MANILA, Philippines ? Initially, the first time pairing of Sharon Cuneta and Ai Ai delas Alas in a comedy flick sounds like a bright idea. Acting with madcap Ai Ai could encourage ?poised? Sharon to unwind and lower her guard, while co-starring with the Megastar could boost Ai Ai?s status and ?legitimacy? as a film star.

In addition, the combined clout of the two popular stars could spell ?magic? and ?blockbuster? at the tills?so go!

Unfortunately, their finished film, ?BFF (Best Friends Forever)? is not as fortuitous in actualized achievement as earlier imagined. Director Wenn Deramas? storytelling is brisk and cheerful enough, but the movie?s plotline is too simple to sustain attention for feature-film length. Thus, the production sometimes feels like a stretched-out TV sitcom episode.

The movie?s main conflict is the fact that Sharon?s husband (John Estrada) cheats on her because she?s become a mom and less of a wife?and because she?s put on a lot of weight.

As bad and overly-coincidental luck would have it, John chooses to have an affair with Ai Ai?pretty much at the same time that Sharon and Ai Ai become ?forever friends,? blissfully unaware that they?re sharing the same philandering heel.

To further flesh out the slim and even gaunt plotting, the production additionally concerns itself with Ai Ai?s excessively liberal way of relating to her only daughter?and Sharon?s extended family of ?colorful? relatives and relentlessly ?funny? hangers-on.

Overacting

Most of the cast overacts like heck to generate kneejerk laughs, so the movie quickly gets too lividly colorful for comfort.

Happily, Sharon is able to keep her wits about her much of the time, so some of her scenes are sensible and felt, while still being funny. Thus, the Megastar shows her co-actors that you don?t have to scream, froth in the mouth, and cross your eyes to make comedy fans? day.

This is a lesson that lesser comics should learn. Since they play only supporting roles, they try to beef up their parts by overacting and stealing scenes, not realizing that their desperate efforts to be noticed not only throw their movie?s focus out of whack, but also reveal what mediocre and self-centered talents they are. The wonder is that their director sometimes allows them to get away with comedic murder?or in their particular case, suicide.

Ai Ai by no means does as badly, but her slapstick-ish approach to comedy runs counter to Sharon?s internalized and integrated style. Ai Ai sometimes pushes her jokes and visual gags so relentlessly that the viewer feels assaulted and forced to laugh. Since comedy is supposed to be at its best when it?s spontaneous and warm, that will never do.

Another bone of contention is the plot development that wants us to believe that John chooses to cheat on his wife by having an affair with Ai Ai?s character, of all people. One would think that a philandering hunk like John would go for a younger and more deliciously lovely woman. Yes, his wife may have put on a lot of weight, but she still looks better than his secret squeeze, so what gives?

These sticking points aside, we had a fun time watching parts of ?BFF,? especially the extended chase involving a bus. In those scenes, the production?s bright and brassy inventiveness comes to the fore, and that?s all to the good.

On the other hand, less felicitous sequences like Sharon and Ai Ai acting all hissy while going to communion come off as ill-conceived and inappropriate. Our comedy meisters really have to know when enough is too much.

Tony Scott megs hostage drama

Regarded as one of the best action-drama director around, Tony Scott directs the hostage drama, ?The Taking of Pelham 123,? billed as a total reinvention of the 1947 thriller widely considered as one of the decade?s classic films.

This time around, Walter Matthew?s role of the Transit Police lieutenant is played by Denzel Washington?only this time, the character is a disgraced subway dispatcher. John Travolta plays the lead terrorist originally essayed by Robery Shaw, and James Gandolfini replaces Tony Soprano as the beleaguered mayor.

?Sanctuary?

?Sanctuary? premiers on Sci-Fi Channel on May 20, Wednesday at 9 p.m. The series follows the adventures of a crackerjack team that tracks down, studies and protects the paranormal creatures called the ?Abnormals? that secretly inhibit the world.