Rating: 
Summary: A great representation of Filipino-American life
Review: "The Debut" truly depicts Filipino American life. The truth is, although hard to imagine, many Filipino teens feel like they should act "white" or "black," and you see that in the movie. All the Filipino inside jokes, the dialogue, everything is truly representative of the blue-collar Filipino American family. Maybe a little more dramatic than most, but still a great movie and one that finally centers around Filipino Americans.The DVD is amazing. Worth your time and money. Support your fellow Filipinos!
Rating:
Summary: good stuff
Review: "The Debut" was a great hit when it came out almost three years ago. I was wondering why it never came out on DVD until recently. Overall, the movie was really good. I'm glad that there was a movie made for us Filipino-Americans and the turn out at the theatres proved that we're all for these kinds of films that represents us. I give "The Debut" five stars for a little bit of every genre; there was some comedy, drama, and action. Pretty good movie! Go get your copy!
Rating:
Summary: Stumbling to a new understanding
Review: A wicked first feature for director Gene Cajayon, The Debut is sincere albeit predictable. However, having said that, it is predictable only because the theme of the movie is so universal one cannot help but approach it this way. That even the language seems borrowed from similar films is a mark of universality of the cross-cultural experience it deals with. The casting, I think, works really well in the film. Everyone seems to be in sync and keyed subtext of the storyline. Trust me, despite the almost stilted dialogue the film does not betray or is not tacky about exploring subtleties. Don't be fooled, The Debut may seem simple on the surface, is extremely complex underneath its at times cheesy exterior. You will not be disappointed; The Debut is a illuminating as it is fun. It is simple, The Debut is a coming-of-age movie - such movies are universal. OK so it is amateurish in its acting but I think that is one of the reasons it is so appealing - it does not try to be anything it is not. The Debut has drama, music, dance, romance and humor - something for everybody. I guess my only bone to pick is that ends with a pat resolution but once again it is not trying to be Boyz in the Hood or West Side Story. Building a cast around friends and family and then infusing the film with a ton of old school looks a bit like trying to build a Los Angeles Lakers team with Shaq and Kobi at the middle and surrounding them with Malone and Payton - the thing is, like the current Lakers, it works. The Debut works on many levels but it hits home because of its enthusiasm. The Debut is definitely a likeable film but I am certain it will fall off the radar of hard core film buffs. Think of it as a sincere attempt at dealing with coming of age in the Filipino community. We need more of these types of movies to augment our current Hollywood offerings as it gives us a glimpse into cultures. So yes, it is familiar in its theme but it does give us a glimpse into the Filipino American community. Perhaps other communities can take stock and give us glimpse into theirs as well. Miguel Llora
Rating:
Summary: Debut
Review: Coming from Arizona, where the Filipino population is miniscule compared to California, I was ecstatic when I heard about "Debut". I thought that it depicted life as a Filipino-American to perfection. It addressed such issues as alienation and acceptance from both cultures and the struggle in defining one's identity. From the cars and DJs to the lechon and barrel man, this movie calls attention to so many aspects of life as a Filipino-American. It also does well in portraying the traditional Filipino family structure. Great movie!
Rating: 
Summary: A very good Filipino-based movie
Review: Considering the dearth of any movies made by Filipinos for international release, this movie is a nice little way of saying, "Hello, we are Filipinos and we very capable of producing quality stuff". Having seen "American Adobo" and thoroughly disappointed, "The Debut" is made of better material. While Dante Basco really shines in the movie, my personal pick is Tirso Cruz who actually acted very very well. He was not over the top, he was well composed, he was perfect for the role. Even his syrupy singing is well forgiven...the movie delves heavily into the cliche-approach (party foods, dancing, dog-eating comments, fob comments, angst-covered youth, wannabe break dancers and such, etc.). I can usually relate to most of the scenes but this was exactly why i didn't give it the whole 5 stars. The next Filipino movie should be devoid of the familiar cultural attack and should start exploring other niches of cinematic brilliance without being too involved with melancholy musings. As a nice compliment to the movie, I've never seen so many cute and pretty Pinays, so there, I've said the best part of the movie. Hope Gene Cagayon's next flick can transcend the cultural, political, and PINOY-related consciousness and just make a movie we all can be proud. He's on his way...the film was just right, the deleted scenes were rightfully taken out, and the main characters acted with passion and professionalism. I am proud to say this is a great movie to watch, I'll even recommend it to all my Anglo friends...Mabuhay and good job!
Rating:
Summary: a must-see high 5s, if you are not a racial conscious viewer
Review: fantastic movie. i would never imagine a movie majorly casted by american philippinos could be this good! simply fantastic. i've a good, no, wonderful time watching this, and totally enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Big Fork-Big Spoon-10 Stars
Review: From beginning to end, I found myself relating to this movie. The Filipino family and way of life is accurately portrayed. I found myself feeling along with the characters, whether it be joy or pain. A definite Must-See for Everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Politically correct, artistically wrong
Review: Gene Cajayon's The Debut involves a young Filipino-American, Ben (Dante Basco in an appealing performance), who wants to go to art school rather than fulfill his father's career goals. He's also embarrassed by his cultural heritage and by his immigrant parents. It's a familiar generational conflict played out with Filipino faces and for some that Asian angle will be enough of an innovation to win them over. But these Filipino American themes play out in a far more clever manner in Rod Pulido's The Flip Side and in a funnier manner in Francisco Aliwalas' Disoriented. Cajayon has a slick TV movie style that might serve him well in Hollywood. But he's not visually or narratively inventive. His story is a familiar one with specific cultural elements swapped out (for instance, you get a traditional Philippine dance instead of a Jewish bar mitzvah). Everything else remains the same: mom still tries to feed everyone; kids are still ashamed of their immigrant, un-hip parents; dads and sons disagree on career goals; and prejudice still looms on the horizon. The film's simplicity and familiar themes will make it easily accessible to mainstream audiences and its Fil-Am angle will appeal to a community starved for images of themselves on the big screen. So go out and support this film because it's a worthy cause but let's not pretend it's great filmmaking.
Rating: 
Summary: Showed potential, but marred by so-so acting, direction
Review: Having seen Justin Lin's "Better Luck Tomorrow" (a rare instance of a good, successful film with an Asian-American cast), I was hoping "The Debut" would match "BLT's" level of quality and depth. Granted, it's somewhat unfair to compare the two films in that they are two different films, with different stories and aims. "BLT" is a deeper, bleak and ultimately sad story that is hard to forget, whereas "Debut" is nice, predictable and goes down easy -- and as a result, it's easy to forget. It's hard to definitively pinpoint where it goes wrong, whether its weaknesses are due to so-so acting or poor direction, or a combination of both. Watching "Debut," you feel like a stone skipping on the surface of water, never quite going deep into the issues it raises. It brings them out (interracial marriage, cultural conflict, father-son conflict, self-identity), but only lightly touches on them, but then leaves many unresolved. Granted, it's a low-budget film (and I find it only fair to give low-budget films a LITTLE bit of slack, but not much more), but
"BLT" was as well, and is an undeniable success and that the BLT cast being Asian-American wasn't central to the storyline only makes it stronger. Back to "Debut," its main problem is its lead actor, Dante Basco, and the acting itself. Far too often, you could tell the actors were acting. Dante Basco was constantly smiling throughout, even after going through tense situations which would at least bother your average person, turning him/her to a sullen mood. Even a climactic scene near the end didn't evoke much emotion in this reviewer, and the scene didn't deliver the necessary tension needed for the scene to be believable. It showed potential and had the right elements, and perhaps with stronger acting and direction, we could have believed it and felt with the characters, but it feels too much like a TV movie, or a slightly better afterschool special.
Rating:
Summary: the Debut makes a great debut
Review: I am a Filipino American and i personally enjoyed this DVD. It featured great actors including Dante Basco (& his brothers, the Basco brothers), Eddie Garcia, Tierso Cruz III, and many others. This film does show the world a little bit of the Filipino- American life and how many Filipinos are living. This film took 8 years to create and that 8 years produced a very creative movie. This is the first time Filipinos see themselves on the big screen and I think that they probably liked what they saw. The Debut does show how important education is to their culture. The Philippines being a third-world country and their major export humans, it is true that many believe that the only way to be successful is if they become a lawyer or a doctor. I don't blame them because it's a very difficult life in the Philippines, trust me. Ben Mercado, the main character, is in this position. His father wants Ben to go to medical school, but Ben wants to go to a Fine Arts Academy. I won't give out the rest of the story but all I have left to say is that "The Debut" gives the restof theworld a taste of the Filipino lifesytle and culture. *****fIvE sTarS!!*****2 thumbs-up
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