(NI RONNIE CARRASCO III)

DEEMED as ambitious project ang pagtatambal nina Kathryn Bernardo at Alden Richards in a Star Cinema project.

Coming from two different worlds, matagumpay silang napagsama with either of them setting aside his/her long-time partner: si Daniel Padilla kay Kathryn, si Maine Mendoza kay Alden.

Ang suntok-sa-buwang pagsasama nina Kat at Alden ay isa nang realidad not even their respective fans perhaps have ever imagined.

Ewan kung magandang senyales ito para tuluyan nang matuldukan ang kompetisyon sa pagitan ng mga istasyong kinabibilangan nina Kat (ABS-CBN) at Alden (GMA).

But as if to further narrow the existing network gap ay under way na ang pelikula starring Maine Mendoza and Carlo Aquino.

But fact is, unlike the Kat-Alden tandem ay walang gaanong dating ang kina Maine at Carlo.

Let’s face it, status-wise ay hindi isang napakalaking pangalan si Carlo compared to actors his age mula sa ABS-CBN. Mahusay kung mahusay na aktor si Carlo, no doubt, pero hindi siya gaanong bankable unlike Daniel Padilla, James Reid, Joshua Garcia or Enrique Gil.

If it’s any consolation, Carlo’s acting is at par with Joshua’s kundi mas angat siya nang konti.

Kung kinuha rin lang ng Star Cinema ang serbisyo ni Maine, it might as well find a leading man na kalibre ni Alden plucked from ABS-CBN.

Matatandaang isa sa mga huling pelikula ni Carlo had him reunited with his ex-girlfriend Angelica Panganiban. Ginamit pa ngang publicity slant ang kunu-kunong pagmamabutihan nilang muli, but sadly, it didn’t make the producer laugh his way to the bank.

How much more ang partnership nina Carlo at Maine na mukhang imposib­leng magkadebelopan in real life?

If we were Star Cinema, Arjo Atayde ang kinuha namin as Maine’s leading man. Their real-life romance is in itself a pre-sold publicity angle.

Or baka naman ang line of thinking ng film arm ng ABS-CBN is patterned after the mindset ng mga nag-produce ng pelikulang Kita Kita nina Alessandra de Rossi at Empoy.

Such odd partnership ay literal na suntok sa buwan as it had the elements of a potential flopchina. Pero nakatsamba ang producers nito.

‘Yun nga lang, ang mu­ling pagtatambal nina Alex at Empoy recently was a box-office nightmare.

Same thing with another odd tandem sa katauhan nina Jake Cuenca at Kris Bernal na mahirap hanapan ng spark. Ang ending, ang kanilang KontrAdiksyon ay kumontra sa dapat sana’y magandang kapalarang sinapit nito sa takilya.

Its fate might just rub off on the Carlo-Maine film.