Where you now, Action Star?

Photo from Flickr.com

How come I don’t see Filipino action movies in the cinemas today? The golden reign of action superstars Fernando Poe Jr., Edu Manzano, and Philip Salvador have now faded. Gone were the days of fake gunshots where one would first deliver a monologue before firing, fight scenes that seem to knock the senses out of the villain without him being touched, and those leading ladies crying over their apparently dead leading man who, at most circumstances, will recover at the latter part of the story.

Where are all the thrills of action movies gone? The last action movie I remember I watched was “Isusumbong Kita Sa Tatay Ko” where a boyish Joey (Judy Ann Santos) is spoiled by her aggressive single father by protecting poor Joey in a hand-to-hand melee combat against the goons in the marketplace. Soon after, Joey finds herself in a struggle between her father’s new lover and peer pressure in school. I am not even sure that would qualify for an action movie.

Currently in the mainstream cinema, we have a surplus of superficial love-team promoting movies, slapstick comedy series, and horror films that clearly does not work (see my Dalaw movie review here). What is more interesting is the fact that the artists in Filipino films never get dirty unless their role is a taong grasa or something similar. Another interesting point is on how a character still manages to put on make-up despite living in poverty.These kind of movies must already be limited. The movie industry has already been so commercialized to the point that it fails to deliver the “art” in every storyline as it is supposed to do. Movies are a reflection of a nation’s culture, as such, I seriously wouldn’t want to have Kimerald or John Lloyd-Bea as our front. (One More Chance is one exemption though)

I suggest that the movie industry would engage in the 3D movie arena. Yes, we are still lagging behind the animation shiznit but a better thing to focus on is the horror film genre. Just imagine a horror film in 3D, say for example, Saddako comes out of the big screen, literally crawling towards you.  Eeek! It would certainly double the thrill! We’ll really make a mark if we do something like that. 

We have a roster of talented artists. We have internationally recognized directors, actors, and writers, why can’t we be at par or even get close to the caliber of international films? I think it’s time to let go of the usual Filipino movie technique which focuses on the face value of artists and predictable storylines and happy endings and rather move further toward the more substantial and profound type of films.

Here's a snippet from www.carlodimaandal.com on how to tell if a movie is Filipino made. I just found it really true yet hilarious.

1. The single unarmed leading man will always be tougher and stronger than a group of armed villains. He can beat up a group of five or more people who are big enough to be bouncers or body builders.

2. The "final battle" will always occure in some sort of abandoned warehouse.

3. The leading man should have his wife/kid/brother/random friend or family member killed/imprisoned or injured early in the movie to justify his rage and all throughout the film.

4. Mistresses are acceptable but only for the leading man.

5. The enemy leader is either another tough actor that can almost switch roles with the leading man or an elderly actor playing a rich politician and/or business man.

6. No matter how rich the enemy group is, they always ride in old, beat down cars. But the very poor leading man can afford a very decent owner-type jeep or even a car.

7. Cops will always come at the end of the gunfight or fist fight between the leading man and enemy leader. All the cops will do is arrest the villains, its like they brought the big guns for no reason - no fighting for them.

7.1 Even if there is a group of heroes walking amongst the enemies when the cops come, the police will know exactly who to arrest without any help from anyone.

8. The movie should end either with the leading man and leading lady kissing or walking away, the leading man saying some catchy tag line or possibly the movie title or a hint for a sequel.

9. Any police investigation or any investigation for that matter should always include a scene in a night club.

10. Enemy guns have an angled barrel pointed to the ground, even the high-powered ones. Majority of their shots will hit the ground around the leading man. While the leading man's gun, no matter how low-caliber, small or cheap-looking it is, seem to have heat-seeking bullets that always hit the enemies.

11. All enemy henchmen are inutil.

12. No matter how old or old-looking the protagonist is, he will have the hottest leading lady. That is even if their physical features and age gap are enough to consider them father-and-daughter in real life.

13. The leading man is either a cop, a former cop, NBI, an ex-con or a former member of the enemy organization.

14. Before the "final battle," the villain and the leading man will say more lines of threat, stroytelling, anger and pain in a few minutes than normal people do in a lifetime. They will choose to do this even if they have their guns pointed at each other's heads.

15. Women will always use a gun of a fallen henchmen or a stick of 2 by 2 always conveniently placed beside her when she needs one, no matter where she is.

Watch this!