The idea behind "Kargado" is to fuse elements from both the action and sexy genres to come up with something fresh and hopefully reinvigorate the Filipino action film which by this time (1998) is mired and drowning in mediocrity. Though the end product doesn't actually kickstart a new golden age of action films, it nonetheless revived a nostalgia for the style of the early 90s sexy action movies of the now defunct Seiko Films studio.
90s hunk and "Asia's Sexiest Man" Gardo Versoza stars in this low budget action vehicle directed by newbie Pong Mercado. Though Versoza is usually recognized for his roles as a stud in cheesy softcore porn movies, he occasionally dabbled in a few action projects. His first venture into the genre "Paminsan Minsan" didn't quite hit the mark because of the bad script and because Versoza himself seemed ill prepared for a major action role. In that film, he looked like a novice and unconvincing in the various action scenes; thankfully, in this movie, he has somewhat mended his ways and properly projects in front of the camera in a more action star like manner.
As for Mercado, the director is surprisingly competent and up to the job though he struggles in the staging of a few set pieces. Particularly, the interior scenes in which actors Dan Fernandez and Versoza are driving a truck obviously look fake. When inside the vehicle, there's no indication that the thing is actually moving which suggests that they merely pasted together scenes of a moving truck and the actors simulating the act of driving. The same can be observed in the sequences where Versoza is driving a motorcycle; a close up of the actor gripping the handles of the bike while an electric fan is blowing in his face to simulate movement is the most likely (and the most obvious) explanation. In that era of camera trickery, they could've pulled off a better job.
The film's biggest drawback is the mediocre script; not only is it an unexciting and dull story but also lacks logic. In the scene where Versoza's character is stopped at a check point for inspection of his truck, he is discovered to be transporting a cache of undocumented and unlicensed firearms. Instead of cuffing him, the dumbasses let him walk near the front of the vehicle where he is given the chance to escape without much effort. But that isn't the only instance where common sense flies out the window; letting "Fredo" drive the truck without any backup vehicle trailing along is very unrealistic; he's supposed to be the unwitting delivery boy of a big stash of high powered weapons, surely he needs the extra security. This is proof that little to no thought was put into the "screenplay".
The only redeeming value of the movie is seeing the three chicks, Camille, Ana and Aya in various revealing outfits. But at the very least, it still provides a rudimentary form of cheap entertainment. It's a perfect piece of dumbass cinema.
