Firefly

Beautifully captured that felt like watching a moving storybook. It is a cry heart out loud film where emotion speaks volume. 5/5

“Firefly” is a movie that taps into one’s many emotions, predominantly the sentimentality of one’s childhood.

This is a film for the entire family to enjoy, and by the time Tonton and his friends reach the end of their quest, you’ll have witnessed something altogether greater (and rarer) than a baseline festival entry: an instant classic.

Sing-taas ng alapaap ang mga emosyon. Sing-ningning ng alitaptap ang mensahe. [...] Without a doubt, this is GMA’s best film this year. 4.3/5

Full of heart and hope and love, ‘Firefly’ is the perfect MMFF movie for the family. 4.5/5

Dulay knew very well how to best stage dramatic situations in order to maximize bittersweet emotions to move viewers to tears, especially with the sensitive way he directed child actor Euwenn Mikaell, who was such a natural actor for his age. 9/10

The framing device is the weakest part of this movie. [...] Through it all, though, it never loses its tender core of melancholy, weaving it through the other characters. 4.5/5

Firefly, a love letter to our first storytellers, captivates with heartwarming storytelling and impressive visuals, delivering an unforgettable family movie experience. 4.5/5

Firefly will make you laugh, cry, and it will most likely make you call your mom.

We think that everybody of all ages should see this movie.

With stunning visuals and an engaging narrative, this film effortlessly captivates throughout its runtime - though it occasionally stumbles with forced elements that disrupt the experience. (4.5/5)

Firefly ignites the flame to put Filipino content on the global map, and kindles a national cry to see our stories celebrated on the big screen.

Overall, I enjoyed Firefly much more than I thought it would. Though it has many tenets you’d find in any Filipino family flick, it tells its story in a way that is still unique.

Firefly is the way to go. It has a nice, crisp story. Its technical elements are superior. Performances are brilliant. It is a movie for both kids and adults.

Firefly is one of this year's most important Filipino films. Uultin ko ba ang pelikula? Yes. 8.3/10

'Firefly' is undoubtedly one of the best films in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival. It reminds me of the kind of magic that Filipino films offer during Christmas. And that love, after all, is the greatest gift of all time.

Firefly's winning factor is the well-written story by Angeli Guidaya-Atienza, which garnered the Best Screenplay award and which is truly pleasurable to follow as it unfolds.

What Firefly speaks well to its audience is a form of sincere storytelling that fully evokes the ageless feeling of adventure.

Firefly is a beautiful tale of a mother’s love, found family, and innocence as it goes through intense personal upheaval. (A)

Firefly is a brave option for the filmmakers to be sincere at the end, to eschew the phantasms and replace them with social facts. This makes Firefly a relevant film, its politics unwavering.

His “Black Rainbow” was such a heartwarming film about childhood and dreams that it should not have been surprising at all how much Zig Dulay’s feature film Firefly tugs at the heartstrings. And it never does so in a manipulative way... (4/5)

It’s a big melting pot that adheres to contemporary Filipino filmmaking. We get to see the beauty of a province where part of the film acts as a travelogue of some sort. (4/5)

Simple lang yung kwento pero may puso! Hindi komplikado! Para syang pabula na ikinukuwento sayo ng Nanay mo bago ka matulog sa gabi, [...]. (4/5)

Writer Angeli Atienza crafts something magical here. ‘Firefly’ is like when your lola (or any significant person) reads a book to you: it may be funny, sad, or scary but there’s always a feeling of warmth while being told. (4/5)

The story is a beautiful blend of depth and enchantment, reminiscent of a cross between 'Wonka' and 'Life of Pi'. (Maganda)

‘Firefly’ is like when your lola (or any significant person) reads a book to you: it may be funny, sad, or scary but there’s always a feeling of warmth while being told. (4/5)

Maganda at may aral ang kwento. Kulang lang sa wow factor pero irerekomenda namin ito. Medyo umasa rin kami sa mas malaking rebelasyon sa dulo pero naging sapat naman ito. 7.5/10

In a time full of cynicism everywhere you look, this film feels like that tiny, yet bright shot of light out of the dark. 3.5/5

If this film represents the future of the MMFF, then it looks pretty good from here on in. 3.5/5

While far from a perfect winner, "Firefly" serves its purpose in being a tribute to the stories we share, the people who imparted those stories, and the lengths we would go for them.

...the melodramatic moments are not missing, also instigated by the intense use of music, while the story does not stand up to much scrutiny, particularly regarding its realism...

A heartwarming fantasy film about the magic of storytelling that sometimes gets bogged down by its overeagerness to tug at the heartstrings. (3.5/5)

Call it cheesy, hopeful, or a small film with a big heart, but there’s no mistaking the genuine affection its audience will feel once the credits roll. (3/5)