Kuala Lampur, Dec. 28 -- I watched Papa Zola The Movie with my family because it has become one of the most talked about local films of the year, and perhaps because it was the school holidays and everyone needed to get out of the house.

What I did not expect, however, was how quietly the film would linger with me long after the credits rolled.

The Malaysian animated feature has emerged as a box office phenomenon, earning RM26.6 million in just 11 days of screening and overtaking major international titles such as Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2 on local charts.

For context, the highest-grossing local animated film prior to this, Ejen Ali The Movie 2, went on to collect an impressive RM55.1 million after 25 days in cinemas.

Agains...