Movie Review: D'Wild Wild Weng

D'Wild Wild Weng a.k.a Wild Wild Weng a.k.a The Good, the Bad, and the Tiny
Liliw Films International,  Philippines, 1982.

This movie came as an extra for the documentary "The Search for Weng Weng."

In the anachronistic Wild West undercover agent duo consisting of  tiny Mr. Weng (Weng Weng) and big Gordon (Max Laurel) punch bad guys in the face and save people while travelling to Santa Monica. They meet midget Indian Apollo-Moon (or something that sounds like that) who tells that Santa Monica is ruled by evil Senor Sebastian (Romy Diaz) who murdered the former Mayor with his henchmen Ku Manchu (Ernie Ortega), Gaspard (?) and Agusto (??). Mute caretaker of Mayor's mansion Lupo (Max Alvarado who played crime lord in "For Y'ur Height Only") helps the duo and gives them a dune buggy. Actually this is one of the rare Westerns that do not have horses.  Lupo is mute because Agusto cut off his tongue so that he couldn't tell who murdered the Mayor.

Mr. Weng

Gordon in the black shirt

Sebastian

Weng and Gordon save Clara (Nina Sara) and her father Mr. Dencio (Dencio Padilla) who are attacked by Ku Manchu's ninjas(!). Poor Lupo can only grunt and squeal in a way that awkwardly reminds of Tor Johnson in "The Beast of Yucca Flats." That doesn't prevent him from acting as as a backup singer when Weng sings a serenade under Clara's balcony with Gordon playing guitar but our Princess is in the another castle! Clara has been kidnapped again. So they have to perform encore of the rescue operation. That slightly annoys Sebastian.

Gaspard and Agusto (actors unknown)

Ku Manchu

Clara

Weng runs around the prairie saving people and punching and shooting bad guys. His trademark sliding attack is used only seldom as most action occurs outside. Weng is the main action star and Gordon seems to be the back-up giving strongman who carries Weng around in a bag to keep him incognito and sometimes tosses him like a spear so that he can reach high places. Sometimes Weng temporarily abandons Gordon and swishes into action alone. Lupo is their tragicomic sidekick who would be just tragic if he could be taken seriously.

The Wild West Ninjas

Serenade

Big Gun

Weng Weng's popularity topped with the Agent 00 movies, and the novelty faded quickly and sadly he was soon forgotten. The Western film was made between the two Agent 00 films and the setting is not quite as fun as the secret agent adventures. However that was not the only Western that he made. This is technically ugly and clumsy film and the bad quality of the print doesn't help. It looks like a cheaply made Spaghetti Western. The equivalent in the Philippines would be Pancit Western but the term seems to be quite little used. The story has a lot of slack but it has plenty of Wut? moments to keep it interesting and enjoyable. The plot throws in everything and the kitchen sink: ninjas, Mexican bandidos, monks and a tribe of pygmy Indians. Again the bad dubbing increases the hilarity. Again Weng is dubbed with an amusingly deep voice. Although the dialogue otherwise is typical for a cheap Western, the dialogue of Weng is laconic as best. An example of dialogue that occurs after Weng saves a girl named Elsa (Yehlen Catral) is very representative:

Elsa: Thank you very much.

Weng: I'm Mr. Weng

Elsa: By the way, my name is Elsa.

Weng: See you.

Man of few words is he. It is like the producers were focused on the action and were not so much interested in making any interesting lines.

Elsa

The cast is known from other Weng Weng films, playing their usual roles except for Max Alvarado who is now a good guy. The finale has the three heroes having a big shootout with Sebastian's army, with Weng mowing down hordes of bandidos with a Gatling-type gun and fighting with a stick against evil Samurais. Like the previous Weng Weng films this is a silly but entertaining trash action film, bizarre and fun.

Rating:Good or So bad it is good 

Starring: Weng Weng, Yehlen Catral, Nina Sara, Max Alvarado, Max Laurel, Romy Diaz, Ernie Ortega, Robert Miller, Rene Romero, Ike Lozada, Dencio Padilla, Joe Cunanan, Jay Grama, Gil Bandong, Nelson Armiza, Ray Albella, Lito Navarro, Fred Esplana, Alex Pascual, Angelito J. de Guzman, Goliath, Mando Pangilinan, Oscar Reyes, SOS Daredevils 

Director: Eddie Nicart