Capitão Falcão

It has everything to become a cult film (in Portugal). Funny and with good action scenes. Jokes are well created, with the right timing, and they are really funny if you are "in the same page" with this kind of humor (no taboos).

Great job of Gonçalo Waddington! He is Capitão Falcão and vice-versa. After this movie there can be no other actor to play this role.

I would also congratulate the producers and the director to risk some political, controversial humor in a society that has no yet surpassed the trauma of the long dictatorship of the XX century and the abrupt changes after it.

Great movie, exceeds the expectations. I would recommend any Portuguese with a free mind to watch it.

My opinion about Portuguese cinema has never been the best: except for the great films of fifty years ago, and some rare good recent productions, I have always considered that Portuguese filmmakers can only make two types of films: ultra-intellectual films with many complicated stylistic devices that never leave the festival circuit because they don't have any appeal to the public and the goofy or greasy comedies, full of cheap humor and easy laughter, that the general public consumes easily but that lack any kind of artistic quality. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those who prefers everything that's foreign, but I've always wanted to see Portuguese filmmakers and actors committed to the task of learning what is well done abroad, so they can improve what is done here.

Seeing this film, by chance, on television, was a pleasant surprise for me: far from easy laughter and sexual or eschatological appeals, virtually without a single swear and with a lot of intelligence and irony, this is a high quality comedy, the kind of comedy I've always wanted to see in our country. It was an excellent debut for João Leitão, a name that I could only associate with a few humorous TV programs (which were also quite interesting). I don't know if he will want to continue to apply his efforts to the cinema, but it would be interesting if he did, and some more works of similar quality could emerge from his work.

The script is set in the middle of the last century and abuses the irony by creating a masked hero for the Portuguese dictatorship, in the best style of the North American comics, even with a silly partner! Any resemblance between Captain Falcon and figures like Captain America, Batman or Zorro is entirely intentional. The film does not give in to the simple criticism of the regime that ruled Portugal for fifty years, nor to the cheap praise of democracy that followed it: it prefers to make an incisive social critique of a misogynist and closed society and a suspicious, gray government, obsessed with the dangers of communism which, moreover, was really seen as a threat not only in Portugal, but in other countries such as France, USA or United Kingdom, at that time. The biggest irony, of course, is in the confrontation between the film and what we know that actually happened.

The cast is full of well-known names in Portuguese dramaturgy, with big names appearing even in small and unimportant characters. Gonçalo Waddington deserves to be congratulated for his work. I already knew him from the television, and I had already observed his ironic and sharp comic vein, but I think it was the right choice to bring the Portuguese hero to life. The choice of José Pinto to give life to Salazar also seems happy, insofar as they are sufficiently similar, and the actor managed to give the infamous ruler a certain sympathetic dignity. I also liked the choice of David Chen Cordeiro to bring us the (virtually mute, but action-packed) hero's sidekick. The film also has the good and notable participation of Miguel Guilherme, Matamba Joaquim and Nuno Lopes. In addition to these names, the film brings us worthy efforts by Carla Maciel, Rui Mendes and an extremely young Miguel Luna, as well as an honorable cameo by Ricardo Carriço, in his iconic character Major Alvega, far from his glory days.

It is in the technical aspects that the film suffers the most, being highly conditioned by a limited budget and an extremely televised project vision, little oriented towards the big screen. This conditions, for example, cinematography and all the editing and post-production work. Filmed entirely in a studio, the film made good use of the atrium of the Instituto Superior Técnico for some scenes, but the scenes where the hero drives his motorcycle are so absurdly false that the green screen is not even disguised. The sets and costumes are decent enough, but still give the film the visual aspect of a long-running comic TV show. The soundtrack, by Pedro Marques and performed by the Lisbon Philharmonic Orchestra, works reasonably.

When I decided to watch Capitão Falcão, I had had the opportunity to realize there was a very positive feedback on this movie from some friends and acquaintances over the internet. Nevertheless, one is always a bit suspicious when it comes to a popular Portuguese film - don't get me wrong, there can be very good cinema in Portugal! - that doesn't let down.

This film is a satire, basically portraying the good and true Portuguese as a person of value, that loves their family, acts fervently towards any patriotic action and that is totally against Communism and its ideology. For a Portuguese who knows well the history around the dictatorship practiced in Portugal with António de Oliveira Salazar, like the most of us, it becomes even more shocking, although in a very funny way, how some individuals could manage to get a comedy out of what really happened.

Moreover, this movie is genuinely funny; there are crazy moves, fights, outrageous lines and even recreations from our childhood.

In conclusion, and although I can not consider it to be a perfect film, it is a true breath of fresh air when it pertains to the Portuguese film industry that also shows we are perfectly capable of laughing of ourselves and, more importantly, leave the cinema thinking, at least for once - I'm so glad I'm Portuguese!

Probably one of the best Portuguese films of the last decades. With subtle and delightful details, portrays of satirical and humorous forms a dictatorial era of Portugal. With a unique and politically incorrect style, the director manages to tell the story of a patriot hero, against the dangers of change.Of course, you can take political and partisan elations up to today, but I believe the motive is just the fun and comedy. No comparison, but with similar traits, I would venture to say that this film would be a Forrest Gump crossed with the Batman series of the 60's to tell a small part of the recent history of Portugal.

Forget Marvel, forget DC. Portuguese superhero "Capitain Falcon" is a vintage hero such as "Rocketeer" and "Spirit", but fights crime in the years of fascist regime lead by Salazar... supporting it! The movie strongly reminded me the not well known France-USA comedy "Mr. Freedom", from 1969, due to its high level of mock and politicization in a parody of both superheroes and conservatism, but is is even better, as it has been able to keep a nice pace, playing with absurd situations without missing the point. If it weren't campy, a comparison with "Watchmen" would also be appropriated. Hilarious, ironic and smart Portuguese film, strongly recommended! It is also visually sophisticated and has a nice soundtrack. Overacting is in the precise level required for a spoof like this. The grotesque evil represented in the movie by everything that is progressive increases the level of irony to the top. The relation between the fascist superhero and his sidekick, Puto Perdiz (Partridge Kid, but a much funnier name in Portuguese), and the nemesis represented by April Captains (what a great idea! their symbol is a carnation flower!) assure lots of laughs.