Gagamboy

2004 Filipino superhero comedy film

Gagamboy is a 2004 Filipino superhero comedy film co written and directed by Erik Matti. The screenplay written by Dwight Gaston was based on an original story written and developed by Matti, Gaston, and Roselle Monteverde Teo. The film stars Vhong Navarro, Jay Manalo, and Aubrey Miles in the lead roles while the supporting cast includes Rene Facunla, Kathryn Bernardo, Ernie Zarate, Long Mejia, and Bearwin Meily. Produced by MAQ Productions and distributed by Regal Entertainment, the film was theatrically released on January 1, 2004, as one of the entries for the 29th Metro Manila Film Festival and it is similar to the Spider Man films, with a mutated spider that causes Junie to gain his superpowers and become Gagamboy.

Junie (Navarro), is an ice cream vendor, who sells ice cream to children and adults alike. After his shift, he is in a predicament with a rival vendor, Dodoy (Jay Manalo). Their manager, angered by their actions, demotes Junie to a warehouse guard. Dodoy celebrates, only to be demoted too, working a different shift to Junie. Junie goes home in a bad mood, until he sees the love of his life, Liana (Aubrey Miles). After dinner, Junie is ready to sleep, to start a new job the next day. While working, Junie accidentally swallows a spider that has been exposed to a chemical spill, thus giving him web slinging abilities, and becoming "Gagamboy"(Spiderboy). After his shift, Dodoy comes into work and leaves a sandwich unprotected. A cockroach exposed to the same spill as the spider slips into his sandwich, and as he eats it, he collapses, only to regain consciousness as a large cockroach. He hires two henchmen, and calls himself "Ipisman" (Cockroachman). Junie and Dodoy both try to win Liana's love. Dodoy practically gives up, only to return as Cockroachman, to kidnap Liana to lure Spiderboy to his lair. There, he plans to finish off Spiderboy, but the tables turn and Dodoy is destroyed.

The film was shown at the 2004 Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Despite its low production qualities, the film received general praise due to its use of humor, especially in parodying other tokusatsu and superhero films. As a result, the film is well known in the Chinese kuso community.

The film opened on January 1, 2004, as a part of the 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival. The film opened seventh at the box office, earning 18 million in its first week, and eventually earning 27 million in its theatrical run.