Sanky Panky (2007) User Reviews

My First Dominican Film Was Very, but Very Funny

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 1 January 2011]

In Dominican Republic, the local Genaro (Fausto Mata) works in a small family store and lives with his mother in a poor neighborhood. He is learning a couple of words in English and dreams on being a sanky-panky to get married to an American tourist to move to New York with a VISA and have a better life. He calls his friend Giussepe (Massimo Burgeti), who is the manager of a resort in Bávaro, and applies for a job position entertaining children but expecting to find a wealthy tourist. Genaro meets the gorgeous Martha (Zdenka Kalina), who has come from New Jersey with her fat aunts Dorothy (Nurin Sanlley) and Helen (Patricia Banks), to forget her fiancé after calling off her wedding. Genaro calls his best friends, the womanizer Chelo (Tony Pascual) and the gluttonous Carlitos (Aquiles Correa), to date the aunts and live him alone with Martha. Martha only speak English and Genaro just know a couple of words in English, but everything works out the way he had schemed until the day Martha's boyfriend comes to the resort.

"Sanky Panky" is the first Dominican film that I have seen and I found it very funny. A Brazilian friend of mine that lives in Dominican Republic gave the DVD of this musical-comedy to me as Christmas gift and I really enjoyed it a lot. Fausto Mata is one of the funniest comedians that I have ever seen and it is worthwhile watching his attempt to be a sanky-panky. I did not know the meaning of this word and I have easily found the explanation in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanky- panky). Alina Vargas and Zdenka Kalina are beautiful actresses and there are very few information about them in Internet. Last but not the least, the landscapes and songs from this Caribbean country is an invitation to visit these lovely places. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Nice Dominican Cinema

[hpagan14 · 6/10 · 9 February 2007]

As a Dominican I have seen a lot of movies that were shot and made with native material and for me this one is taking the film industry in our country to the next level. This is a movie with a nice script (with minors flaws), well crafted humor, and good acting for some characters.

If your are not Dominican you will enjoy it anyway because of the hilarious of the center character as well as other actors.

In the technical aspect this movie has a great soundtrack, as well it has a nice sound editing and mixing, well directed also.

Sanky Panky show us the real world of the people that does not know other way to succeed but getting involved with a rich tourist and try to make it to the U.S. or Europe maybe, and this is a cruel reality for a part of our population.

We have had good movies before, and this one must be up there along the best of the best.

Love & Laughs a la Dominicana!!

[baron-valette · 7/10 · 1 February 2007]

In search of a better lifestyle, a man move to beach side to become a ¨Sanky Panky¨, a kind of Casanova. He only wants to lives in the USA, but first he needs a ¨gringa¨to take him.

He finds the woman of his dreams, a heart broken girl who came to the island with two psycho-sexual aunts , trying to forget the guy who she was supposed to marry

Sanky Panky is a musical-comedy who brings you to the deep of Dominican's culture.Merengue, Reaggeton, Hip Hop And More..

Sanky Panky is one of the best comedies from the Dominicans movie industry

good film but some things don't match

[darlin185 · 6/10 · 28 April 2007]

I don't know, I like the movie because of the story it has. However, I don't agree with a couples things. For example, when the girl ask the DJ to play the song from the CD that she has, Why does she appear singing with the other girls, I mean do they have something to do with singing? I don't think so. I don't Know if you guys got me, but do u all remember Dreamgirls? they were all artists and they could sing 'cause that is what they used to do, but here it is not the case. and in the scene when Genaro is in Martha's room he did and over acting with the phone mentioning so many things that did not fit or were not necessary for the film, hope you understand me. overall I think it was good, no very, but good, and better than previous ones.

Pathetic

[tureyna4danight · 1/10 · 22 July 2007]

"Sanky Panky" only revolves around how ignorant and stupid a group of persons can be. The lack of love that Dominicans have for their own country seems to go way beyond daily life. The main character of this movie is a low class average Dominican guy that assumes that USA is heaven and once he gets there his life will be solved. Since we already know that he has a total lack of common sense he plans using an American girl as "THE VISA" for his dream. The American girl turns out to be a sexual nymphomaniac and the Dominican guy a male prostitute, that is prostituting himself just for a visa. This movie can be easily compared to a reggaeton video but with a lower class (yes it can be something lower than those videos). The language and culture that are projected in this movie are the ones you see in the dirtiest places of the DR. Not to mention how disturbing to the eyes the actors are. Instead of making us laugh this "movie" makes us wanna puke and then cry, seriously this should be considered an offense to human dignity and be banned.

If you really want to see the dark/idiotic/ignorant/degrading side of DR then this is the right movie for you.

I'd like to say I enjoyed this film...but I'd be lying.

[paul_6968 · 1/10 · 1 April 2009]

The characters have no depth. The storyline is contrived. The acting is amateur at best and filled with a real disregard for the humanity of Domincans. This film goes a long way towards perpetuating negative stereotypes. Genaro, the main character, is a candy store attendant with a burning desire to meet a rich American tourist that he can seduce and escape his economic situation. The folklore amongst his not too bright friends is that this is a guaranteed ticket to the good life. He envisions lounging in his own personal penthouse while simultaneously dealing with his dire circumstances. He lands a job as a gofer in a hotel resort to make his dreams come true only to find himself parading in a chicken suit to please the guests while pretending to be the hotel manager. His attempts to seduce fall flat just as the humor in this films does. Not a good film at all.

Dominican Comedy, Funniest Movie Yet!

[kute_lokita · 8/10 · 14 May 2007]

This is one of the funniest films I have seen yet. It's based on a Dominican man who's trying to find a white girl, or in his case, a "gringa" to fall in love with him and take him with her to the USA. He pretends to be a manager/director at a resort in Punta Cana, DR in order to attract a hopeless, heartbroken, young woman who traveled with her two crazy and perverted aunts.

I have to say that this is a very funny and entertaining film. It carries a musical background with a very nice ending. You will enjoy the music, the story, the dialogue, and overall the film. I do recommend that everyone sees Sanky Panky, you will truly like it, without a doubt!

This movie is an odd one

[Movienigga · 4/10 · 25 August 2019]

Sanky Panky is not a bad movie its pretty middle of the road. I wanna start with the acting, its okay but nothing special. Fausto's character is basically a lower class dominican stereotype (Sidenote: This stereotype does not only apply to dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans can also have this stereotype applied). His character can come off but thats kinda the point, he wants to leave everything behind to marry an american girl named Martha. Her character is middle of the road. You know what this whole movie is just middle of the road the comedy, the acting, and everything else is just average. Also the pointless musical during the Club scene was pointless. I grew up loving this movie but after watching it again now that im older im not very amused as i used to be. (Sorry for the barebones review, its 2:30 am at the time of me writing this and im tired but i just needed to say some stuff about it. Goodnight)

A very good Dominican film

[giordanososa · 9/10 · 8 February 2007]

Dominican cinema has been suffering from stupid humor scripts, bad picture, bad acting and on top bad planning.

This films proves us that Dominican's can do a good film, shoot pretty nice picture, act decently and write good simple scripts.

This film is a good taste of the country, showing us part of its current popular music, stars, hotels, beaches and others.

I saw it and enjoyed very much, in fact i was surprised with its quality, crystal shots, musical scenes and light comedy.

If you want to enjoy a nice comedy/musical picture this is it. It has a very fluid script, some real Dominican situation, and a good line. You will enjoy it.

Hysterical

[dulzemorena · 9/10 · 21 May 2007]

This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in my life. Genaro is a poor but hard working man that dreams of coming to the USA in search of a better life. He learns some English words and temporarily works at Bavaro resorts in hopes of marrying a old white lady to bring him to the USA.

His personal journey to obtain a USA visa is selfish because he tries to use Martha but noble because who wants to be poor for the rest of their life. You get to discover the "real" Dominican Republic as three childhood friends wine, dine and mingle with three female American tourists.

The bootleg version of this movie is HOT so I can't wait to buy the official DVD.

OMG i watched it like 15 times

[mangusaso · 10/10 · 24 July 2013]

This movie has made me laugh so much... I have seen it so much that I know every word they say. This is the best comedy movie i have ever seen!!! You will love it if your Dominican and if your not Dominican you will love it too. One thing about us Dominicans is that we are very funny, Love us or hate us there is no denying on what we can accomplish. Genaro is a clown lol, and now they are making part 2 because Dominicans are requesting it! all of the main characters play a big role and the movie is so true about some people that do what ever it takes to come to America. This movie is funny but it is also so real that some people just think this is all made up.

Sanky Panky a comedy with depth

[mayimbamusic · 10/10 · 16 May 2007]

Sanky Panky is an almost perfect film. The images are incredible and are in themselves the perfect advertisement for the Dominican Ministry of Tourism. The soundtrack is excellent and contains music from nearly every Hispanic genre, including some excellent "Perico Rip'ao" and music by the hit band Aventura.

The performances by Fausto Mata (Boca'e Piano) and Tony Pascual (Pachuli) are off the charts. These two seasoned comedians do not miss a beat; their maturity and obvious chemistry keep their energy at a boiling point throughout the film - never a corny second.

However, behind the humor, and some of the funniest and most clever lines I have ever heard, is a stark reality - this is that in the Caribbean as in many other world spots, normal people must go to extreme measures to improve their lives.

The weak point is reflected in the some of the casting and parts of the script in the "gringa" part of the film. It is passable though as comedic license allows it to slip through.

I love the film and expect it to become a star throughout the Hispanic world.