In ancient Indonesia, small prehistoric eggs were vibrant living amulets that participated in the sound and songs of their hosts. Known as the Telur Suci, they also fueled the immortality of the Gru’kiba, the Indonesian firebird. Thousands of them were lost to her voracious appetite, they were thought to be extinct.

 

But in modern times, Romeo, a Starbucks barista in America, discovers 99 of them in a shipment of coffee beans. Being the only one close enough to the canister to hear their delicate song, he is alone in their rescue from the coffee grinder, a kind act which cost him his job.

 

Close behind is Galdifore, an Indonesian shaman, who is guardian of the sacred eggs. Romeo’s intervention brings new hope to his dilemma. For to survive the fragile Telur Suci must connect again with people, but to do so would make them visible once again to the Gru’kiba who is forever searching from the skies. 

 

As Galdifore is orienting Romeo to his new duties as steward for the magic eggs the firebird drops screeching from the sky. Though the shaman’s giant hawk fends off the attack, Romeo is scared off and seeks refuse with family. While he heads home on a cross country bus he meets Juliet, a college flunkout whose ruin and subsequent salvation is through the words of Shakespeare. When she hears the magic eggs she too becomes enchanted, not just with the eggs, but with Romeo.

 

Upon arrival in LA Juliet’s father severs their budding relationship, but she finds her feet in a local Shakespearean troupe. Meanwhile Romeo swiftly proceeds to introduces the Telur Suci into the music industry. Known now as the Beanos, their rise to fame is swift as various recording artists incorporate them into their sound. All the while the shaman, Galdifore, on his hawk, is patrolling the skies, but the Gru’kiba is nowhere in sight.

 

All vectors converge at the Beanos huge outdoor concert in San Bernardino with Romeo as MC, Juliet in the audience and Galdifore vigilant in the skies above. Under heavy cloud cover the Gru’kiba gets past the shaman, and in the middle of the concert she drops screeching to the stage. Romeo is cast aside and possibly dead as Juliet jumps onto the stage and into the path of the firebird. Undaunted she takes a stand with her only weapon, her voice and the words of the Bard, “To be or not to be, that is the question. “

 

The duel of fire and Shakespeare have an unexpected positive outcome. But the Beanos are now silent, traumatized by the firebird’s attack. The blow to Romeo was not fatal but the stage is quiet as he and the shaman make attempts to revive the Beanos.

 

In the backstory we saw the Telur Suci (now the Beanos) being worn as amulets and participating in the songs of their hosts. Now Galdifore attempts to re-create this, distributing the eggs to individuals in the audience who are singing along with the performers. This works and the Beanos re-awaken and again participate.  This then lifts the emotional tone of the concert to new heights. But then a second miracle happens when the eggs begin to hatch.

 

At the outset, as well as during the film, Romeo and Juliet are sharing this tale with their two grandchildren.  In the final scene Romeo and the grandkids are out for an evening walk discussing and wondering about the fate of the hatched birds. Then in the distance they hear the lyrical tones of the Telur Suci. As they approach the source of the sound they see a large flock of the birds triumphantly flutter into the air.