming the bigger person and the culture surrounding porn (could’ve gone deeper here too).

The trio and Pepe Herrera are running away from a mob. Screenshot taken from I Am Not Big Bird’s teaser.

I Am Not Big Bird is a comedy set in the late 90s and early 2000s, complete with VHS tapes, digicams and all that jazz. It also serves as a love letter to action movies of yore that took themselves far too seriously adding another layer of parody to an already stacked movie. There’s little to no breathing room here, with the film’s frenetic editing and generally lively vibe taking you on one hell of a ride, culminating in a truly funny scene featuring Parokya ni Edgar’s “Please Don’t Touch My Birdie.”

But ultimately, none of this matters because I Am Not Big Bird knows how to have fun. Its plot might be ridiculous and its cast might be bizarre but hey: size doesn’t matter.

Catch I Am Not Big Bird as it soars into theaters nationwide!

Watch I Am Not Big Bird For Free On Gomovies.