Latest news with #Satria
New Straits Times
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Alif Zafran wins KJH cosplay contest with homemade Satria suit
PIC BY NSTP/RAIHANA MANSOR KUALA LUMPUR: Eleven-year-old Alif Zafran Zairif stole the spotlight at the Ejen Ali cosplay competition during Karnival Jom Heboh at KL Base today, wearing a striking homemade replica of the animated hero's Satria suit. The Satria suit, short for System Advance Tactical Raid Intelligence Armor, is a signature upgrade from the animated series, characterised by its high-tech design, glowing blue LED lights, visor helmet, and reinforced combat-ready body plating. Alif's father, Zairif Affizal, 38, was the creative force behind the costume, completing the project in just two weeks after learning about the competition. "I only found out about the Ejen Ali cosplay contest two weeks ago, so I worked on it day and night," said Zairif, who used images and videos from Facebook and TikTok for reference. "This was my second time making a costume, and I wanted to go all out for my son." Rather than ordering a custom made suit which can cost up to RM1,000, Zairif built the ensemble from scratch himself for under RM300, using mainly EVA foam and recycled materials. He said the most challenging part was crafting the helmet. "To get it right, you really need skill. Without the proper technique, it ends up looking odd. "It took some trial and error to get the shape, proportions and finish just right." Alif took home RM500 and some goodies, followed by the runner-up and third place both cosplaying as Ejen Alicia winning RM400 and RM300. Judging the competition was Ejen Rizwan voice actor Azman Zulkiply, who praised the high level of creativity shown by all participants, especially the support shown by parents. "If I could, I'd make everyone the winner. "Every contestant had their own unique effort, and you could see how happy the kids were on stage," he told reporters. He admitted it was a tough decision but ultimately named Alif as his personal favourite. "I really liked Alicia, the last contestant with the action scene, very cool with the cut-outs and all. "But if I had to choose one, I'd go with the Satria suit. The glowing blue eyes and lights were next-level. You could see the effort." Azman also praised the Ejen Ali franchise for instilling positive values in children. "The series promotes friendship, loyalty and other strong values. "It's wonderful to see parents supporting their kids through local content like this. "It shows how much fun and pride there is in celebrating something made in Malaysia." The day's activities kicked off at 9am with Zumba with Ejen Ali, followed by a colouring contest at the mini stage at Studio Tonton Drama Sangat and the cosplay competition at 11am. Yesterday, Fans of Ejen Ali: The Movie 2 flocked to a special meet-and-greet session at Karnival Jom Heboh 2025 to catch a glimpse of the voice actors and mascots of the popular animation. Shafiq Isa and Noorhayati Maslini Omar, who voice Ejen Bakar and Ejen Alicia, charmed the crowd with an interactive session and prize giveaways.
New Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Futuristic adventures of a brave, 'unloved' boy hero
MALAYSIA'S animated superkid Ejen Ali is back for another explosive science-fiction adventure on the silver screen. And while he is still 12 years old, he now looks a little stronger and taller, thanks to the harsh training that he undergoes in order to be a superspy. Everyone's favourite battle-hardened boy wonder of the future has embraced espionage technology that is more advanced and faces a most formidable foe whose actual form he is not sure of. Welcome to 'Ejen Ali The Movie 2' (EATM2), which once again sees the "unloved" youngster take on a phantom menace by the name of Ciro. As compared with 'Ejen Ali The Movie' in 2019, this sequel has more explosive action and a deeper, more immersive narrative experience. Enhanced physical appearances too, as viewers get to see Ali's more muscular frame and sharper face, as well as the lines on the faces of the older characters. Once again set in the futuristic city of Cyberaya, EATM2 sees Ali become the pilot for a high-stakes mission under Satria, an elite programme powered by an AI-assisted mecha suit. The mission takes a darker turn when the renegade Ejen Rizwan enlists Ali's help to uncover the true mastermind behind escalating threats in Cyberaya. Meanwhile, the mysterious hacker Neonimus resurfaces, driven by a personal vendetta against Ali. As Neonimus weaves a dangerous web of deception, every choice Ali makes becomes critical, determining not only his fate but the future of the city. Ali's Satria Project is aimed at producing a new generation of Mata agents who are able to combine the skills of all four Mata Cores, namely Techno, Neuro, Inviso and Kombat. Satria is a dynamic armoured suit equipped with combat pattern data from Mata's greatest agents and can be modified using ferrofluid technology to form special weapons according to mission needs. Ali's best friend Ejen Alicia has now been given a new role as the Iris user. Both of them are made to team up once again to confront Neonimus, who reveals that he is working for the insidious and mysterious Ciro, the deadliest enemy of Cyberaya to date. As for Rizwan, he is now teaming up with one-time baddies Dos and Trez to fight Mata's leadership for the sake of old grudges. Meanwhile, Mata's leadership is also facing a crisis, as the head of Cyberaya Datuk Othman has brought in Ejen Amir and Ejen Elle to work with the more senior Ejen Dayang and Ejen Ganz, and they don't see eye to eye. This opens up the opportunity for Ciro to penetrate Mata. Viewers might need to read up a little about Ejen Ali's characters and his animated TV series which has been on the small screen for almost a decade now to follow this movie effectively. This is because, the appearance of one-time regular Mata agents such as Rizwan and General Rama as renegades might not make sense unless one is aware of the developments that took place in the series' now-concluded Season 3. Nevertheless, if one has not been following the series, EATM2 can still be enjoyed on its own as its computer-generated special effects are world class. This is evident in the design of Iris and especially Satria, and when Ali and Alicia enter Satria to battle Ciro, the programme readily transforms them into upgraded versions of themselves. A lot of this echoes Disney's iconic science-fiction adventure in a computer, 'Tron', and its less-known sequel 'Tron Legacy', but EATM2's computer graphics are actually more crisper and clearer. While EATM2's scientific magic is a marvel to look at, its storytelling is loaded with emotions and one can really feel what the boy hero feels. Yes, our hero is brave, strong, fast and competent, but his world seems to be endlessly sad and threatened by unfortunate events. For a 12-year-old Ali lives a pretty harsh life, often barked at by his superiors with the notable exception of the motherly Ejen Dayang. He may have buddies like Alicia, Viktor and Sasi who share his love of video games, but in school he is often tormented by a fearsome teacher named Cikgu Munah. Nevertheless, viewers do find her rather cute and, in one scene, she even helps Ali batle evil Ciro! Perhaps, Ali's creators want to show kids that working life can be pretty cruel and unforgiving, and all of the "bashings" we get turn ordinary men into supermen. The friendship between Ali and Alicia, two cutesy but formidable teen agents, is interesting and comparable with that of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in JK Rowling's famous novel series. Their dynamic combination as team mates gradually evolved from competitive frenemies into something more meaningful. As for the high-level politicking in Mata, it does reflect the real world too. As director Usamah once said, a large organisation like Mata cannot have everyone on the same page, and different groups within the organisation are bound to have different agendas. All this helps make Ali's world colourful and believable, thatwhich was exactly what Hogwarts was in the Harry Potter novels. Ejen Ali may look like a children's animated adventure on the surface, but its stories contain lots of deep and "adult" plots. NOW SHOWING EJEN ALI THE MOVIE 2 DIRECTOR Usamah Zaid Yasin
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'Ejen Ali' back with bigger suit, bigger battles
ANIMATED superkid Ejen Ali is back for another science-fiction adventure. Looking stronger and more mature, the country's battle-hardened boy wonder has embraced espionage technology and faces a foe whose true identity remains a mystery. Released on May 22, Ejen Ali The Movie 2 (EATM2) was launched at GSC IOI City Mall in Sepang, Selangor. The launch was led by Wau Animation chief executive officer Usamah Zain Yasin and Media Prima Television Networks and Primeworks Studios chief executive officer Nini Yusof. 3D Nini said that EATM2 marked another milestone in Malaysian animation and reintroduced audiences to the boy agent and his 3D adventures. "EATM2 has more explosive action and a deeper, more immersive narrative experience. "Since its debut on TV3 in 2016, Ejen Ali has grown into an internationally recognised IP, reaching over 65 countries. "In 2019, 'Ejen Ali The Movie' earned over RM30 million across cinemas and digital platforms." TECHNOLOGY Nini added that with new technology, returning fan-favourite characters and enriched world-building, the sequel will continue to spark massive online engagement. "This franchise has transcended domestic entertainment and become a testament to Malaysian creativity." Usamah, who is also director of EATM2, said: "The journey to bring EATM2 to life has been long and filled with dedication. "Fans have been eagerly awaiting this sequel since it was first announced, long before the pandemic. "We hope this film delivers the excitement they have been anticipating for so many years." IMPACT Usamah said that music played a pivotal role in deepening the emotional impact of EATM2, with a soundtrack that underscores the film's powerful moments. "Fans can look forward to 'Hanya Kamu' by Datuk M. Nasir, 'Teman Sejati' by Indonesian band Nidji and 'Penjuara' by Hael Husaini. "Each track carries its own emotional weight, infusing the storyline with a musical identity that mirrors the characters' journeys." ELITE In the futuristic city of Cyberaya, EATM2 sees Ali become the pilot for a high-stakes mission under Satria, an elite programme powered by an AI-assisted mecha suit. The mission takes a darker turn when the renegade Ejen Rizwan enlists Ali's help to uncover the mastermind behind escalating threats in Cyberaya. Meanwhile, mysterious hacker Neonimus resurfaces, driven by a vendetta against Ali. As Neonimus weaves a web of deception, every choice Ali makes becomes critical, determining not only his fate but the future of the city. GENERATION Usamah said: "Ali's Satria Project is aimed at producing a new generation of Mata agents who can combine the skills of all four Mata Cores: Techno, Neuro, Inviso and Kombat. "Satria is an armoured suit equipped with combat pattern data from Mata's greatest agents. It can be modified using ferrofluid technology to form weapons according to mission needs." USER Usamah added that Ali's best friend Ejen Alicia, has been given a new role as the Iris user. "Both team up once again to confront Neonimus, who reveals that he is working for the insidious and mysterious Ciro, the deadliest enemy of Cyberaya." As for Rizwan, he is teaming up with one-time baddies Dos and Trez to fight Mata's leadership for the sake of old grudges. "Mata's leadership is also facing a crisis, as the head of Cyberaya, Datuk Othman, has brought in Ejen Amir and Ejen Elle to work with the more senior Ejen Dayang and Ejen Ganz. However, the two teams don't see eye to eye. "This opens up an opportunity for Ciro to penetrate Mata," said Usamah. BLESSING Usamah said that getting Nasir on board for EATM2 was a blessing, as he is one of the country's foremost musicians. "He also chose to voice one of the surprise characters, as his family members love Ejen Ali," he said. EATM2 took two years to produce, largely because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and everything was done domestically. The movie is jointly presented by Primeworks, Wau and Komet Productions.
